Top 10 Movies You Didn't Know Had An Animated Series
#10: “Teen Wolf” (1985) Animated Series: “Teen Wolf” (1986-87)
Top 10 Mistakes That Were Left in Teen Movies
In the 1980s, Michael J. Fox became a teen idol as a result of his appearance in multiple successful projects, one of which was “Teen Wolf.” The movie follows Scott Howard, an average high school student whose life takes a turn for the extraordinary when he realizes he can transform into a werewolf. It’s an interesting premise whose coming-of-age themes and light-hearted tone made it a great fit for kid-friendly programming. As such, a cartoon series premiered the following year and ran for two seasons on CBS. While the film’s main storyline stays the same, the animated version introduces a few more characters and features Scott trying hard to fit in at school, by hiding his werewolf identity.
#9: “The Karate Kid” (1984) Animated Series: “The Karate Kid” (1989)
Top 20 Opening Songs in Animated Movies That Didn't Have to Go THAT Hard
A classic tale of David and Goliath, “The Karate Kid” became a sleeper hit at the box office for its engaging and heart-warming story. The movie spawned a successful media franchise, with multiple sequels and remakes, and a children’s animated show in 1989. Although short-lived, the cartoon series takes the main characters out of the karate tournament from the film and sends them on adventures around the world. Every episode of the show features Daniel LaRusso and a new character, Taki Tamurai, traveling across different locations and fighting off bad guys in a quest to recover a magical artifact. The series was even referenced in the third season of the “Karate Kid” sequel “Cobra Kai,” although that doesn’t mean it’s canon per se.
#8: “Godzilla” (1998) Animated Series: “Godzilla: The Series” (1998-2000)
Top 10 Smart Decisions in Godzilla Movies
This American retelling of the beloved original Godzilla story premiered to overwhelmingly negative reviews from both fans and critics. Intended to be the first of three films, “Godzilla’s” poor reception led to a cancellation of the planned trilogy, with the studio commissioning an animated series instead. The show, which ran for two seasons on Fox Kids, saw the return of multiple characters and cast members from the live-action film. It received much better audience and critical reviews, with many praising just how faithful an adaptation it was of the original Toho films. Although it showed great promise, the series got lost in the Pokémon/Digimon war of the late ‘90s, and it was ultimately canceled.
#7: “Napoleon Dynamite” (2004) Animated Series: “Napoleon Dynamite” (2012)
Top 10 Things Napoleon Gets Factually Right and Wrong
Despite being produced on a shoestring budget, “Napoleon Dynamite” became a massive success at the box office and garnered a huge cult following. For this reason, the movie’s creators were offered to make a live-action follow-up, but opted for an animated sequel instead. This revival premiered nearly a decade after the original hit comedy flick, and retained the film’s basic premise and setting of rural Idaho. But while Napoleon Dynamite won the hearts of audiences with the movie, his cartoon version imploded from steadily declining ratings and the show was canceled after just one season. Many faulted the series for losing the movie’s quirky charm and deadpan humor, pointing to this as a reason for its low viewership.
#6: “Jumanji” (1995) Animated Series: “Jumanji” (1996-99)
3 Ways 'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle' Got It Right - Review! Mojo @ The Movies
When “Jumanji” premiered in cinemas in December of 1995, it drew audiences around the world for its family-friendly nature and adventure themes. These features, centered around a board game, were just the right ingredients needed for a perfect daytime children’s cartoon. Although the animated series began its run one year later, it served more as a reboot of the live-action movie than as a direct sequel. The show retained the two kids from the film, trying to save an older man who was trapped in the game years earlier. Over the course of three seasons, the cartoon delved even further into the Jumanji universe, with the characters exploring new worlds and encountering more menacing villains within the game.
#5: “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” (1989) Animated Series: “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures” (1990-91)
Top 10 Best Bill and Ted Movie Moments
This time-travel slacker comedy featured Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter in the titular roles and became a relative success when it was released in 1989. It spawned two sequels and an animated spin-off series that ran for two seasons. What set “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures” apart from other cartoon adaptations was the fact that it featured the film’s original cast voicing the main characters. Well, at least for the first season. By season two, the show underwent major changes. It switched to a different network, replaced the original cast with new voice actors, and even took the original premise in a new direction. All of these affected ratings and resulted in the series getting the chop.
#4: “Beetlejuice” (1988) Animated Series: “Beetlejuice” (1989-91)
The horror themes and bizarre humor of “Beetlejuice” could’ve made it quite difficult to reproduce as a Saturday morning children’s cartoon. But in the masterful hands of director Tim Burton, who went on to create and produce the animated spin-off, it was a seamless transition. The series was only loosely based on the live-action movie, focusing on Beetlejuice and Lydia going on wacky adventures in the real world and in an alternate ghost reality called the “Neitherworld.” Just like its parent material, the cartoon became a huge hit after it premiered, and was so successful that it was, at one time, airing on two major networks at the same time.
#3: “The Mask” (1994) Animated Series: “The Mask: Animated Series” (1995-97)
Top 10 Opening Songs in Animated Movies That Didn't Have to Go THAT Hard
The year 1994 saw Jim Carrey become one of Hollywood’s leading men largely due to his starring role in the superhero flick “The Mask.” The film, which had Carrey don the supernatural artifact, became one of the most profitable comic book movies and was adapted into a three-season animated series. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the only 1994 Jim Carrey-led movie to spawn a cartoon spin-off, as “Dumb and Dumber” and “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” both received animated revivals that premiered in 1995. Although it sadly didn’t feature Carrey in the voice role, “The Mask: Animated Series” still retained his wacky antics from the film and made for a highly entertaining show that anyone could enjoy.
#2: “Back to the Future” trilogy (1985-90) Animated Series: “Back to the Future” (1991-92)
Top 10 Back To The Future Trilogy Moments
After the release of the mega-successful “Back to the Future” trilogy, the creators of the franchise chose to continue the storyline with this animated spin-off. Unlike the films, the show focuses on Doc Brown and his family, who move to a different town following the events of the third movie. It also includes Marty as the central character, continuing his time-traveling adventures with Doc. The cartoon series featured live-action segments, in which Christopher Lloyd reprised his movie role, carrying out science experiments in line with the plot of the episode. While the trilogy was a huge success, the animated show suffered from low viewership and was ultimately canceled after two seasons. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “An American Tail” (1986), Animated Series: “Fievel's American Tails” (1992) The CBS Cartoon Series Picked Things up Where the Film’s Sequel Left Off “The Little Mermaid” (1989), Animated Series: “The Little Mermaid” (1992-94) The 3-Season Show Served as a Prequel to the Disney Animated Movie of the Same Name “Friday” (1995), Animated Series: “Friday: The Animated Series” (2007) 12 Years After the Comedy Flick Came This Short-Lived Animated Spin-off “Police Academy” franchise (1984-94), Animated Series: “Police Academy” (1988-89) Set Between the 4th & 5th Films, This Cartoon Show Found a Larger Fanbase Internationally “Clerks” (1994), Animated Series: “Clerks: The Animated Series” (2000-02) The Show’s Hilarious 6-Episode First Season Barely Aired Before It Was Canceled
#1: “Ghostbusters” (1984) Animated Series: “The Real Ghostbusters” (1986-91)
Top 10 Ghostbusters Ghosts
The ghost-hunting antics of Venkman, Spengler, Stantz, and Zeddemore were brought back to life, two years after the movie premiered, in the form of this animated series. The show encountered a few legal issues on its way to the small screen, having to add the word “Real” to avoid confusion with another animated “Ghostbusters” series by Filmation. Airing for seven seasons on ABC, the cartoon retained the original premise and even featured multiple references to the 1984 film. Nevertheless, the mature themes and explicit dialogue from the movie had to be toned down for the much younger audience. The show became a huge success and spawned its own short-lived spin-off series, “Extreme Ghostbusters.”
