Hollywood has adapted movies from books (including novels) ever since the beginning and the trend still continues. Almost all the famous novels and books have a got a cinematic adaptation by now. But there are a few movies which most of the people didn’t know were based on novels or books. Let’s have a look at the top 10 movies you didn’t know were based on books.
How to Train Your Dragon
How to Train Your Dragon is directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois and was released in the year 2010. The star cast of the movie includes (voice) Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Craig Ferguson, Jonah Hill. The movie is based on a book series of the same name written by Cressida Cowell. Just like the book, the movie also received wide critical acclaim and was nominated for Oscars. Thanks to the author for creating the magical world of Vikings and Dragons.
The Exorcist
The Exorcist is directed by William Friedkin and was released in the year 1973. The star cast of the movie includes Linda Blair, Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, Max Von Sydow, and Donna Mitchell. The Exorcist is considered as one of the greatest horror flicks ever in the cinematic history and is adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty. The novel is said to be based on a real life exorcism which happened in the year 1949. The novel entered The New York Times Best Sellers list, and Blatty became the producer and screenwriter when the novel became a feature film.
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is directed by Robert Zemeckis and was released in the year 1994. The star cast of the movie includes Tom Hanks, Michael Connor Humphreys, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, and Sally Field. The movie is based on Winston Groom’s 1986 novel of the same name. This Academy Award winning movie is loved and praised by many even after years of its initial release. Only 30,000 copies of the novel were sold before the cinematic adaptation. The major credit goes to Winston Groom for creating one of the most loved characters of the 90s.
Jaws
Jaws is directed by Steven Spielberg and was released in the year 1975. The star cast of the movie includes Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Peter Benchley, and Lorraine Gary. The movie is an adaptation of Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel of the same name based on his researches on shark attack. The novel soon became a best seller and remained the same for about 11 months. Spielberg became a phenomenon with the Jaws, and you all know what happened next. The movie was the highest-grossing film at that time and remained the same for long.
Pitch Perfect
Pitch Perfect is directed by Jason Moore and was released in the year 2012. The star cast of the movie includes Anna Kendrick, Anna Camp, Rebel Wilson, Skylar Astin, and Brittany Snow. The movie is adapted from the book (non-fiction), titled Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate a Cappella Glory. The events shown in the movie happened in the author’s life during the a cappella competition in three different Universities. The movie became a blockbuster hit and is the second highest musical-comedy grosser of all time.
Scarface
Scarface is directed by Brian De Palma and was released in the year 1983. The star cast of the movie includes Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Robert Loggia, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. If you think that this movie is just a reboot of the 1932 flick Scarface, then you are wrong. Even though it is a reboot, the movie is based on Armitage Trail’s 1929 novel of the same name. The author sketched the character of Tony Montana from the real-life gangster Al Capone. Armitage Trail died a year after the publication of the novel due to heart attack and we can thank him for giving us the iconic character, Tony Montana.
First Blood
First Blood is directed by Ted Kotcheff and was released in the year 1982. The star cast of the movie includes Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Brian Dennehy, David Caruso, and Jack Starrett. This movie is adapted from the 1972 novel of the same name by David Morrell. The author got inspired by his students’ experiences who had fought in Vietnam, and it became the prime reason for writing the novel. Many studios hesitated to adapt the cinematic version, and finally, it caught the attention of two aspiring producers and finally it happened. Sylvester Stallone’s performance in the movie is considered as one of his best performances ever.
Mean Girls
Mean Girls is directed by Mark Waters and was released in the year 2004. The star cast of the movie includes Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, Tina Fey, and Lacey Chabert. The movie is based on a self-help book (non-fiction) titled Queen Bees and Wannabes wrote by Rosalind Wiseman. The book focuses on how high school girls form cliques and on their aggressive behavior and ways to deal with them. The movie became one of the best teen comedies ever along with notable performances from the lead cast.
Mrs. Doubtfire
Mrs. Doubtfire is directed by Chris Columbus and was released in the year 1993. The star cast of the movie includes Robin Williams, Mara Wilson, Lisa Jakub, Sally Field, and Matthew Lawrence. The movie is based on the 1987 novel Madame Doubtfire written by Anne Fine. Mrs. Doubtfire is considered as one of the funniest movies ever made and received several Academy and Golden Globe Awards. How could one forget the hilarious performance of Robin Williams as the female housekeeper?
Die Hard
Die Hard is directed by John McTiernan and was released in the year 1988. The star cast of the movie includes Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson, and William Atherton. The movie is based on the 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp, a sequel to his 1966 novel, The Detective. The Detective received a cinematic adaptation of the same name starring Frank Sinatra. When the time came for the cinematic adaptation of Nothing Lasts Forever, the central character of detective Joe Leland changed to John McClane. Actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone were initially considered for the lead role before it went into the hands of Bruce Willis.
