Some completely missed the mark
Inspiration for a movie can come from anywhere. The idea for a film may be conceived in a dream or it may be taken from a story recounted by a friend. More often than not, however, a film's plot is derived from a book.
Check out this gallery to find out which classic films started out as books.
The 1988 ‘Die Hard’ film and its sequels had their origins in the 1979 Roderick Thorpe novel, ‘Nothing Lasts Forever.’
Interestingly, the novel is actually a sequel to the 1966 novel ‘The Detective,’ which was made into a film with Frank Sinatra.
The box-office hit starring Tom Hanks was loosely based on the 1986 Winston Groom novel by the same name.
The film is strikingly different from the book, which has the protagonist using foul language and voyaging into outer space.
The franchise actually began with Michael Chrichton’s 1983 screenplay about an academic who recreates dinosaurs.
After having concerns that recreating dinosaurs was an unrealistic academic endeavour, it was re-written to include an entertainment angle in the 1990 novel about a theme park.
Victor Fleming’s historical romance movie was based on the 1936 Margaret Mitchell novel by the same name.
The movie follows the novel quite closely, although it has been observed that the book is darker and more sinister.
The movie that put Reese Witherspoon on the map is based on Amanda Brown’s novel by the same name.
The main difference between the book and the film is that the protagonist in the book attends Stanford rather than Harvard.
Frank Darabont’s fantasy drama was based on the 1996 Stephen King novel by the same name.
The film and the book are remarkably close, although in the film the protagonist tells his story verbally, whereas in the book his story is read by a friend from his memoirs.
The Robin Williams classic closely follows the storyline of the 1987 Anne Fine novel ‘Mrs Doubtfire.’
A key plot difference is that in the book, the older two children recognize their father straight away in his disguise as their nanny.
The film that has been described as the high point of director Martin Scorsese’s career is based on the 1985 nonfiction book ‘Wiseguy’ by Nicholas Pileggi.
Both the film and the book narrate the life of Henry Hill, a mafia man turned FBI informant.
The award-winning film by Frank Darabont is actually based on the Stephen King novella ‘Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.’
The short story can be found in a collection called ‘Different Seasons,’ which also includes a short story turned into the 1986 film ‘Stand By Me.’
Steven Spielberg’s film about a great white shark was based on the Peter Benchley novel by the same name from 1974.
The movie is quite different from the film, most notably in its absence of subplots.
Alfred Hitchcock’s psychological horror film is actually based on a 1959 novel by Robert Bloch.
The novel is said to be based on the crimes of Ed Gein, but the fact that the novel was almost finished by the time Gein was arrested casts suspicion on this theory.
The '90s classic was based on the 19th-century Jane Austen novel, ‘Emma.’
The story is told in a different setting, of course, but many of the characters and morals are the same.
The Christmas family favorite was actually inspired by a short story called ‘The Greatest Gift’ by Philip Van Doren Stern.
The film’s director, Frank Capra, reportedly read the story and was so moved by it that he immediately bought the rights so that he could make it into a film.
Described as "one of the most influential films of all time," Francis Ford Coppola’s crime film was based on Mario Puzo’s novel by the same name.
The novel was published in 1969 and was itself hugely successful.
Steven Spielberg’s historical period drama was based on the novel ‘Schindler’s Ark’ by the Australian novelist Thomas Keneally.
Both the film and the novel are highly celebrated. The film regularly appears in lists of the best films ever made and the novel won a number of awards.
See also: Stars who were fired from major movie and TV roles
Movies you didn't know were based on books
Prepare to be surprised!
MOVIES Film
Inspiration for a movie can come from anywhere. The idea for a film may be conceived in a dream or it may be taken from a story recounted by a friend. More often than not, however, a film's plot is derived from a book.
Check out this gallery to find out which classic films started out as books.