5 popular films based on books

These films are work of fiction and whilst the Harry Potter series remains one of the best examples of this we have created a list of our 5 favourites alongside afew other than are also worth a mention.

Whilst not all books on this list may be a surprise, but one or two are sure to be a shock to you! Literature has had a hand in cinema for the longest time, so here are six films that were based off and adapted from books.

Forest Gump
Yes, we were suprised too! Forrest Gump started out as a book (Forrest Gump by Winston Groom), but let’s all note that the book was way less popular than the film, and in my opinion, that speaks to the power of American treasure Tom Hanks.

The film was released in 1994, and warmed audiences hearts. However, the book is surprisingly said to be a little darker, and adds more moral complexity – which would maybe create more of a thought-provoking plot.
Regardless of this change, the film still seemed true to form and was a wonderful journey all about a simple man who wants to stay positive.

Freaky Friday
Freaky Friday, also known as some of Lindsay Lohan’s BEST work (don’t @ me), started as a children’s book called Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers.

Die hard
Surprise: Bruce Willis’s classic action movie was first a book entitled Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp. However, the name of the protagonist had to be changed from Joe Leland to John McClane because Nothing Lasts Forever is actually the second book in the series—the first was already made into a movie in 1966.

Jurassic Park

The story of Jurassic Park is well-known throughout cinema, but the book written by Michael Crichton in 1990 may not be known as the source material for said film.

The film adaptation came out in 1993, and was – and still is – a huge success. One of the differences we saw in the movie was the removal of a dinosaur named Procompsognathus (try saying that five times fast). The famous T- Rex was put in place as the main attraction in the film instead.

Other differences include Alan Grant’s (Sam Neill) attitude towards children, which is different in the book, and a lot of violence was cut from the film version.

Fight Club

This was a classic, a decade ago!, Released in 1999 the film has a rather large following, with audiences loving the unique plot and style – but did you know this was based off the 1996 book by Chuck Palahniuk?

The movie is said to keep pretty much in line with the plot, characters, the rest of the film’s aspects. However, the tone in the book seems to change when moved to the big screen.

The inclusion of the voiceover in the film captures the narration in the book, keeping consistent with the vision of the novel.

The book, coming out in 2010, and the film, releasing in 2015, are said to be rather similar.

The author, Emma Donoghue, wrote the screenplay adaption for her novel before it was published because she was sure the story would attract filmmakers – smart!

The story seems to be pretty much the same, and director Lenny Abrahamson did a wonderful job bringing Donoghue’s book to life.

OTHERS

American Psycho

An absolutely brilliant film adapted from a book of the same name written by Bret Easten Ellis.

Written in 1991 and adapted nine years later in 2000, the film is said to have added dark humour to characters and situations, which fits perfectly with Patrick Bateman’s (Christian Bale) character within the adaptation.

The plot seems to remain the same, but Bale’s performance in this movie makes it a must-see regardless of if you have read the book.

The Exorcist

A horror classic, but it may be little-known that its scary origins were lifted right off the page.

The author of this book, William P Blatty, released his creation in 1971, and only two years later in 1973, the adaptation was released. The book and film seem to share more similarities than differences, as the film seemed to simply bring the story to life.

Simply in the sense of similarity, the use of special effects and the like added another level to the book itself.

Perhaps the biggest surprise on this list, the film that so many audiences loved and still do to this day, came from the 1986 book of the same name written by Winston Groom.

Other notable others: Legally Blonde, Mrs. Doubtfire, Clueless, The Shawshank Redemption, Mean Girls, Pitch Perfect, Blade runner, The Hunger Games, The Lord of the Ring, Twlight, Briidget Jones, The Help, Little Women, IT.