I always hear people say “Hollywood is out of ideas”, well apparently they’ve been out of ideas longer than you think. As it turns out, a lot of the movies I grew up on thinking they were original were actually remakes. However this isn’t really a negative thing as these remakes introduced me, and others of my generation I’m sure, to ideas and stories I previously would not have been privy or at least had easy access to. Here’s 20 movies, some more obvious than others, you may not have known were remakes.

The Departed

‘Departed’ is based on the 2002 Hong Kong thriller ‘Infernal Affairs’ about a police officer who goes deep undercover into the “Triad society” while a Triad member simultaenously rises through the ranks of the police department. ‘The Departed’ has almost the exact same storyline as ‘Affairs’ except for the added bonus of an unnecessary love triangle.

You’ve Got Mail

Jimmy Stewart starred in the original 1940 movie, ‘The Shop Around the Corner’, about two gift shop employees who can’t stand each other but are actually falling in love through anonymous mail postings. The movie, which was based on a play (Illatszertar), was remade into a musical in 1949 starring Judy Garland before it was electronically upgraded in 1998 with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

The Maltese Falcon

Humphrey, your Spade is a remake? It’s true, the 1941 classic starring Humphrey Bogart as hard boiled private detective Sam Spade is a remake of the 1931 film of the same title. Originally played by Ricardo Cortez, the 1931 version of the film, which is based on the novels by Dashiell Hammet,  is often aliased as ‘Dangerous Female’ to avoid confusion with Bogart’s version.

Munich

Spielberg’s film about the Israeli government’s retaliation after the 1972 massacre of Israeli Olympic athletes in Munich is a remake of 1986’s made for TV miniseries ‘Sword of Gideon’. Both films are based on the book Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team.

Scarface

The movie that you see a poster of in almost every rapper’s house on ‘Cribs’ is a remake of Howard Hawks’ 1932 classic of the same title. Having to appeal to the MPAA board after having three different cuts all rated ‘X’, the Brian De Palma crime epic, penned by Oliver Stone and starring Al Pacino faced the same issues with censorship as the original version did.

The Nutty Professor

I should have known. The 1996 comedy starring Eddie Murphy about an obese professor that creates a magic weight loss potion is actually a remake of the 1963 Jerry Lewis film of the same name. In the original version the professor’s name is Julius Kelp rather than Sherman Klump, however both version’s kept the same name of Buddy Love for the professor’s alter ego.

The Blob

Starring Steve McQueen, this 1958 horror movie about an ever growing indestructible amorphous mass was remade in 1988 starring Kevin Dillon (yes, Johnny Drama). The original version was pretty much dead in the water in terms of exposure until McQueen garnered some star power from ‘Wanted: Dead or Alive’.

I Am Legend

Will Smith is the third actor to star in an adaptation of the Richard Matheson novel of the same name. Originally adapted in 1964 and starring Vincent Price, ‘The Last Man on Earth’ was partially written by Matheson who unfortunately was unsatisfied with the result of the movie and was credited as “Logan Swanson”. Charlton Heston later stepped up to the plate in 1971 with a remake titled ‘The Omega Man’.

Casino Royale

Released in 1967 and set as a satire of the James Bond franchise, this comedy starring David Niven, Orson Welles and Peter Sellers is loosely based on Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel. Rather than featuring an up and coming MI6 agent, the original version features Sir James Bond as a retired servant of his majesty. A lot of the plot elements between the two movies are different, however they do both feature Le Chiffre, Vesper Lynd and a casino.

Flubber

Originally made in 1961 based on the  short story “A Situation of Gravity” and starring Fred MacMurray (’Double Indemnity’), ‘The Absent-Minded Professor’ has seen two remakes. The first remake was a TV movie starring Harry Anderson (’Night Court’) the second CGI enhanced version was released in 1997 starring Robin Williams.

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Tags: Remake