Popular Movies You Probably Don't Know Are Remakes (Pt. 2)
Think you know your movies 100%? Dive into part two of Reel Illustrated's 'Reel List', revealing popular films that are actually remakes. You might be in for a surprise! Before scrolling down, take a look at the previous list.
1. The Amateur (Original: The Amateur, 1981)
Directed by James Hawes, the 2025 remake stars Rami Malek as CIA cryptographer, Charlie Heller, who goes on a revenge mission after his wife, Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), is killed in a terrorist attack in London, or so he's told. Laurence Fishburne played his handler, Hendo, who trains him but is also ordered to eliminate him after it's discovered that Charlie's threat to leak classified info was a bluff.
In the original, directed by Charles Jarrott, John Savage played CIA cryptographer Charlie, who blackmails his superiors to send him to Czechoslovakia to kill the terrorists who murdered his fiancée, Sarah, outside the American Embassy in Germany. However, they double-cross him, and he embarks on his mission untrained, but still determined. Charlie is horrified when he discovers the real reason behind Sarah's death. The movie also starred the late veteran actor, Christopher Plummer.
Trivia:
-The original version was based on the 1981 spy novel of the same name by journalist Robert Littell, who also co-wrote the screenplay. He's now 90 and currently lives in France.
-The original version is a Canadian production.
-In the remake, Charlie's mission takes him to France, Turkey & Romania.
- Rami Malek served as the remake's executive producer, marking his debut as a producer.
The 1983 crime drama starring Al Pacino was directed by Brian De Palma. Pacino played Tony Montana, a Cuban refugee-turned drug lord who, while amassing great wealth, also gained enemies. In the original, directed by Howard Hawks, Paul Muni led the cast as Tony Camonte, an Italian immigrant who rises through the ranks of the Chicago mob by violent means.
Trivia:
-The remake was set in Miami. The original was set in Chicago.
- Both Tonys met a violent end. In the remake, Tony was gunned down while making a last stand. The original Tony was killed while trying to escape.
-In both versions, the phrase "The World is Yours" appears, reflecting Tony's ambition.
-The remake is dedicated to Howard Hawks, who directed the original version and Ben Hecht, who wrote the original's screenplay.
-The original film was based on the 1930 book of the same name by Armitage Trail, the main character inspired by real-life Chicago gangster, Al Capone & his rise to power. Capone's nickname was 'Scarface', to some, 'Scarface Al', due to a scar on his face.
-In the book, Tony's surname is Guarino.
- The Valentine's Day massacre was depicted in the original version. Al Capone was suspected of being behind the violent event.
3. Yeh Vaada Raha (Original: The Promise, 1979)
Yes, the beloved and highly popular 1982 Bollywood musical classic is actually a remake. Directed by Kapil Kapoor, it starred the late Rishi Kapoor, Tina Ambani, Poonam Dhillon, Rishi's co-star from Kabhi Kabhie, Rakhee Gulzar, and Shammi Kapoor. In the film, a young man defies his snobbish mother and sets off to marry the woman he loves, Sunita, but a terrible accident and a malicious lie force them apart. But lies and a new identity cannot sever a deep love bond.
In the original TV movie, directed by Gilbert Cates, Stephen Collins and Kathleen Quinlan played college sweethearts from different backgrounds who want to marry, but his snobbish mother (Beatrice Straight) is against it. A car crash on their way to the wedding venue damages Nancy's face. Michael is told of her 'death' after he wakes from a coma. Nancy is ordered by his mother not to reach out unless he contacts her first, in exchange for her funding her treatment. After various surgeries and not hearing from Michael, Nancy changes her name and starts a new life and a new relationship, but a deep love is impossible to shake off.
Trivia:
-The original version's screenplay was novelised by Danielle Steel.
- In the Bollywood remake, Vikram and Sunita (later Kusum) seal their promise to each other by tying Sunita's necklace on a pole in their temple. In the original, Michael and Nancy (later Marie) hide a costume necklace under a rock, symbolising that their love will continue as long as the necklace stays there.
The 1999 film starring Brendan Fraser is actually a remake of the 1932 film of the same name! Also starring Rachel Weisz, John Hannah & South African actor Arnold Vosloo as the reanimated mummy, Imhotep; it was written and directed by Stephen Sommers. In the film, Imhotep is accidentally reawakened after thousands of years during an archaeological dig, and wreaks havoc as frantic efforts are made to stop him. Imhotep soon encounters British librarian, Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) & is convinced she's the reincarnation of his lost love, Anck-su-namun. This was followed by the 2001 sequel, another in 2008 & a 2017 reboot, starring Tom Cruise, Annabelle Wallis, Jake Johnson, Courtney B. Vance, and Russell Crowe.
The original starred Boris Karloff as Imhotep, who, after being accidentally resurrected after thousands of years by a team of archaeologists, searches for his lover, Anck-es-en-Amon, whom he believes is reincarnated in the modern world. It was directed by Karl Freund.
Trivia:
- The remake, its sequels, prequel/spinoff & the 2017 reboot are action-adventure films, rated PG-13. The original 1932 film is a supernatural horror film.
-In both versions, Imhotep returns to 1920s Egypt.
-In the remake, Israeli actor Oded Fehr played Ardeth Bay, chief of the Medjai, the descendants of the royal bodyguards, bound to prevent Imhotep's resurrection. In the original, Imothep assumes the name of Ardeth Bay after his resurrection, in the guise of an Egyptian historian.
5. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (Original: The Incredible Journey, 1963)
The 1993 family film was the remake of the Disney-produced 1963 film, which in turn was loosely based on the 1960 book by Sheila Burnford. In the story, 2 dogs and a cat trek across the wilderness to reunite with their owners, whom they assume left them behind by mistake. In the remake, the old and wise Golden Retriever, Shadow, is voiced by the late Don Ameche, immature and cocky Chance, voiced by Michael J. Fox & the sharp-tongued Himalayan cat, Sassy, was voiced by Sally Field.
In the original, directed by Fletcher Markle, the 3 animals are Bodger, an elderly English Bull Terrier, Luath, a Yellow Labrador, and Tao, a Siamese cat. The animals didn't speak; instead, actor Rex Allen served as a narrator, describing their thoughts and emotions as they made the 200-mile trek 200-mile across the Ontario wilderness back to their owners.
Trivia:
- The original film was set in Ontario, Canada, while the remake was set in the United States.
- The animals belonged to 3 siblings in the remake. Shadow belonged to Peter, Chance to Jamie and Sassy to their sister, Hope. In the original, Luath belonged to a Professor, while Tao belonged to his daughter, Elizabeth and Bodger to his son, Peter.
The 2002 remake, directed by Gore Verbinski, starred Naomi Watts, who played a journalist investigating the death of her niece and her friends after they watched a mysterious cassette. When she watches the tape, which contains disturbing imagery, she receives a warning from an unknown caller and experiences supernatural occurrences. The sequel, directed by Hideo Nakata and released in 2005, is set 6 months after the events in the 1st film, with Watts reprising her role as Rachel, who fights for her son's life after he's possessed by Samara.
The original 1998 Japanese film was adapted from Koji Suzuki's 1991 novel, Ring, which in turn is the 1st book of his 'Ring' trilogy. Directed by Hideo Nakata, who later on directed the remake's sequel, it starred Nanako Matsushima as Reiko, who finds the cursed tape her niece & her friends watched before their sudden deaths. It was followed by Spiral (Rasen), an adaptation of the 2nd 'Ring' book, but its unpopularity led to it being replaced by Ringu 2 (1999). Again directed by Hideo Nakata, it ignores the events in Rasen and is set 4 weeks after the events in Ring.
Trivia:
- Koji Suzuki was inspired by the 1982 film, Poltergeist.
-A short film, Rings, was released in 2005, as a prelude to the 2005 American remake's sequel, The Ring Two.
-The first adaptation of Suzuki's novel was a 1995 Japanese TV film, Ring, which is regarded as the most faithful of the book out of its several adaptations.
7. You've Got Mail (Original: The Shop Around The Corner, 1940)
Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan reunited after their previous film, Sleepless in Seattle, to co-star in the 1998 romantic comedy, You've Got Mail. Directed by Nora Ephron, Meg Ryan played an independent bookshop owner with a genuine love for books, while Hanks played a bookshop chain magnate who was more into profit. Joe and Kathleen clash due to the book chain's upcoming new superstore, which would run her shop out of business. Unknown to them, they're each other's love interest via online chats.
In the original, directed by Ernst Lubitsch, Margaret Sullivan & James Stewart play co-workers at a leather goods shop, who don't get along. Alfred exchanges letters with an anonymous pen pal, not knowing that the pen pal is Klara, and vice versa.
Trivia:
1. You've Got Mail is the 2nd remake of The Shop Around the Corner, the 1st one being In the Good Old Summer Time, a musical directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Judy Garland & Van Johnson, with Judy's daughter, Liza Minnelli, making a brief appearance.
2. The Shop Around the Corner was set in 1930s Budapest, Hungary, In the Good Old Summer Time in Chicago at the turn of the century, & You've Got Mail in late 90s Manhattan.
3. In You've Got Mail, the name of Kathleen's bookshop is "The Shop Around the Corner".
8. Road House (Original: Road House, 1989)
Directed by Doug Liman, the 2024 drama starred Jake Gyllenhaal as a troubled former UFC fighter who is hired as head of security at a drinking establishment in the Florida Keys, known as the Road House, where he deals with more than unruly clientele & a psychotic enemy.
In the original, directed by Rowdy Herrington, the late Patrick Swayze played a professional bouncer who leaves his nightclub job in New York to work at the Double Deuce in Missouri. He deals with dishonest employees & violent patrons but gains a deadly enemy.
Trivia:
-Both main characters' last name is Dalton. In the remake, his first name is Elwood; in the original, James.
-Both Daltons have troubled pasts, of which they feel guilty. In the remake, Elwood had killed his UFC opponent in the ring, while James tore a man's throat in self-defence.
- A straight-to-video sequel of the original was released in 2006.
9 . The Parent Trap (Original: The Parent Trap, 1961)
Yes, this too! Released by Disney, the story centred on a pair of identical twins who discover each other's existence while attending summer camp. The film is based on the 1949 children's book, Das doppelte Lottchen (The Double Lottie), also known as Lisa & Lottie, but released in the UK and Australia as 'The Parent Trap'. It was written by the German author Erich Kästner.
In the 1998 film, directed by Nancy Meyers, Lindsay Lohan played the dual role of twins, demure Annie James and tomboyish Hallie Parker. After they realise they are sisters, they swap identities and destinations to meet the parents each twin has never met and reunite them. Annie, raised by her mother, Elizabeth (the late Natasha Richardson), meets their father, Nicholas (Denis Quaid), and Hallie's nanny, Chessy (Lisa Ann Walter), while Hallie meets their mother and grandfather (Ronnie Stevens), as well as the family butler, Martin.
Disney previously released its original version in 1961, directed by David Swift. Susan Evers and proper Sharon McKendrick were played by British actress Hayley Mills. Their parents were played by Brian Keith (Mitch) and Maureen O'Hara (Maggie). Susan, raised by Mitch, meets Maggie and her grandparents, whereas Sharon, raised by Maggie, finally meets Mitch and the family housekeeper, Verbena.
In both versions, the twins have to contend with their father's new girlfriend (Vicky in the original and Meredith in the remake), who is actually a gold digger plotting to send Annie to boarding school.
Trivia:
-In the original, Susan and Sharon are raised in the US, but in different states. Susan lived with Mitch on his ranch in California, while Sharon lived with Maggie and Maggie's parents in Boston, Massachusetts. In the remake, Annie lived with Elizabeth and her grandfather in England, while Hallie lived in a vineyard with Nick in California.
- In the original, the twins' parents were more bitter over the reasons behind their divorce.
- In the book, the twins, Luise (or Lisa) and Lottie, are named after their mother, Luiselotte. Luise, raised by their father in Vienna, is troublesome & rude, while Lottie, raised by their mother in Munich, is quiet & shy.
- While the 1998 film is a remake of the 1961 version, the 1961 version is not the first adaptation of the book; rather, the first American adaptation. The first adaptation was the German film Das doppelte Lottchen (Two Times Lottie), directed by Josef von Báky. The screenplay was written by the book's author, Erich Kästner, who also served as the film's narrator. This adaptation was the most faithful to the book and starred real-life German twin sisters, Isa and Jutta Günther.
-The story has been adapted 17 times, the current one being a 2022 British musical, Identical. Other countries that adapted it include Japan and India.
- The 1961 Disney version has 3 made-for-TV sequels, The Parent Trap II, The Parent Trap II & Parent Trap: Hawaiian Honeymoon; Haley Mills reprising her dual role of Susan and Sharon, but as adults.
So, which one surprised you the most? Indicate in the comments!
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