With so many movies out in multiplexes at any given time, cinema-goers are hard pressed to find a truly original live-action movie, as everything released these days is either animated, a superhero movie, or a remake. Not only that, but many of the remakes are of classic movies that audiences still know and love.
However, not all remakes are like Ocean’s Eleven or Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, in which the original movies are still very much a part of the collective consciousness. Whether the original movie is a tiny foreign film that didn’t find a US audience or a movie on a shoestring budget that went direct to video, some remakes do a great job of hiding that they’re actually based on other movies.
Meet The Parents (2000)
Meet The Parents might not seem like a remake, as it came from a long line-up of many similar late 90s and early 2000s comedies.
However, the movie, which is one of Ben Stiller’s best movies according to Rotten Tomatoes, is in fact based on the 1992 film of the same name. The original movie was a tiny production with a minuscule budget of $100,000, and it's amazing to think that it has started a franchise of movies that has now grossed more than one billion dollars and has even been adapted in to two TV shows too.
Insomnia (2002)
Not only do many people often forget that Insomnia is a Christopher Nolan movie, as it features none of his trademarks that he’s known for today, but few people know that it’s actually a remake too.
The movie is based on a Norwegian thriller of the same name, and surprisingly enough, there’s very little difference between the original and the remake. Nolan stays true to the original’s style and mood, and that’s one of the reasons why it’s arguably Nolan’s best movie.
The Departed (2006)
With this 2006 gangster movie being one of Martin Scorsese’s best works of the 21st century, he has the Hong Kong movie Infernal Affairs to thank, the cat and mouse thriller on which The Departed is based.
Though The Departed is an amazing movie full of incredible performances (and is the reason why Martin Scorsese has an Academy Award), there are many people who still think Infernal Affairs is the better of the two movies. However, as great as the Hong Kong movie is, it doesn’t have half as many of the quotable lines that The Departed does.
True Grit (2010)
Though the Coen brothers are known for their incredible and original movies that are penned by themselves, they have dabbled in remaking other directors’ material on several occasions, but to varying degrees of success.
They first remade Ladykillers in 2004, which received a tepid response, but six years later they’d go on to make True Grit, a completely unique retelling of the John Wayne vehicle of the same name, and it features one of the best performances by a child actor from Hailee Steinfeld.
The Fly (1986)
Though The Fly seems like a movie most likely from the visionary director David Cronenberg if there ever was one, as he’s known for his grotesque creature features with mind bending narratives, it’s actually a remake of a movie from 28 years beforehand.
However, the remake does have some major changes, and Cronenberg changed the creature feature in to an almost Shakespearean tragedy given the movie’s mortifying ending.
Heat (1995)
There are few movies named Heat that were released prior to 1995, including a Burt Reynolds action movie, but none of them are what the heist movie is based on.
Six years before the release of Heat, director Michael Mann made a 90 minute pilot episode for a new TV show, but as the network didn’t pick it up, they instead released the pilot as a TV movie called L.A. Takedown. The premise of that movie is what would become Heat, which has become arguably the best heist movie ever made.
True Lies (1994)
True Lies is based on the French comedy movie, La Totale, and the premise of the remake remains largely unchanged.
However, it is one of the best remakes of a French movie and it’s mostly thanks to the surprisingly great comedy timing that Arnie has with Jamie Lee Curtis. The remake was a huge success amongst both domestic and intentional audiences and there is even a sequel in the works, even if it has been in development hell for years.
Casino Royale (2006)
James Bond movies are usually hit and miss, and each Casino Royale movie represents both categories. Many people don’t actually know that the 1967 version of the movie even exists, as it’s actually non canonical, as it somehow turned into a parody of James Bond in pre-production.
Though both versions of the story borrow heavily from the book, the 2006 Casino Royale actually lifted a lot from the original movie.
Three Men And A Baby (1987)
Being another remake of a French comedy, which was called Three Men And A Cradle, the remake is again very similar to the original movie.
However, Three Men And A Baby is known for its vivid New York backdrop and it’s what most people remember it for. The remake was a huge hit, as it was the biggest box-office success of 1987 and spawned a remake three years later, Three Men And A Little Lady.
Scarface (1983)
It may come as a surprise to many, but the beloved 80s gangster movie is actually a remake of the 1932 movie of the same name, even though the two films bear very little similarity.
Brian DePalma’s Scarface is a contemporary look at drug addiction drowned in Hawaiian shirts and Miami sunsets, whereas the original is a period piece set during the prohibition era, but the themes remain the same.