10 Movie Franchises That Strayed From Their Original Source Material

Numerous iconic movie franchises have originated from literary works, yet the challenge lies in preserving a consistent vision across multiple installments. While some series, like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, have managed to stay largely true to their source material, many others quickly exhaust their original narratives and must diverge into new, often uncharted territories. Noteworthy examples include the James Bond and Jurassic Park franchises, which have far surpassed their literary origins.

When franchises outlive their original material, filmmakers are confronted with a choice: conclude the series or innovate with new plots and characters. Success stories, such as Shrek, contrast with the decline seen in series like Jaws, where subsequent entries often feel disconnected from their high-caliber predecessors.

10 Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park: Departing from Michael Crichton’s Vision

The original Jurassic Park film draws inspiration from Michael Crichton’s novel, albeit with notable adaptations. Steven Spielberg reshaped key characters, most notably transforming John Hammond from a villain into a more sympathetic figure. This reinterpretation, however, retains the essence of the narrative, making it a blockbuster success shot to fame.

Following its record-breaking achievement as the highest-grossing film, a sequel was inevitable. Although Crichton penned a follow-up titled The Lost World, the franchise soon drifted into original territory. The current Jurassic World series diverges sharply from Crichton’s narrative framework, depicting dinosaurs proliferating globally. Upcoming projects like Jurassic World Rebirth promise further expansions that veer away from the source material.

9 Blade Runner

Blade Runner: A Franchise in Evolution

Blade Runner loosely adapts Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, with notable deviations that reflect Ridley Scott’s vision. While it presents the primary plotline of the book, the franchise has ventured into fresh narratives since the release of Blade Runner 2049. This sequel focused exclusively on expanding themes introduced in the first film, rather than adhering closely to the original literary work.

Positive critical reception indicates a promising future for the franchise, including an anticipated series titled Blade Runner 2099, which aims to develop the universe further while distancing itself from its literary roots.

8 James Bond

James Bond: The End of Literary Inspirations

Originally adapted from Ian Fleming’s renowned spy novels, the James Bond franchise has recently shifted towards original storytelling. Since Casino Royale, the series has not solely depended on its literary sources; instead, it has forged new paths without any remaining novels to adapt.

While earlier films made their own alterations to Fleming’s narratives, each portrayal of Bond has introduced unique interpretations. Future actors stepping into the role will inevitably be compared to predecessors like Daniel Craig and Sean Connery, rather than the fictional character itself. With no established literary roadmap ahead, the future of Bond 26 is shrouded in uncertainty.

7 Shrek

Shrek: Literary Foundations Masked by Cinematic Success

Many fans might regard Shrek as entirely original, as it vastly outshines the children’s book by William Steig upon which it is based. Key differences abound—Steig’s narrative features Shrek’s parents and breathes fire, deviating significantly from the film adaptation that focuses instead on a quest with a talking donkey to save a princess from a dragon.

As the franchise expanded with Shrek 2 and several spin-offs like Puss in Boots, it further distanced itself from the book, all while crafting a narrative that parodied classic fairy tales—a concept not heavily emphasized in Steig’s work. With Shrek 5 on the horizon, its trajectory remains uncertain, lacking a clear blueprint.

6 Willy Wonka

Willy Wonka: Diverging Character Interpretations

Most adaptations based on Roald Dahl’s works emerged posthumously, primarily due to his dissatisfaction with earlier films like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Dahl’s feelings about Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory would be interesting to speculate, as it marks an adaptation that is both faithful and distinctly Burtonesque.

Burton’s take transforms the book into a launching pad for his own storytelling, resulting in a quirky and dark tone that diverges from the original text. Additionally, Wonka, the prequel featuring Timothée Chalamet, further strays from Dahl’s narrative, as Wonka is not even the central figure in the original story. A more faithful adaptation could have pursued Dahl’s sequel, The Starlight Barking, which offers a surreal storyline about otherworldly dogs.

5.Jumanji

Jumanji: From Board Game to Video Game Escapades

The first Jumanji film remains a reasonably faithful adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg’s book. While a sequel, Zathura, was adapted in 2005, it failed to garner the same enthusiasm as its predecessor. However, the continuity pressed on, despite straying from Van Allsburg’s subsequent work.

One significant change involved transforming the board game into a video game in recent sequels, which ultimately redefined user interactions with the story. Rather than unleashing chaos in the real world, these sequels present players entering the game world, creating entirely original narratives devoid of any book references as the franchise continues to develop.

4 Die Hard

Die Hard: Evolving Beyond Its Origins

While Die Hard is based on Roderick Thorp’s novel Nothing Lasts Forever, much of its essence derives from Bruce Willis’ iconic portrayal and John McTiernan’s action-packed direction. As the franchise grew, the original story was largely overshadowed, allowing each subsequent film to escalate the stakes and action without rooting back to its literary source.

Thorp’s novel endeavored to craft a narrative arc similar to that of Die Hard while also serving as a sequel to The Detective. However, original plot elements shifted dramatically through the adaptation process, heralding a series that could spin in numerous directions without constraints.

3 Planet Of The Apes

Planet of the Apes: Expanding on an Established Legacy

The original Planet of the Apes is rooted in Pierre Boulle’s novel, and while the inaugural film spawned several sequels, none adhered strictly to Boulle’s themes. Although the franchise evolved significantly, the prequel series, beginning with Rise of the Planet of the Apes, diverges even further by depicting the progression of ape society long before Boulle’s timeline.

These prequels have received critical acclaim while charting a unique course that continues to develop characters and narratives unrelated to the source material.

2 Jaws

Jaws: A Classic Diminishing with Each Sequel

While Jaws is widely regarded as a cinematic masterpiece, it stands as a striking example of an adaptation that deviates considerably from its source material while enhancing its narrative power. Spielberg’s film removes several subplots from Peter Benchley’s novel to create a taut and suspenseful thriller, establishing a compelling dynamic among the characters hunting the shark.

Despite Benchley co-writing the script, his absence from subsequent sequels contributed to a notable decline in quality. The follow-ups attempted to recreate the terror of the original, but growing absurdities eventually diluted their success. Had Benchley continued to lend his voice to the franchise, it may have captured the essence of his original vision much more effectively.

1 101 Dalmatians

101 Dalmatians: The Untapped Potential of a Sequel

101 Dalmatians remains a hallmark of 1960s Disney animation, introducing audiences to the iconic villain Cruella de Vil, who has garnered various adaptations of her own. Live-action remakes and spin-offs, such as Cruella, have shifted focus on her character more than in Dodie Smith’s original text.

Both animated and subsequent live-action adaptations have led to sequels focusing primarily on Cruella. However, had Disney adhered more closely to Smith’s vision, they might have chosen to develop her 1967 sequel titled The Starlight Barking, which envelops a ludicrous sci-fi narrative of a celestial canine advising dogs to abandon Earth.

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