Book-to-movie adaptations are usually wildly popular, for those who are fans of the book as well as those who had never read it. Sometimes, though, the books get overshadowed by the popularity of the movie or were so different from the movie that they get lost in translation. Were you surprised to see any of these on the list?
1. Jaws
This blockbuster movie is based is a 1974 novel of the same name. Jaws was written by Peter Benchley after becoming interesting in shark attacks and learning about the exploits of a shark fisherman named Frank Mundus. Two movie producers read the book before its publication and bought the rights to adapt to film.
2. Forrest Gump
The novel that inspired this much-loved film was released in 1986 and was not very well-known before the hit movie. Winston Groom's Forrest Gump was somewhat different from its on-screen counterpart. In the novel, Forrest is said to be very large (6'6" and 242 pounds) and uses profound language. Groom originally wanted John Goodman to portray the character on screen.
3. Psycho
Alfred Hitchcock terrified audiences with his classic movie, but few know it was based on a book. Robert Bloch's novel of the same name was published only a year before the movie came out and has been somewhat lost in the popularity of the film. It has been said that Bloch based the book partly on the crimes of serial killer Ed Gein who was arrested when he was almost done writing it. For this reason, the similarities are deemed purely coincidental except for one reference to Gein in one of the book's final chapters. Bloch has said he is quite surprised to see how similar the imaginary character he created resembled Gein in both action and motivation.
4. Jurassic Park
Yep, everyone's favorite dinosaur franchise started out as a book. Well, the book really started out in a screenplay before becoming a novelization. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton was meant to be a cautionary tale about genetic engineering. Much like the movie, it tells of a collapsing amusement park with genetically recreated dinosaurs. The book is supposed to present a deeper meaning, illustrating the mathematical chaos theory and consequences on the world.
5. Die Hard
The Bruce Willis Christmas classic is based on Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp. The book, released in 1979, is, in fact, a sequel to his 1966 novel The Detective which was adapted to film the same year. The 80s movie was altered from the book in some ways, such as changing the name of the main character.
6. How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days
This movie was actually based on the self-help book How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: The Universal Don'ts of Dating by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long. It is a comedic cartoon book that illustrates how not to scare men away.
7. Legally Blonde
Amanda Brown's Legally Blonde novel is inspired by her real-life experiences studying law at Stanford Law School. The movie stayed pretty true to the book other than being based at Harvard.
8. Mrs. Doubtfire
The film adaptation of Anne Fine's Madame Doubtfire follows the book's storyline quite well. Some things were changed for the movie adaptation, the biggest difference probably being that his two oldest children were not fooled by his disguise as a nanny — only his wife and youngest child were fooled.
9. Pitch Perfect
Pitch Perfect is a nonfiction novel that inspired the hit movie. It was written by Mickey Rapkin, a former senior editor at GQ. He spent a season following competitive collegiate a cappella. The book mainly covers the singing, rivalries, groupies, and partying associated with a cappella. One of the college groups he followed (the University of Oregon Divisi) loosely inspired the Bellas seen in the movie.
10. Goodfellas
The book Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family by Nicholas Pileggi is the basis for this classic gangster movie. It is a nonfiction account that chronicles the life of Henry Hill, a Mafia mobster who became an informant. The film's director, Martin Scorsese, felt the book was the most accurate depiction of real-life mobsters he had ever read.
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