# Film adaptations that influenced the original source material **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 28, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080 "2012-03-28T20:17:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/21 "2012-03-29T03:36:39Z")
I came in here to post The Lost World as well. Beyond Malcolm surviving, the book was basically a sequel to the movie and not the book. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/22 "2012-03-29T04:49:23Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Celidin** : > > Michael Crichton writes The Lost World and oh! Malcolm’s back through a little bit of fun retconing in the beginning of the novel - apparently he was only “pronounced dead a number of times”. And buried, and his grave firebombed into oblivion. But hey, minor details. ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/23 "2012-03-29T05:14:22Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Many comic book movies make changes that the comics themselves go on to adapt, if only for a little while: **Spider-Man** ’s organic web shooters, The concept of organic web shooters had come up numerous times in the comics though, long before the movie was ever made. But as always with comics, they wound up reset after the story arc was over. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/24 "2012-03-29T12:42:41Z")
> [@](#): > > Many comic book movies make changes that the comics themselves go on to adapt, if only for a little while: Spider-Man’s organic web shooters, the X-Men’s leather uniforms, Superman’s still-living foster parents, Batman’s costume, Iron Man’s plug-and-play heart and power source, Captain America’s wartime costume. I hope Thor embraces its film’s multi-ethnic Asgardians (It makes perfect sense for Odin to adopt survivors of pantheons that he has conquered) and the characterizations of the Warriors Three. > > * * * Superman’s still-living foster parents actually has its roots in the comics – in the late 60s/early70s, DC apparently felt that Ma and Pa Kent weren’t “connecting” enough with the kids, and they made them significantly younger and longer-0lived. One of the media-induced changes I _hated_ was after the 1960s TV version of Batman came out, was wildly popular, and they changed the comic books to match, introducing Aunt Hattie and all the camp elements to the comics. What made this particularly annoying was that they had just “revamped” Batman’s image, making a big change from the stodgy 1950s-image Batman. They replaced his huge, clunky Batmobile with a faster and sportier Batmobile, made him more athletic and got rid of all those “fighting among giant props” stories and the sci-fi “aliens” story lines. Batman was getting back to his roots as a tough, fast, intelligent crime-fighter. Then they dropped Adam West and the TV buffoonery on him. He didn’t recover until the 1970s. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/25 "2012-03-29T16:27:14Z")
The 2007 Broadway revival of _Grease_ incorporated the 4 songs which were specifically written for the 1978 film. It also changed the names of the gangs to those used in the film. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/26 "2012-03-29T18:19:35Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > they made them significantly younger and longer-0lived Short 0lives are the worst. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/27 "2012-03-29T22:46:24Z")
Richard Gordon’s ‘Doctor’ series was heavily influenced by the film adaptations. The first book in the series - Doctor in the House - had Richard Gordon as the main character and Sir Lancelot Spratt as a balding, ginger Scot who left the hospital to die of cancer. The film version had Dirk Bogarde as the main character who had been renamed Simon Sparrow and James Robertson Justice as Sir Lancelot, who wasn’t ginger or balding and remaining very much alive. Later books in the series saw the main character renamed Sparrow and Sir Lancelot back from the grave, looking and acting very much like the JRJ version. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/28 "2012-03-29T23:16:31Z")
The TV series version of the Sharpe series staring Sean Bean (or at least, the actor’s potrayal of the character) influenced the author in his portrayal of Sharpe; in fact, the author dedicated one of his subsequent Sharpe novels to the actor. Moreover: > [@](#): > > While in the novels Sharpe commands a group of thirty riflemen, the series focuses on a much smaller group of “Chosen Men” (Lance-Corporals), some of whom were invented for the series. The series’ creations Harris and Perkins are introduced in later novels, notably Sharpe’s Battle which takes place between earlier novels. These novels also feature Cooper, despite the fact that the character had been killed off in the novel Sharpe’s Rifles. Harris (the educated rifleman) and Perkins (the youngest rifleman) share characteristics with Cornwell’s originals Tongue and Pendleton, and appear together with them in later novels. > **[Sharpe (TV series) | Casting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharpe_(TV_series)#Casting)** > > Initially, Paul McGann was cast in the title role; however, two weeks into filming of the first episode in Ukraine, McGann injured his knee playing football and was forced to withdraw. When production started again a month later, Sean Bean was given the role because he was the only suitable replacement available at short notice. (Cornwell was so impressed with Bean's portrayal of Sharpe that he dedicated the 12th book, Sharpe's Battle, to him and said "When I write Sharpe these days, I hear The f... ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/29 "2012-03-29T23:16:37Z")
I believe current stage productions of _Glengarry Glen Ross_ include the Alec Baldwin scene, which was not part of the original Broadway script. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/30 "2012-03-29T23:56:30Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Not true, as the film **was not** based on the book. > > The film and the book were created simultaneously, with minimal communication between Clarke and Kubrick. > > They were both based on a treatment Clarke and Kubrick wrote, itself based (relatively loosely) on Clarke’s earlier short story, The Sentinel\*, and the book was released later. (Not sure if that was deliberate, or if Clarke just worked more slowly than Kubrick.) > > - I’m not sure where the treatment had it set - possibly the moon, as that was the setting for The Sentinel. Not quite. Clarke and Kubrick worked together on the story for a long, long time originally. The book - which Clarke offered Kubrick co-authorship of - was done long before the movie came out, and Clarke was quite frustrated at having to delay the release, because he needed the money. He got it eventually. The movie did have Discovery going to Saturn, but they couldn’t create an acceptable Saturn to film and fell back to Jupiter. And of course 2010 had Discovery in orbit around Jupiter. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/31 "2012-03-29T23:58:31Z")
The later MASH books that Richard Hooker wrote (not to be confused with the ones spun off from the series) had Hawkeye rabidly Republican seemingly to contrast him with the sensitive New Age guy version from Alda. So he went in the other direction. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/32 "2012-03-30T00:07:23Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > I think J K Rowling mentioned being influenced by Daniel Radcliffe’s growth spurt (and Hermione’s actress attractiveness), but I find that odd because he’s fairly short even now. > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Hermione’s buck teeth were fixed in a book that was published before the first film even began filming. Right, but did her hair every get nice in the books? I thought the only little thing she kept was smaller teeth. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/33 "2012-03-30T00:27:08Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > This is really obscure but after the film _ **Hunt for Red October** _ came out and they cast sonar-man Jonesy as black, in Clancy’s next Ryan novel (_Sum of All Fears_ I think) there’s an exchange between his former Sub capt and Ryan alluding to, “guys like him have a tough road to promotions…” > > As an aside it sucked when Baldwin bailed after one film cause after that, when I read the next Ryan novels I couldn’t help but still imagine it being him while reading them! Plus he was better than Ford (I’ve never even bothered watching Affleck’s turn). Damn commie-liberal Baldwin… Ford was much too old for the role as written. Baldwin was the perfect age and did very well in the role. > [@Chronos](#): > > And buried, and his grave firebombed into oblivion. But hey, minor details. Hammond died and was eaten at the end of the first book too but they wanted to bring Attenborough back. ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/34 "2012-03-30T12:17:26Z")
In his commentary on Game of Thrones George RR Martin says that he will be writing more than he intended for the character of Osha because he was so struck by the character as interpreted by [Natalia Tena](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1164730/). ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/35 "2012-03-30T13:28:56Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > I believe current stage productions of _Glengarry Glen Ross_ include the Alec Baldwin scene, which was not part of the original Broadway script. That MAY be done sometimes, but a few years ago, when I saw the Broadway revival (starring Alan Alda), they did not include Blake’s motivational speech. I’d HOPED they would! ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/36 "2012-03-30T13:30:24Z")
P.D. James loved Roy Marsden’s performance as Adam Dalgliesh on TV, and says she started giving Dalgliesh some of Marsden’s characteristics in her later books. I haven’t read either of Winston Groom’s “Forrest Gump” novels, but I’ve heard that Jenny doesn’t die in his first book. However, when he wrote the sequel, he chose to pick up where the MOVIE left off, and Jenny was, in fact, dead. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/37 "2012-03-30T14:11:26Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Feedback between the comics and other media happens a lot - Kryptonite, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White came from the radio show and moved to the comic. More recently, Chloe Sullivan (created for “Smallville”) was introduced to the comics That reminds me: as I recall, Superman’s original power actually was “leaping tall buildings in a single bound.” He didn’t fly, he just jumped really high and far. Then the Max Fleischer cartoons came out in the early 1940s, and jumping looked silly, so they got DC’s permission to have him fly instead. DC liked the change, and henceforth Supes has been free of the bonds of gravity. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/38 "2012-03-30T15:00:55Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > That reminds me: as I recall, Superman’s original power actually was “leaping tall buildings in a single bound.” He didn’t fly, he just jumped really high and far. Then the Max Fleischer cartoons came out in the early 1940s, and jumping looked silly, so they got DC’s permission to have him fly instead. DC liked the change, and henceforth Supes has been free of the bonds of gravity. Media influenced him in other ways, too. Before he was on radio, Superman had Lois and Perry as accompanying characters. Jimmy Olsen was introduced essentially so that Clark/Superman would have someone to talk to to advance the plot (radio is all about dialogue and sound efects). ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/39 "2012-03-30T15:12:32Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > (radio is all about dialogue and sound efects). Thereby explaining the miserable failure of my college radio magic show. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080/40 "2012-03-30T15:19:13Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Not quite. Clarke and Kubrick worked together on the story for a long, long time originally. The book - which Clarke offered Kubrick co-authorship of - was done long before the movie came out, and Clarke was quite frustrated at having to delay the release, because he needed the money. He got it eventually. The movie did have Discovery going to Saturn, but they couldn’t create an acceptable Saturn to film and fell back to Jupiter. That doesn’t actually contradict what I said - it simply clarified the two points I was unsure on (where the treatment was set, and whether they held the book off until after the movie). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-adaptations-that-influenced-the-original-source-material/617080.md?page=3)