Did You Know?
The movie Christmas Carol has been remade more than a dozen times. A few sources claim that there are about 56 adaptions of the novel.
"Old is Gold" is what we say. However, when it comes to the entertainment industry, this saying doesn't hold true. Over the last few decades, a number of movies that are remakes of the original ones have been released. The remake has new actors and a production unit but retains the heart of the original classic, i.e., its basic plot. These movies had the money registers ringing at the box office.
However, not all remakes are the exact adaptations of the original movie. The movie,
The Italian Job just shares its movie title with the original one but the plot and the characters are entirely different. Such movies cannot be compared with the original ones. This article enlists only those movies whose plots are more or less identical to the original one. We, at Buzzle, present to you ten such movie remakes that made it big the second time around as well.
Top 10 Film Remakes
* Movies are not listed according to their ranks.
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Father of the Bride
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Basic Plot
The father of the young, soon-to-wed bride becomes nervous about the fact that his little child is now a young woman, who is going to get married soon. He develops an instant dislike towards his potential son-in-law. The wedding preparations and the father's insecurities create hilarious moments that form the rest of the movie plot.
Original
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Year: 1950
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Director: Vincente Minnelli
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Starring -
Spencer Tracy
Elizabeth Taylor
Joan Bennett
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Screenplay -
Frances Goodrich
Albert Hackett
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Box Office - $6 millionRemake
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Year: 1991
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Director: Charles Shyer
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Starring -
Steve Martin
Kimberly Williams
Diane Keaton
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Screenplay -
Charles Shyer
Nancy Meyers
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Box Office - $89,325,780![]()
The Ring (
Ringu in Japanese)
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Basic Plot
Two friends watch a cursed videotape, and one of them dies a mysterious death seven days after watching the tape. The other friend who has also viewed the tape realizes that even she is cursed and will die in a week's time. Her attempt to save herself and her family and also to find out the truth of the cursed tape forms the rest of the story.
Original
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Year: 1998
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Director: Hideo Nakata
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Starring -
Nanako Matsushima
Hiroyuki Sanada
Rikiya Ōtaka
Yoichi Numata
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Screenplay -
Hiroshi Takahashi
Kôji Suzuki
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Box Office - $13,005,000Remake
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Year: 2002
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Director: Gore Verbinski
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Starring -
Naomi Watts
Martin Henderson
Brian Cox
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Screenplay -
Kôji Suzuki
Ehren Kruger
Scott Frank
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Box Office - $249,348,933![]()
Freaky Friday
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Basic Plot
This movie taps the popular superstition of Friday the 13th. A mother-daughter duo keep on arguing over petty things. The consequences of one such disagreement leads them to switch into each other's bodies. The rest of the story tells the various experiences the duo have in each other's bodies and eventually how they get to understand one another better.
Original
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Year: 1976
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Director: Gary Nelson
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Starring -
Barbara Harris
Jodie Foster
John Astin
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Screenplay -
Mary Rodgers
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Box Office - $25,942,000Remake
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Year: 2003
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Director: Mark Waters
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Starring -
Jamie Lee Curtis
Lindsay Lohan
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Screenplay -
Heather Hach
Leslie Dixon
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Box Office - $160,846,332![]()
The Departed (
Infernal Affairs - Hong Kong)
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Basic Plot
Two undercover moles who are unaware of each other's existence in the police department, set out to complete the tasks assigned to them. However, when one of them escapes a sting operation, both come to know of each other's presence. Their attempt to expose the real enemy forms the plot for the rest of the movie.
Original
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Year: 2002
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Director: Wai-keung Lau
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Starring -
Andy Lau
Tony Leung
Anthony Wong
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Screenplay -
Alan Mak
Felix Chong
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Box Office - HK$55,057,176Remake
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Year: 2006
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Director: Martin Scorsese
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Starring -
Leonardo DiCaprio
Matt Damon
Jack Nicholson
Mark Wahlberg
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Screenplay -
William Monahan
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Box Office - $289,847,354![]()
Scent of a Woman
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Basic Plot
A heart-warming tale of a blind retired army Colonel and his aide,
Scent of a Woman showcases human emotions in a wonderful way. The Colonel is determined to commit suicide but before doing so, he along with the aide set out on a journey. It is during this trip that the aide finds out about the Colonel's real intentions. His attempt to save the Colonel forms the rest of the story.
Original
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Year: 1974
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Director: Dino Risi
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Starring -
Vittorio Gassman
Alessandro Momo
Agostina Belli
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Screenplay -
Rugger Maccari
Dino Risi
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Box Office - N.A.*Remake
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Year: 1992
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Director: Martin Brest
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Starring -
Al Pacino
Chris O'Donnell
James Rebhorn
Gabrielle Anwar
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Screenplay -
Bo Goldman
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Box Office - $134,095,253![]()
Scarface
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Basic Plot
The tale of power and greed to become the undisputed gangster forms the plot of the movie. An overly ambitious gangster leaves the gang of a famous kingpin to form one of his own. He then kills the kingpin and becomes the undisputed gangster, taking over the latter's empire. The remaining plot revolves around his quest in escaping the law and protecting his family from his crime-filled life.
Original
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Year: 1932
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Director: Howard Hawks
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Starring -
Paul Muni
George Raft
Ann Dvorak
Boris Karloff
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Screenplay -
Ben Hecht
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Box Office - N.A.*Remake
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Year: 1983
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Director: Brian De Palma
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Starring -
Al Pacino
Steven Bauer
Michelle Pfeiffer
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
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Screenplay -
Oliver Stone
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Box Office - $65,884,703![]()
King Kong
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Basic Plot
A filmmaker decides to cast an unemployed girl as the heroine for his new venture. For shooting the film, they set sail to a mysterious location known for its strange creatures. When the film crew's ship is left stranded on the mysterious island, the girl gets captured by native tribes, who want to offer her as a sacrifice to the giant Kong. The crew sets out to rescue her but encounter many giant creatures in their journey. Their attempts to rescue the girl forms the rest of the plot.
Original
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Year: 1933
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Director: Merian C. Cooper
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Starring -
Fay Wray
Bruce Cabot
Robert Armstrong
Merian C Cooper
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Screenplay -
James Ashmore Creelman
Ruth Rose
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Box Office - $1,856,000Remake
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Year: 2005
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Director: Peter Jackson
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Starring -
Naomi Watts
Jack Black
Adrien Brody
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Screenplay -
Fran Walsh
Philippa Boyens
Peter Jackson
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Box Office - $550.5 million![]()
Dawn of the Dead
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Basic Plot
The film traces the lives of people, who hide in a mall to escape the "deceased people turned zombies", only to find out that they are captured by zombies. The survivors find out that the zombie infection spreads by biting. Even after several attempts to save their lives, many of the initial survivors are bitten and turn into zombies. The survival attempts of the remaining people takes the story forward.
Original
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Year: 1978
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Director: George A. Romero
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Starring -
David Emge
Ken Foree
Scott Reiniger
Gaylen Ross
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Screenplay -
George A. Romero
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Box Office - $55,000,000Remake
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Year: 2004
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Director: Zack Snyder
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Starring -
Sarah Polley
Ving Rhames
Jake Weber
Mekhi Phifer
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Screenplay -
James Gunn
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Box Office - $102,356,381![]()
Insomnia (
Insomnia - Norwegian)
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Basic Plot
When a teenage girl is found murdered, two detectives are sent to assist the police in their investigation. However, in an unfortunate event, one of the detectives ends up killing his partner. A new cop is appointed to find the culprit who killed the detective. In an attempt to save himself, the detective along with a famous writer decide to frame the deceased girl's boyfriend in the murder case. But, his guilt gives him insomnia, and his fight over his guilt and his attempts to save himself builds the climax of the movie.
Original
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Year: 1997
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Director: Erik Skjoldbjærg
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Starring -
Stellan Skarsgård
Sverre Anker Ousdal
Bjørn Floberg
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Screenplay -
Erik Skjoldbjærg
Nikolaj Frobenius
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Box Office - N.A.*Remake
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Year: 2002
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Director: Christopher Nolan
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Starring -
Al Pacino
Robin Williams
Hilary Swank
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Screenplay -
Hillary Seitz
Christopher Nolan (uncredited)
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Box Office - $113,714,830![]()
The Thomas Crown Affair
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Basic Plot
A wealthy financier is bored of his life and decides to steal a famous painting from a museum. His robbery is successful, but the detective appointed by the police department suspects him to be the culprit. However, following a series of events, the two end up falling for each other. The unveiling of the truth forms the rest of the movie plot.
Original
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Year: 1968
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Director: Norman Jewison
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Starring -
Steve McQueen
Faye Dunaway
Paul Burke
Jack Weston
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Screenplay -
Alan R. Trustman
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Box Office - $11 millionRemake
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Year: 1999
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Director: John McTiernan
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Starring -
Pierce Brosnan
Rene Russo
Denis Leary
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Screenplay -
Leslie Dixon
Kurt Wimmer
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Box Office - $124,305,181
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There are many remakes that have surpassed the original ones, in terms of popularity and box-office collections, like Ocean's Eleven. Be it the original flick, or the remake, what counts is its entertainment quotient!
