These Classic Movies Are Remakes And You Didn’t Even Know It

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Many beloved classic movies are actually remakes. This includes Terry Gilliam’s mind-bending sci-fi film 12 Monkeys, Paul Thomas Anderson’s acclaimed Boogie Nights, a vibrant look at the 1970s and 80s, and even the popular 90s comedy Jungle 2 Jungle. Each of these films offers a different take on the idea of a remake – some reimagine existing stories, while others expand on them or completely reinvent them.

It often seems like Hollywood is stuck repeating itself with reboots and remakes, but this isn’t new. Great remakes have always been a part of film history.

Here are a few examples from the past four decades showing why remakes and adaptations are so important in filmmaking.

5. “Little Shop of Horrors”

Original Released In 1960; Remake Released In 1982

The movie Little Shop of Horrors started as a cheap, silly, black-and-white film made by Roger Corman – it was about a man-eating plant. Like many of Corman’s movies, it had bigger ideas than its small budget and the special effects technology of the late 1950s could handle. It probably would have been forgotten, but Howard Ashman and Alan Menken saw it and were inspired.

After many years, the team brought back Little Shop of Horrors as a musical, which first appeared off-Broadway in 1982. It became a surprising and massive success, and this musical version was then turned into a movie directed by Frank Oz in 1986. This second film included the songs from the musical and significantly improved the special effects.

The 1986 film Little Shop of Horrors wasn’t just a good sci-fi horror movie – it brilliantly captured the feel of 1960s films in a way that made it truly special. The movie boasts a fantastic cast, including Rick Moranis, Steve Martin, Jim Belushi, and John Candy, all delivering memorable performances. It’s a beloved cult classic that wouldn’t exist without the original story from Roger Corman.

4. “Scent of a Woman”

Original Italian Film Released In 1974; America Remake Released In 1992

Looking back, Scent of a Woman marks the beginning of a more flamboyant phase in Al Pacino’s acting career. When the film came out, Pacino’s performance as the blind and depressed Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade finally earned him a Best Actor nomination—his second ever, after being overlooked by the Academy for all three Godfather films.

The movie Scent of a Woman was based on the 1974 Italian film Profumo di donna. For those who enjoy classic cinema, it’s interesting to watch the original and see how Al Pacino’s performance was influenced by Vittorio Gassman, and how Pacino ultimately made the role of Slade his own. Ultimately, Scent of a Woman is a great example of how a foreign film can be successfully adapted for American audiences, but it doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves.

3. “Boogie Nights”

Original Short Film Released In 1988; Feature-Length Remake Released In 1997

Boogie Nights is widely considered one of the best films of the 1990s, and a standout movie for its portrayal of the 1970s and 80s. It launched the career of director Paul Thomas Anderson, and his talent continues to shine today with recent successes like One Battle After Another.

Interestingly, Boogie Nights has unique origins. It started as a short, fake documentary called The Dirk Diggler Story, which Paul Thomas Anderson made when he was only eighteen. This wasn’t the first time Anderson built a feature film from a short: his first film, Hard Eight, was based on a previous short called Cigarettes & Coffee. Following that pattern, he then expanded Dirk Diggler into the full-length Boogie Nights.

The short film shared a name and subject matter – the world of pornography – with Boogie Nights, using the name of Mark Wahlberg’s character. However, the full-length Boogie Nights developed considerably over the ten years between the two versions. This evolution offers a unique look at how a now-celebrated director began their career.

2. “Jungle 2 Jungle”

Original French Film Released In 1994; American Remake Released In 1997

For many who grew up in the ’90s, Jungle 2 Jungle is a beloved classic. The movie stars Tim Allen as a selfish businessman who discovers he has a teenage son, Mimi-Siku, who was raised by a tribe in Venezuela. The story cleverly contrasts the wild jungle with the busy streets of New York City, creating a funny ‘fish-out-of-water’ tale – but with two characters experiencing that unfamiliarity!

Jungle 2 Jungle is mostly a remake of the French film Un indien dans la ville. Both movies did well at the box office, but critics didn’t like them very much when they first came out. Despite a poor critical reception and a low score on Rotten Tomatoes today, Jungle 2 Jungle became a beloved cult classic for many viewers thanks to its popularity on home video.

1. “12 Monkeys”

Original French Short Film Released In 1962 ; Remake Released In 1995

Many American viewers might not know that the idea behind Terry Gilliam’s film 12 Monkeys actually comes from a classic short film called La Jetée, made in 1962 by director Chris Marker. If you enjoy the sad, repeating time loop in 12 Monkeys, it’s worth checking out La Jetée – that’s where the concept first appeared.

La Jetée is a short, black-and-white film primarily made up of still photographs and narrated with voice-over. While Terry Gilliam significantly expanded upon the original story into a full-length feature, his film still delivers the same powerful and surprising twist that made La Jetée so impactful.

The film 12 Monkeys creatively builds upon the ideas presented in La Jetée, essentially reimagining it for a new audience. As we’ve seen with examples like the direct remake Jungle 2 Jungle, the expanded story of Boogie Nights, and the detailed adaptation of 12 Monkeys, Hollywood frequently relies on reworking existing material in various ways – it’s a reliable strategy for success.

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2026-02-09 18:12