TOP 10: Theatrical Movies Based on TV Series
Over the decades, dozens upon dozens of TV series have found their way on to the BIG screen. But, over the last 20+ years, as Hollywood is running out of ideas, making a movie from an existing franchise is more attractive than an original idea. TV Shows are the perfect crossover.
Here is a look at what I believe are the Top 10 movies, based on a TV series.
10) SCOOBY-DOO:
The Saturday morning series has been a hit with kids for over 30 years when Warner Brothers released the live action movie based on the series. The 2002 movie starred Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze, Jr., and Matthew Lillard. The CGI Scooby-Doo was just the right combination of realism and cartoon. The movie grossed $153 million in the USA and $275 million worldwide. A sequel was released two years later, (SCOOBY-DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED), but the box office receipts just over half of the original movie.
30% on rottentomatoes.com
9) THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE:
Although it was never a huge hit in its original run, THE BRADY BUNCH has lived on as a classic TV series through syndication. Many attempts to bring back the Bradys have ultimately failed. Cartoons, Variety series, Drama series and even spin-offs. A Theatrical movie was all that had not been tried.
The 1995 Paramount release THE BRADY BYNCH MOVIE was the right combination of 70's camp. within 90's humor. Director Betty Thomas (HILL STREET BLUES) did a great job of recreating the characters, that still think its the 70's. Bringing a sitcom to the big screen is difficult. In fact we only feature two of them on this list.
The movie only grossed $46 million at the box office, ranking 38th for the year. The following year, the sequel, apply titled A VERY BRADY SEQUEL, only managed to take in half of the original.
63% on rottentomatoes.com
8) THE X-FILES:
During the mid-90s, THE X-FILES was FOX's best performing series in the ratings. It would top classic FOX shows like THE SIMPSONS and MARRIED WITH CHILDREN. So in 1998, 20th Century FOX gave the fans an X-FILES movie.
THE X-FILES movie is one of the few movies based on a TV series that kept the same cast as the TV series and it is the only TV series on this list that the movie was released during the TV series run.
The movie was a great story, featuring some of the classic X-Files characters from the series, plus some new ones. It was a modest hit in theaters, grossing $84 million domestically and $189 million worldwide. Unfortunately, a second movie was produced 10 years later and... lets just say If there was a bottom 10 list for this category, that 2008 movie would be on it.
64% on rottentomatoes.com
7) The Muppet Movies (The Muppet Show):
THE MUPPET SHOW was a great variety series that the whole family could enjoy. Kermit The Frog gave us a whole new world of characters that we still love today. The first movie, THE MUPPET MOVIE, was a huge success. In 1979, it grossed over $65 million. It had great songs and a fun story and, for the time, some really neat muppet effects.
Many movies were made after that, with varying success, but it was not until the 2011 reboot of the franchise that the same success was found again. THE MUPPETS grossed over $88 million at the box office and gave the fans the true spirit of the Muppets. They were getting the gang back together and doing THE MUPPET SHOW AGAIN! What could be better?
THE MUPPET MOVIE - 96% on rottentomatoes.com
6) STARSKY & HUTCH:
The 2004 Warner Brothers movie STARSKY & HUTCH was a perfect blend of comedy and parody on a cop drama that was best remembered for the car they drove. BEN STILLER and OWEN WILSON gave us a great crime.mystery, while also giving us plenty of laughs along the way. The casting of Snoop-Dog as Huggy Bear was perfect. And seeing Jason Bateman in a 70's style "Port Mustache." was awesome.
The movie had a $60 million budget and made $88 million domestically and almost matched that total in foreign markets. It has been nine years since the movie was released and a sequel has yet to be made.
63% on rottentomatoes.com
5) THE NAKED GUN (Police Squad):
After the success of the movie AIRPLANE, the creators Abrahams, Zucker & Zucker brought that same style of comedy to TV with POLICE SQUAD, Starring Leslie Neilsen. The series lasted just 6 episodes to go down as a cult classic.
Six years later, PARAMOUNT releases the first of three movies based on the TV series, THE NAKED GUN: FROM THE FILES OF POLICE SQUAD! It was non-stop slap-stick, puny comedy from the start to the finish. It opened as the #1 movie of the weekend and was the #8 movie of 1988 with over $78 million at the box office.
Two sequels were made. 1991's NAKED GUN 2 1/2 bested the original at the box office, with $87 million. But the 1994 NAKED GUN 33 1/2 could only bring in $51 million.
89% on rottentomatoes.com
4) MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE
The movie MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, starring Tom Cruise, is a great action movie. The supporting cast includes Jon Voight, Ving Rhames and Jean Reno. Like the 60's TV series, it was full of gadgets, deception and espionage, but taken to a new level with the ability of special effect of the mid-90's.
The 1996 movie was the #3 movie for all of 1996, grossing $18 million, domestically, and over $457 million worldwide. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE is a true movie franchise and three sequels have been made over the years. The four movies have generated $2.1 Billion in gross revenues, worldwide.
61% on rottentomatoes.com
3) THE UNTOUCHABLES:
If you are not familiar with the series, THE UNTOUCHABLES ran from 1959 to 1963, lead by the actor Robert Stack (Unsolved Mysteries). In 1987, Kevin Costner took the lead role as Elliot Ness and taking down Al Capone. Along with Costner was a great cast. Sean Connery, Andy Garcia and Robert DeNiro as Capone. The film was directed by Brian De Palma
Set in the times of Prohibition, the story was hoe Elliot Ness and The Untouchables fought organized crime, in Chicago, and brought down the most well known gangster, Al Capone.
The $76 million it made in the theaters may not seem a lot, but in 1987, it was enough to be the #6 movie of the year. The film also nominated for four Academy Awards and gave Sean Connery his first and only Oscar.
80% on rottentomatoes.com
2) THE FUGITIVE:
THE FUGITIVE TV series is one of TV Guides 50 greatest TV shows of all time and when the series finally aired in August, 1967, it became the most watched program of all-time. That is 78 million viewers.
THE FUGITIVE MOVIE not only met the high expectation of the series, it exceeded them. The 1993 release starred Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward and Julian Moore. It followed the same premis as the series. Dr. Richard Kimble was wrongly accused and convicted of murdering his wife. He claims a one armed man killed his wife, but no evidence backed up his story.
Not only do we get a great story and performances, but there is plenty of action and suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. The film was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Tommy Lee Jones won for best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of US Marshall Gerard.
On a $44 million budget, THE FUGITIVE made $184 million in the USA and another $185 in foreign markets. Five years later a sequel was made, US MARSHALLS, and followed the Marshall Gerard on another fugitive case. The film failed to make $60 million domestically.
93% on rottentomatoes.com
1) STAR TREK (Franchise):
I think it is safe to say that everyone know STAR TREK. The original series ran for three seasons, from 1966 to 1969, producing 80 episodes. Then, when it it syndication, hit started to become a hit. The reruns, in the 70's, were becoming more popular than the original run. Then STAR WARS happened. Studios rushed to capitalize on anything science fiction. Paramount had STAR TREK.
Although that first movie was not all that great, it gave us a franchise of 12 movies, and counting. The movie franchise was given a reboot, and for the first time, the original actors are portraying the characters from the original series. The 2009 release brought in $385 million worldwide and may be considered the best movie of the franchise. The latest movie, STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, grossed $466 million world wide. The franchise as a whole as brought in over $1.24 billion, just in the USA. You could probably match that for the foreign markets.
STAR TREK (2009) is 95% on rottentomatoes.com
INTO DARKNESS (2013) is 87% on rotten tomatoes.com
Here is a look at what I believe are the Top 10 movies, based on a TV series.
10) SCOOBY-DOO:The Saturday morning series has been a hit with kids for over 30 years when Warner Brothers released the live action movie based on the series. The 2002 movie starred Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze, Jr., and Matthew Lillard. The CGI Scooby-Doo was just the right combination of realism and cartoon. The movie grossed $153 million in the USA and $275 million worldwide. A sequel was released two years later, (SCOOBY-DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED), but the box office receipts just over half of the original movie.
30% on rottentomatoes.com
9) THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE:Although it was never a huge hit in its original run, THE BRADY BUNCH has lived on as a classic TV series through syndication. Many attempts to bring back the Bradys have ultimately failed. Cartoons, Variety series, Drama series and even spin-offs. A Theatrical movie was all that had not been tried.
The 1995 Paramount release THE BRADY BYNCH MOVIE was the right combination of 70's camp. within 90's humor. Director Betty Thomas (HILL STREET BLUES) did a great job of recreating the characters, that still think its the 70's. Bringing a sitcom to the big screen is difficult. In fact we only feature two of them on this list.
The movie only grossed $46 million at the box office, ranking 38th for the year. The following year, the sequel, apply titled A VERY BRADY SEQUEL, only managed to take in half of the original.
63% on rottentomatoes.com
8) THE X-FILES:During the mid-90s, THE X-FILES was FOX's best performing series in the ratings. It would top classic FOX shows like THE SIMPSONS and MARRIED WITH CHILDREN. So in 1998, 20th Century FOX gave the fans an X-FILES movie.
THE X-FILES movie is one of the few movies based on a TV series that kept the same cast as the TV series and it is the only TV series on this list that the movie was released during the TV series run.
The movie was a great story, featuring some of the classic X-Files characters from the series, plus some new ones. It was a modest hit in theaters, grossing $84 million domestically and $189 million worldwide. Unfortunately, a second movie was produced 10 years later and... lets just say If there was a bottom 10 list for this category, that 2008 movie would be on it.
64% on rottentomatoes.com
7) The Muppet Movies (The Muppet Show):THE MUPPET SHOW was a great variety series that the whole family could enjoy. Kermit The Frog gave us a whole new world of characters that we still love today. The first movie, THE MUPPET MOVIE, was a huge success. In 1979, it grossed over $65 million. It had great songs and a fun story and, for the time, some really neat muppet effects.
Many movies were made after that, with varying success, but it was not until the 2011 reboot of the franchise that the same success was found again. THE MUPPETS grossed over $88 million at the box office and gave the fans the true spirit of the Muppets. They were getting the gang back together and doing THE MUPPET SHOW AGAIN! What could be better?
THE MUPPET MOVIE - 96% on rottentomatoes.com
6) STARSKY & HUTCH:The 2004 Warner Brothers movie STARSKY & HUTCH was a perfect blend of comedy and parody on a cop drama that was best remembered for the car they drove. BEN STILLER and OWEN WILSON gave us a great crime.mystery, while also giving us plenty of laughs along the way. The casting of Snoop-Dog as Huggy Bear was perfect. And seeing Jason Bateman in a 70's style "Port Mustache." was awesome.
The movie had a $60 million budget and made $88 million domestically and almost matched that total in foreign markets. It has been nine years since the movie was released and a sequel has yet to be made.
63% on rottentomatoes.com
5) THE NAKED GUN (Police Squad):After the success of the movie AIRPLANE, the creators Abrahams, Zucker & Zucker brought that same style of comedy to TV with POLICE SQUAD, Starring Leslie Neilsen. The series lasted just 6 episodes to go down as a cult classic.
Six years later, PARAMOUNT releases the first of three movies based on the TV series, THE NAKED GUN: FROM THE FILES OF POLICE SQUAD! It was non-stop slap-stick, puny comedy from the start to the finish. It opened as the #1 movie of the weekend and was the #8 movie of 1988 with over $78 million at the box office.
Two sequels were made. 1991's NAKED GUN 2 1/2 bested the original at the box office, with $87 million. But the 1994 NAKED GUN 33 1/2 could only bring in $51 million.
89% on rottentomatoes.com
4) MISSION: IMPOSSIBLEThe movie MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, starring Tom Cruise, is a great action movie. The supporting cast includes Jon Voight, Ving Rhames and Jean Reno. Like the 60's TV series, it was full of gadgets, deception and espionage, but taken to a new level with the ability of special effect of the mid-90's.
The 1996 movie was the #3 movie for all of 1996, grossing $18 million, domestically, and over $457 million worldwide. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE is a true movie franchise and three sequels have been made over the years. The four movies have generated $2.1 Billion in gross revenues, worldwide.
61% on rottentomatoes.com
3) THE UNTOUCHABLES:If you are not familiar with the series, THE UNTOUCHABLES ran from 1959 to 1963, lead by the actor Robert Stack (Unsolved Mysteries). In 1987, Kevin Costner took the lead role as Elliot Ness and taking down Al Capone. Along with Costner was a great cast. Sean Connery, Andy Garcia and Robert DeNiro as Capone. The film was directed by Brian De Palma
Set in the times of Prohibition, the story was hoe Elliot Ness and The Untouchables fought organized crime, in Chicago, and brought down the most well known gangster, Al Capone.
The $76 million it made in the theaters may not seem a lot, but in 1987, it was enough to be the #6 movie of the year. The film also nominated for four Academy Awards and gave Sean Connery his first and only Oscar.
80% on rottentomatoes.com
2) THE FUGITIVE:THE FUGITIVE TV series is one of TV Guides 50 greatest TV shows of all time and when the series finally aired in August, 1967, it became the most watched program of all-time. That is 78 million viewers.
THE FUGITIVE MOVIE not only met the high expectation of the series, it exceeded them. The 1993 release starred Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward and Julian Moore. It followed the same premis as the series. Dr. Richard Kimble was wrongly accused and convicted of murdering his wife. He claims a one armed man killed his wife, but no evidence backed up his story.
Not only do we get a great story and performances, but there is plenty of action and suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. The film was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Tommy Lee Jones won for best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of US Marshall Gerard.
On a $44 million budget, THE FUGITIVE made $184 million in the USA and another $185 in foreign markets. Five years later a sequel was made, US MARSHALLS, and followed the Marshall Gerard on another fugitive case. The film failed to make $60 million domestically.
93% on rottentomatoes.com
1) STAR TREK (Franchise):I think it is safe to say that everyone know STAR TREK. The original series ran for three seasons, from 1966 to 1969, producing 80 episodes. Then, when it it syndication, hit started to become a hit. The reruns, in the 70's, were becoming more popular than the original run. Then STAR WARS happened. Studios rushed to capitalize on anything science fiction. Paramount had STAR TREK.
Although that first movie was not all that great, it gave us a franchise of 12 movies, and counting. The movie franchise was given a reboot, and for the first time, the original actors are portraying the characters from the original series. The 2009 release brought in $385 million worldwide and may be considered the best movie of the franchise. The latest movie, STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, grossed $466 million world wide. The franchise as a whole as brought in over $1.24 billion, just in the USA. You could probably match that for the foreign markets.
STAR TREK (2009) is 95% on rottentomatoes.comINTO DARKNESS (2013) is 87% on rotten tomatoes.com
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