These Films Were Adapted into Series

10/11/2020

Some films offer universes so rich that the small screen chooses to bring them back to life through series. It is one way to develop the story in depth and to enjoy the characters a little longer. Let's take a look back at these motion pictures that were adapted for television.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

While the audience only remembers the series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is originally an adaptation of a film released in 1992. Written by Joss Whedon and directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui, the horror comedy Buffy the Vampire Slayer did not, at the time, succeed in seducing spectators. Despite the presence of Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland, Luke Perry and Hilary Swank, the feature film was quickly forgotten. A few years later, Joss Whedon, who always envisioned a darker universe for his heroine, decided to repeat the experience on television with Sarah Michelle Gellar. And this time, success was achieved! Buffy Summers finally found her audience and was above all able to convince the critics. Broadcast between 1997 and 2003, the series is now considered a cult program, which rocked a whole generation to the rhythm of its fierce battles between good and evil.

Fargo

Presented at the opening of the 1996 Cannes Film Festival, Fargo met with immense success with international critics. Starring Frances McDormand as a pregnant policewoman investigating a series of murders, the Coen brothers' crime film thrilled audiences and won multiple awards. In 2014, the FX channel launched a television adaptation with the eponymous anthology series, which displayed a 5-star cast. Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Ewan McGregor and Allison Tolman, actors come and go, and none is alike the other. Each season is independent, thus offering its own mysteries and secrets.

Psycho

Alfred Hitchcock's essential masterpiece, Psycho left its mark upon the 1960s with its cold sweats and famous shower scene. This horror film has remained a great classic of the genre to this day and inspired many filmmakers. In 2013, the show Bates Motel, which is based mainly on the novel by Robert Bloch, takes up many elements of the feature film. A prequel to Psycho, it tells the story of Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) and his troubled psychology and revisits key scenes from the film. Season 5 notably introduces the character of Marion, embodied here by singer Rihanna. An ode to the madness and the chilling thriller, which earned a commendable success with the viewers of the A&E channel.

La Femme Nikita

A famous action film released in theaters in 1990, La Femme Nikita has received several television adaptations. A first Canadian version first appeared on CTV and USA Network. Broadcast from 1997 to 2001, it follows the famous heroine in her most dangerous adventures with Peta Wilson in the lead role. Then, in 2010, Nikita returned to the small screen on The CW, which staged Hawaiian actress Maggie Q. These two series thus pay tribute to the work of Luc Besson and its interpreter Anne Parillaud, who was awarded the César Award for Best Actress for her performance as a rebellious secret agent.

They Came Back (The Returned)

After being screened at the Venice Film Festival in 2004, Robin Campillo's film, They Came Back, has had a second life with its television adaptation, The Returned, produced by Canal +. In 2012, the broadcast of the program was a hit on the French channel, which then rushed to order a second season. Focusing on the inhabitants of a mountain town, the series chronicles the return of deceased people and all the conflicts and questions that this entails. Enough to move the spectators with intrigues as mysterious as they are overwhelming. An American version, also called The Returned, aired on A&E.

Lethal Weapon

With its supercharged police duo and scorching humor, Lethal Weapon marked the action cinema of the 80s and 90s. Led by Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, the Richard Donner saga quickly became popular with viewers around the world. Almost 20 years later, the Fox channel therefore wanted to relaunch the machine by staging Sergeants Riggs and Murtaugh in one of the most explosive shows. Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans then resume these two legendary roles for two breathtaking seasons, but after many hardships during the shooting, the program ended in 2019 with the departure of the two actors.

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