An established intellectual property is a hot commodity in Hollywood. Not only does a screen adaptation of a hit novel or a successful video game brings with it a pre-existing audience of millions, but it usually has a set narrative to adapt with defined characters as well, which gives reference to every element of the pre-production process, from writing the script to the set design.
That being said, many movies have come from less likely sources, posing new and interesting questions to filmmakers as to how to translate the inspiration to the screen. From table-top board games to trading cards and even a restaurant franchise, there have been plenty of films based on less conventional source material, withDungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thievesjust one of the latest.
1‘The Lego Movie’ (2014)
From Transformers action figures to Barbie dolls, toys can be a great source for stories as many of them already have underlying narratives or apparent thematic overtones attached to them. Lego, however, does not seem like such a story-friendly toy, even with the mainstream appeal of it as a basis for media entertainment being proven by the many Lego-themed video games released through the 2000s.
Kevin Tsujihara, who secured the Lego games as an entity of Warner Bros. by pioneering the studio’s purchase of video game developer Traveller’s Tales,believed a Lego movie could work.The Lego Moviebecame a major hit for the studio, flourishing with its imaginative action-adventure story and proving so successful that it spawned several spin-off films.
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2‘Mac and Me’ (1988)
If you ever have doubts that Hollywood won’t make a movie about absolutely anything, remember thatMac and Meexists. A blatant rip-off ofE.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the infamous film follows an alien who befriends a young boy while being hunted by the government and is a thinly-veiled advertising campaign for McDonald’s and Coca-Cola.
It goes so far as to make McDonald’s a safe haven when the boy disguises his alien friend as a teddy bear and hides at the restaurant amid a birthday party. Critics didn’t know what to target first between its borderline plagiarism and its shameless advertising, but despite negative reviews and bombing at the box office, it has become a minor cult film in a so-bad-it’s-good way.
3‘Ouija’ (2014)
From famous novels to fabled folklore, horror has never been short of source material for a new movie. In a sense, it’s almost surprising it took until 2014 for a film to be made based on the Ouija board, given its polarizing standing in pop culture, with many fearing what it invites andthe Catholic Church even going so far as to label it demonic.
Ouijaplayed with that notion, using the Ouija board as a catalyst for a haunted house horror. While the original movie was met with negative reviews, the unanticipated prequel,Ouija: Origin of Evil, proved to bea genre hit from esteemed horror directorMike Flanagan.
4‘The Angry Birds Movie’ (2016)
Released in 2009, Angry Birds was an unprecedented hit, fast becoming one of the most downloaded mobile apps in history, with gamers of all ages glued to their screens. By virtue of its ubiquitous success, it was little surprise when a motion picture adaptation was announced, but many pondered how successfully the game would translate to a film.
Running with what limited narrative the game offered,The Angry Birds Moviefocuses on a temperamental bird as he learns the visiting green pigs aren’t what they seem and mounts a rescue mission to retrieve the village’s stolen eggs. Few would say the film was a masterpiece, but it captured the game’s bombastic appeal well enough to be entertaining.
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5‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ (2023)
First published in the 1970s, Dungeons and Dragons has steadily grown in popularity since its release, becoming a mainstream pop-culture hit in the last decade. While it’s no surprise thatsaid success has resulted in a film adaptation, it shouldn’t be understated that it is an unconventional source material for Hollywood as, unlike novels, comics, and even video games, there isn’t as embedded a story or set of characters to follow.
The tabletop role-playing game allows Dungeon Masters to formulate their own campaigns and grants players the flexibility to define their own characters. As such, it will be fascinating to see howDungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thievesadapts the vast lore of the fantasy game into a concise feature-length film.
6‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’ (2003)
Successful movies have become theme park rides countless times before, but not quite so many theme parks rides have inspired hit movies. However, that was exactly what happened when Disney looked to capitalize on the success of their “Pirates of the Caribbean” Disneyland attraction, leading toPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
Maintaining the ride’s theme of cursed treasure, the film meshed elements of fantasy, adventure, and swashbuckling action to become a massive box-office success and spawn a franchise despite apprehensions from studio execs on how it would perform. Several of the rides have since been refurbished to include references to the films.
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7‘The Emoji Movie’ (2017)
From laughing icons to thumbs up and even to eggplants and poops, emojis have become a key part of daily life for millions of phone users worldwide. Yet, as ubiquitous as they are, many were apprehensive whenThe Emoji Moviewas announced.
Inspired by films likeToy Story,The Emoji Moviewas a family animated film following a multi-expressional emoji who struggles to find his place in the digital city of Textopolis. While the source material clearly enticed many, as shown by the film’s impressive box office performance, the film garnered largely negative reviews from critics and audiences alike, with many suggesting the source material couldn’t support and didn’t warrant a feature film.
8‘Safety Not Guaranteed’ (2012)
In 1997, the senior editor forBackwoods Home Magazinewrote a mock classified ad that briefly detailed someone looking for an accomplice for a time-traveling journey. The ad became a cultural sensation, receiving thousands of letters from willing applicants and being discussed on television and car talk radio prolifically.
Safety Not Guaranteedimagines that the advert was genuine, following a small team of journalists investigating the source and discovering a grocery store clerk hoping to go back in time to save his girlfriend’s life. With an impressive cast and astute direction, the film excelled as a surprisingly poignant comedy with genuine pathos and no small amount of understated charm.
9‘Mars Attacks!’ (1996)
An enduring hit of extravagant ’90s entertainment,Mars Attacksis loved by many for its ridiculous plot and its many celebrity cameos. Unbeknownst to many, it was based on a set of science fiction trading cards from the 1960s that sporadically depicted a tale of Martians invading Earth and waging war with humanity.
Seen by directorTim Burtonas an opportunity to pay homage to the sci-fi B-movies of the 1950s,Mars Attacks!was a camp, pulpy, star-studded celebration of the genre in all its glory. Despite a mixed response from critics and bombing at the domestic box office, the spoof movie would go on tobecome something of an adored cult classic.
10‘Dumbo’ (1941)
Many of Disney’s classic animated films found their basis in fairy tales which had been around for centuries, yet one of the studio’s most iconic pictures originated from a prototypical storytelling toy known as a roll-a-book. Upon being introduced to the novelty device, Walt Disney immediately saw the potential its story had to be an animated hit,as documented by animation historian Michael Barrier.
With many other Disney releases operating at a loss due to World War II raging on in Europe,Dumbowas a low-budget movie designed to turn a profit. Enchanting with its wonderful story and its charming animal characters, it became Disney’s most successful film of the 1940s and has endured as a timeless classic ever since its release.
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