In Hollywood, it's common for movies to be adapted from novels, non-fiction books, and comic series. This is understandable since these sources usually have plenty of material, making work a lot easier for screenwriters. Such works also have already established fanbases that end up boosting the adaptation's box office gross figures.

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On a couple of occasions, studios and directors have also taken an unusual route by turning articles in newspapers and magazines into movies. Though journalism might be biased at times, these stories are normally written after plenty of research has been conducted, hence they provide all the necessary facts needed for the making of a film.

10 American Gangster (2007)

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Ridley Scott's American Gangster features outstanding performances by Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe, but it might not have been as brilliant as it is if not for the source material. Prior to the movie's release, more was known about Harlem mob boss Elseworth "Bumpy" Johnson than his right-hand man, Frank Lucas, so when it came to telling the story about the latter, Scott relied on the New York Magazine article titled, "The Return of Superfly."

In American Gangster, Bumpy is already out of the picture, so Lucas goes on to build a drug empire that involves him smuggling heroin from Thailand using the coffins of Vietnam War victims. Even though the drug lord's story is fascinating, the biopic doesn't ignore other characters. Enough time is dedicated even to Lucas' nemesis' the Newark Detective, Richie Roberts (Crowe), who is shown to be in a custody battle with his ex-wife.

9 War Dogs (2016)

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The star-studded War Dogs is somewhat of a tutorial on how to do business with the government and also how not to mess up such grand opportunities. Regrettably, the protagonists, Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill) and David Packouz (Miles Teller) get way in over their heads when their arms company, AEY, gets a contract from the Pentagon.

The movie is based on the Rolling Stone article "The Stoner Arms Dealer" but isn't strictly faithful to it. Plenty of creative liberties are taken, which is a good thing since this results in some memorable moments. For example, a scene where the duo makes a dangerous journey through Iraq was invented by the director, Todd Phillips, and is arguably the best part of the film.

8 The Fast & The Furious (2001)

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One of the highest-grossing movie franchises was also born out of a 1999 Vibe Magazine article titled "Racer X." The story by Ken Li features everything that makes up the spine of The Fast & The Furious, including the use of bog-standard garages to modify average vehicles into lightning-fast machines and the illegal street races.

Though the article focuses on the street racer, Rafael Estevez, Universal opted to not make a biographical project. This turned out to be a good idea as there would have been no room for franchise expansion if such a route had been taken. Instead of Estevez, fans got Dominic Toretto, who also doubled as a heist planner.

7 Argo (2012)

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Over the past couple of years, Ben Affleck has emerged as one of the best actors turned directors and one of his best works is Argo. The Best-picture winner steers clear of spy tropes by focusing more on the narrative and diplomacy rather than flamboyance and action. Consequently, fans get to enjoy a film where the tension keeps stacking up the tension and the payoff only comes in the end.

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Various scenes are dramatized, but a huge chunk of the plot is based on "The Great Escape," a Wired story by Joshua Bearman that chronicled how the CIA and Canadian intelligence rescued Americans from Tehran under the guise of a Sci-fi movie crew. Overall, the film educates audiences about the inner workings of intelligence agencies and how coordination between various arms of government is always important during times of crisis.

6 Hustlers (2019)

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In the current climate, most movies and TV shows depict strippers and sex workers as serious professionals who deserve respect. This is because members of the two professions get judged a lot. However, Hustlers — which has a career-defining performance from Jennifer Lopez—chooses to not ignore the few bad apples.

Director Lorene Scarfia isn't just trying to be malicious. She bases most of the events on "The Hustlers at Scores," a New York Magazine article by Jessica Pressier that exposed how New York City strippers steal money from Wall Street traders. Even so, the camaraderie of the characters makes them very likable. Additionally, the expertly choreographed dance routines, serve as welcome breaks from the crime plots.

5 The Butler (2013)

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Lee Daniels' has a reputation for packing in stars in his projects, something he also does in one of the most popular Black TV dramas, FOX's Empire. In The Butler, he includes Forrest Whitaker, Mariah Carey, Oprah Winfrey, Alan Rickman, and Terrence Howard among others. Their characters all fill perfectly in the story about Cecil Gaines, a butler that worked in the White House for 34 years.

A huge percentage of the storyline is taken from "A Butler Well Served by This Election," a Washington Post piece by Wil Haygood, and none of the cast members disappoint. Even those without acting experience do a good job and so audiences get to enjoy a touching and inspiring career journey that stretches across several time periods.

4 Live Free Or Died Hard (2007)

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Most of Die Hard's follow-ups count as some of the most disappointing action movie sequels, with Live Free Or Die Hard being the only exception. The critically acclaimed film has thrilling stunts and doesn't suffer from a weak script, something that can be credited to the decision to base the story on James Calin's Wired article, "A Farewell To Arms."

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Unlike previous installments which focused on traditional terrorist threats, the fourth project in the franchise settles for cyberattacks that are molded according to the details provided in the article. As such, fans are spared of another frustrating one-man-army show since McClane gets to have a cool sidekick in Matt Farell, who understands technology better than him.

3 Top Gun (1986)

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From incredible aerial dogfights that last for several minutes to intense and detailed training sessions, Top Gun has plenty to offer action fans. However, the idea isn't an entirely unique one as it was taken from a California magazine piece by Ehud Yonay titled, "Top Guns."

Though the article is about fighter pilots based at San Diego's Naval Air Station Miramar, the movie also opts against going the biographical route and includes new characters. This allows for the creation of fictional characters and conflicts, resulting in a blockbuster that feels complete on all levels.

2 Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

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Dallas Buyers Club's brilliance lies in the acting as the biopic features career-best performances from both Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. The film, which explores the stigmatization surrounding HIV/AIDS in the '80s was based on a series of interviews done by Bill Minutaglio (via Telegraph).

Since the events are the recreations of the accounts of those who worked at the actual Dallas Buyers Club, everything comes off as believable, including the tense and wild moments when the protagonist Ron Woodrof smuggles medication for himself and other patients. All the dialogue scenes are also quite poignant.

1 Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

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Shortly after playing Michael Corleone and Fredo in The Godfather, Al Pacino, and John Cazale reunited in Dog Day Afternoon. This time the two played gangsters attempting to rob a bank in a plot that was inspired by the Life magazine story, "The Boys in the Bank" by Thomas Moore and P. F. Kluge.

Pacino and Cazale are just as good as they were while playing Corleone crime family members, but they don't take all the spotlight. The hostages are all well-written hence they make incredible supporting characters, with some going as far as to form solid bonds with the robbers. In addition to that, Dog Day Afternoon has one of the best endings of any heist flick.

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