TV has looked to a wide range of inspirations over the years when coming up with new projects. There have been several adaptations of comic books, novel series and true events. However, it's also popular for franchises first established in movies to find new life in a television series. Sometimes, these stories can even grow beyond the film, and the series becomes more popular with fans.
Movies and TV series have always had a symbiotic relationship, and the transference of stories between mediums is nothing new. Whether it's classic science fiction, action or more, plenty of movies have proven just as fitting for television as they were for film. With several successful TV reboots, sequels and continuations of film, the two mediums show their strength working together going forward.
10 Minority Report Examined The World Of Pre-Crime
The first Minority Report project was a futuristic crime movie starring Tom Cruise. It takes place in a future that uses pre-crime, a method of predicting crimes before they happen, to make arrests and save lives. However, that also comes with big ethical dilemmas.
Minority Report's premise made a lot of sense in TV format, allowing viewers to witness pre-crime in a procedural format. However, the series did also continue to explore the moral implications and flaws of the system, keeping true to the movie with new characters.
9 Taken Gave Bryan Mills An Origin Story
Taken was based on the Liam Neeson movie of the same name. The 2007 film is one of the more iconic Liam Neeson movies, in no small part thanks to its gritty action and Neeson's famous threatening monologue. Neeson's character, Bryan Mills, was given a prequel TV series.
The Taken series isn't as well known or iconic as the films, but it still made for a great prequel for the character. Full of action, espionage and good character development, the short-lived series is still a must-watch for fans of the popular Liam Neeson films.
8 Lethal Weapon Brought Riggs And Murtaugh To The Small Screen
Lethal Weapon is still viewed as the definitive buddy cop movie of all time, and one of the greatest action movies of the '80s. In 2016, Riggs and Murtaugh returned, this time with different actors and in a television series. It gave the two contrasting characters an episodic format.
Lethal Weapon is every bit the great buddy cop story on TV as it was on film, even if the new actors aren't as known in their roles as Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. The series didn't take itself too seriously and gave fans exactly what they wanted from the mismatched dynamic.
7 Walker, Texas Ranger Was Inspired By Lone Wolf McQuade
In Walker, Texas Ranger, Chuck Norris followed up the idea behind his movie Lone Wolf McQuade, combining martial arts with the Texas Rangers. Although not a direct adaptation, it's safe to say that without the movie, the series would have been completely different, if it existed at all.
Walker, Texas Ranger has even been rebooted, starring Supernatural's Jared Padalecki in the titular role. The newer series has leaned into the grittier detective aspects of the genre, but is still a great watch. The series shows the strength in keeping a cool idea going in a different property.
6 Training Day Explored The World Of Corrupt Cops
Training Day remains an iconic cop movie, as well as one of the best performances of Denzel Washington's acting career. In 2017, the film was turned into a series that explored the world of police corruption in greater depth, returning to the rookie/veteran dynamic.
Training Day's series hasn't gained the notoriety or cult status as the film, but it's still worth a watch and captures the same tone. Serving as one of Bill Paxton's final projects before his death as well as a genuinely good crime story, Training Day is faithful to the film.
5 Fargo Spun Out Into An Anthology Crime Show
Based on the Coen brothers' iconic crime movie, Fargo was changed into an anthology format, with each series following its own solo story. The series suggests it takes inspiration from true events, and explores unique crimes across the state of Minnesota.
Fargo's TV spin-off has become almost as iconic as the original film, and used an anthology format to explore a different story every season. With talents like Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman and Bruce Campbell, the series is even more star-studded than the movie, with stories just as good.
4 Wolf Creek Surpassed Its Movies In Its Second Season
Wolf Creek started out as an Australian indie horror movie that followed a group of backpackers in the outback being hunted by a serial killer. The series became a cult hit among horror fans and got a sequel, which was followed up with a two season TV show.
Wolf Creek was a great movie, but the second season of its TV series took the franchise to new heights. It raised the stakes with an entire busload of tourists as they were stalked by Mick Taylor inside his eponymous hunting ground. It remains one of the greatest horror shows of all time.
3 Buffy The Vampire Slayer Strongly Surpassed Its Movie
Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a character was defined by the excellent portrayal of Sarah Michelle Gellar. Created by Joss Whedon, the series lasted from 1997 to 2003 and was one of the greatest action series of all time. However, the concept started out in a movie.
1992's Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a fun teen horror-action with a fair amount of comedy added in. The film was fairly star-studded and featured talents such as Kirsty Swanson, Donald Sutherland and Rutger Hauer. However, it cannot be denied that the series took the character to a whole other level.
2 Cobra Kai Is Already Just As Loved As Karate Kid
One of the surprise hits in modern TV revivals was Cobra Kai, the television sequel to The Karate Kid. The series follows Daniel Laruso and Johnny Lawrence as adults and explores their old tensions. However, it has delivered on a lot of fan expectations masterfully too.
The series has been full of fan service and revisiting events from the film while also telling a story for a younger generation of fan. Casting Johnny in a more sympathetic light, returning old villains and creating a new friendship have all made Cobra Kai one of the most welcomed franchise reboots today.
1 The Mandalorian Is The Greatest Star Wars Show
Star Wars is one of the most successful franchises in cinematic history, and has been expanding since its 1977 debut. The original trilogy is one of the greatest film series of all time and, since its acquisition by Disney, that library of content has only been growing.
The Mandalorian is the greatest achievement of Disney Star Wars, and has captivated audiences across the world with its characters and story. It follows the titular Mandalorian charged with protecting Grogu, a young Jedi, from the remnants of the Empire in the aftermath of its collapse.