Original stories are hard to come by in the film industry, but when they land, they often hit the ground running. If a film is successful enough, it can generate a sequel or even a full-fledged TV series.
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TV shows offer a great way to follow up on a feature-length film. They can either directly tie in with the plot of the movie, or they can reformat the film for TV and create an original plotline from there. Either way, TV shows offer a great way to expand on the themes and concepts of a movie through its longer format.
‘Westworld’
BeforeHBO’sintricate and dystopian sci-fi series came to air there was the 1973 filmWestworld, written and directed byMichael Crichton. It was titled under the same name and would form the basis of the show some 43 years later, at a time when CGI and natural effects offer the potential to create whole worlds. The plot centers around a futuristic, adult amusement park where a robot malfunction causes chaos for the park’s residents. A sequel,Futureworldcame in 1976.
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At 1.84 million viewers, the opening episode of theWestworldtelevision series broke records for a new show onSky Atlanticin the UK. Audiences quickly found that this was a show on a shifting spectrum of morality, critiquing the influence of power and greed and asking audiences what it means to be human. Now in production for Season 4, the series has grown vastly in scope to accommodate its escalating narrative. Its direction hasn’t won over all, but show creatorsJonathan NolanandLisa Joyhave created something bold and deftly cerebral.
‘Bates Motel’
Alfred Hitchcock’sPsychois a timeless horror that smacks of unbridled originality. Adapted from a Robert Bloch novel of the same name, the film showcased the director as an artist ahead of his time.
The domination of Norman by his mother was the definitive story arc of Hitchcock’s film and its many sequels, and it was successfully transitioned into the foundation for a prequel series,Bates Motel, whichaired in 2013. Set in the fictional town of White Pine Bay, Oregon, the series portrays the lives of a young Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) and his mother (Vera Farmiga) in a modern-day setting, before the events of the original film.The show ran for five seasons, culminating in 2017 after becoming A&E’s longest-running original drama series.
Fargoneeds little introduction. With its perfect blend of black comedy and small-town satire, it’s arguablythe esteemedCoen brothers' most archetypal film. So prominent and lasting was its cultural footprint, that it inspired a leading television series under the same name.
The anthology series of the same name settled a lot of nerves when its opening season flawlessly captured the distinctive, surreal tone of the original film. In the time since it’s managed to concurrently draw praise across its four seasons, successfully transitioning into a new medium. Of particular note isBilly Bob Thornton’shauntingly charismatic performance as Malvo in Season 1. After reading creatorNoah Hawley’soriginal script, the series evenreceived the Coen brothers' blessing.
The first season follows Lorne Malvo as he travels through Bemidji, Minnesota, influencing insurance salesman Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman) with his taste for malice and deception, and alerting the attention of Deputy Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman) and Duluth police officer Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks).
‘From Dusk Till Dawn’
Robert RodriguezandQuentin Tarantino’smulti-genre mash-up has developed a significant cult following over the years: a cult following large enough that it’s managed to spawn its franchise consisting of two sequels and a video game. In 2014, Rodriguez returned to develop the film for television.
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The show lasted for 3 seasons over 4 years and introduced Texas Ranger Freddie Gonzalez (Jesse Garcia) to a plot that mostly followed the events of the original film. As you might expect, Rodriguez andTarantino’s signature style manifests in the show’s gore and violence. Interestingly, the series marked the first time that Earl McGraw, a character that pops up intermittently in Tarantino’s work, was played by someone besides actorMichael Parks.
Amazon’sHannaonly recently came to a series conclusion following its third and final season. The show follows the journey of Hanna (Esme Creed-Miles), a young girl with unique and deadly abilities. Raised in the forest, she works to evade the pursuit of a dangerous, off-book CIA agent. All the while on a mission to uncover the truth behind who she is.
Hannabegan life as a feature in 2011. Taking a break from his more characteristic period pieces,Joe Wright’saction-thriller is slick and mysterious, in addition to starring one up-and-coming Irish actress,Saoirse Ronan. The great thing aboutHannais that there’s understandably some rich material to work with. Its conceptual nature lends itself well to a wider and more detailed explanation, as evident in the series.
‘The Exorcist’
Beginning life as a novel byWilliam Peter Blatty,The Exorcistwas soon adapted into a film in 1973 by directorWilliam Freidkin,with Blatty returning to pen the script. The film was the first horror to be nominated for an Academy Award, and it’s regularly regarded by publications as of the greatest films of its genre. The success of the film would ultimately pave the way for a franchise that produced two sequels and two prequels in the time since, not to mention a somewhat short-lived television series.
The show aired in 2016 onFoxand served as a sequel to the original film. Created byJeremy Slater, incidentally the lead writer for theupcoming Disney Plus seriesMoon Knight, the plot follows three priests dealing with cases of demonic possession involving a family and a nursing home. Despite some positive reviews, the show was canceled by its network after its second season.
‘Cobra Kai’
RecentNetflixhitCobra Kaifalls underThe Karate Kidfranchise. Created byRobert Mark Kamen, the martial arts drama franchise started with the release of the original film in 1984. It would spawn three sequels over the next decade, eventually culminating in a set-in-china remake in 2010. The film starredJaden SmithandJackie Chan, and focused instead on kung-fu, to better represent its cultural setting.
Cobra Kai, a television series that follows as a sequel to the original films, was released in 2016, originally onYoutube Premium(then known as YouTube Red). Set 34 years later, the narrative follows the POV of Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) as he reopens the Cobra Kai dojo and rekindles his old rivalry with Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). The series was acquired by Netflix following Season 3 after YouTube stopped producing scripted original programs.
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