It’s not just the movie “The Gentlemen” that is currently being continued as a series on Netflix. These 15 cult films also became series.
“The Gentlemen” is currently causing a sensation on the streaming service Netflix. Series creator Guy Ritchie (55) is continuing his own successful film of the same name from 2019 in series form with the very British gangster series. What’s special about “The Gentlemen”: It’s not a remake of the film with Matthew McConaughey (54), but the new main character Eddie (Theo James, 39) simply moves through the world in the sequel, for those in the movie Figures like McConaughey’s Mickey Pearson are responsible. In recent years in particular, the US film and series industry has re-released a number of cult films as series.
“Cobra Kai” breathes new life into the “Karate Kid” franchise
The Netflix series “Cobra Kai” is undoubtedly one of the most original series continuations of cult films: Here, the “Karate Kid” villain Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka, 58) is at the very center of the plot. Viewers experience what happened to him in the decades after his defeat in the first “Karate Kid” film and develop previously unknown sympathy for Lawrence.
As the series progresses, other familiar faces from the “Karate Kid” films will be added. The story of the cult classic also receives a contemporary update in characters such as the new Karate Kid Miguel (Xolo Maridueña, 22).
“Fargo” is also becoming a cult series
In 1996, the darkly humorous crime comedy “Fargo” was a hit. The work of the legendary Coen brothers was awarded two Oscars, among other things, and still enjoys cult status among film fans today.
No less successful is the series adaptation of the same name, for which from 2014 big stars such as Billy Bob Thornton (season one), Kirsten Dunst (season two), Ewan McGregor (season three) and Jon Hamm, known from “Mad Men” (season five) stood in front of the camera. What’s special about the series “Fargo”: Every single season of the anthology show tells a completely new story, often set in a completely different decade. However, the idiosyncratic humor known from the film is common to all seasons of the series.
The “Westworld” series even surpasses the original film
For decades, sci-fi fans have sworn by Michael Crichton’s (1942-2008) cult classic “Westworld” from 1973. The US premium cable channel HBO then re-released the innovative story about an amusement park full of humanoid robots as a series in 2016. The first season in particular enjoys cult status among series fans and impresses with a star ensemble including two-time Oscar winner Sir Anthony Hopkins (86), Ed Harris (73) and Evan Rachel Wood (36).
“Ash vs Evil Dead”: victory lap for Bruce Campbell
Horror fans all over the world love the “Evil Dead” films, also known in Germany as “Tanz der Teufel”. In addition to a remake of the original film series with “Evil Dead” (2013) and “Evil Dead Rise”, cult star Bruce Campbell (65) also returned as Ash Williams for the Starz series “Ash vs Evil Dead” from 2015. On the review collection site “Rotten Tomatoes” The show, which was canceled after three seasons, has an excellent score of 99 percent positive reviews.
“Hannibal”: Mads Mikkelsen inherits Anthony Hopkins
Hardly any actor is as associated with a role as the British Sir Anthony Hopkins with Dr. Hannibal Lecter from “The Silence of the Lambs.” But the Danish world star Mads Mikkelsen (58) achieved the impossible in the series adaptation of the cult film from 2013 and inherited Hopkins in a convincing way. Unfortunately discontinued after three far too short seasons, “Hannibal” is now considered a modern classic of the horror genre.
Netflix is ending The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance too soon
The imaginative eighties cult film “The Dark Crystal” was re-released as a Netflix series in 2019, with “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” telling a prequel to the well-known events. Again produced by the Jim Henson Company, critics and audiences also loved the Netflix series version, but the program was canceled after just one season, probably due to high production costs.
“The Mandalorian” and more: “Star Wars” for the home screen
The new “Star Wars” live-action series on the Disney+ streaming service are a little out of the scope of this list. And yet shows like “The Mandalorian,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and “Andor” continue the stories of the legendary “Star Wars” movies on the smaller, home screen. In the case of “Andor” a backstory is told. In “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” a beloved character gets an encore. And in “The Mandalorian,” a cult character from the original trilogy returns using trick technology to make an acclaimed appearance.
“Training Day”, “12 Monkeys”, “Lethal Weapon” and “Taken” don’t quite come close to their original films
But not every series adaptation of a cult film is met with as much love as the productions already mentioned here. For example, the US channel CBS re-released the cult film “Training Day” with Denzel Washington (69) as a series. But after miserable reviews and the tragic, far too early death of lead actor Bill Paxton (1955-2017), it was over again after one season.
Fox’s “Lethal Weapon” series, on the other hand, made it to three seasons and received a respectable response from audiences and critics. However, the farewell to main actor Damon Wayans (63) made a sequel impossible.
The “12 Monkeys” series on the US channel Syfy, on the other hand, managed 47 episodes in four seasons from 2015 to 2018 and can therefore definitely be described as a success. On the review collection site “Rotten Tomatoes” 88 percent of the reviews were positive.
Things didn’t go as well for NBC’s short-lived “Taken” series. After two seasons it was over again. Perhaps the shoes to be filled by original actor Liam Neeson (71) turned out to be too big after all.
“Willow” is no longer available on Disney+
Similar to “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance,” “Willow,” a cult film from the eighties, continued on Disney+. But a below-average Rotten Tomatoes audience score of only 65 percent already shows that the audience did not like Warwick Davis’ (54) return as the magician Willow Ufgood. Discontinued after one season, the fantasy sequel is no longer available on Disney+ at all.
“Chucky” continues to murder in serial form
The series continuation of the cult “Chucky” films was much better received. 93 percent of critics and 87 percent of audiences on Rotten Tomatoes liked the programming of the US channels Syfy and USA Network. A third season centered around the murderous doll is currently in production.
“Bates Motel” lasted five seasons
The production of the series “Bates Motel” goes back a little further back than “Chucky”, which tells a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s (1899-1980) legendary film classic “Psycho”. Viewers experienced a young Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore, 32), who had to cope with the death of his father at the beginning of the series and subsequently increasingly slipped into the madness known from “Psycho”. Five seasons were broadcast in the USA between 2013 and 2018 on the A&E Network.
“High Fidelity”: Contemporary update of the popular film template
The series remake of the cult comedy “High Fidelity” from 2020 should not be overlooked. Zoë Kravitz (35) played the main role in the Hulu show, with her character Robyn looking like her predecessor Rob (John Cusack, 57). runs a record store in the 2000 film of the same name. Unfortunately, “High Fidelity” was canceled after just one season.