You may have heard the popular saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Basically, it means you shouldn’t waste time trying to tweak and perfect something that’s completely fine as it is. It’s perhaps debatable, but maybe this sentiment should be circulated throughout Hollywood more.

There have been loads of written works adapted to the big screen, some of them to the extent they’re just plain overused. It sometimes feels like Hollywood bombards audiences with iteration after iteration of the same basic material. Maybe it’s time to give them a rest and let more wholly original stories shine.

10

‘A Christmas Carol’ (1843)

It’s nearly impossible to get through a Christmas season without seeing at least one of the 40+ adaptations of this novella by Charles Dickens. There are so many adaptations of this story, some animated, some live-action, one featuring the Muppets, and even one starring Bill Murray. Some are older and in black-and-white, and some are newer with new twists on the story. Et cetera, et cetera, ad infinitum.

You’re likely familiar with the plot: a grumpy old man named Scrooge hates Christmas, but is visited by three ghosts who are able to change his mind. It’s got a good moral about selflessness, which is probably why it’s been remade so many times. The story’s enduring appeal comes from how neatly it combines a ghost story and a redemption arc in a compact narrative.

9

‘Pride and Prejudice’ (1813)

Pride and Prejudice is an early feminist romance novel written by Jane Austen. The story concerns a family of two parents and five daughters living on an upscale estate in rural England. The daughters are reaching adolescence, and due to the cultural norms at the time, are being pressured into being married by their parents.

Many are easily bored by the novel because it is very much like a soap opera, but there is no denying the cultural impact it has. Once again, there are just too many adaptations of this novel, many of which don’t bring anything new to the table save for more modern technology and settings. Perhaps the most creative adaptation is the Bollywood/Hollywood fusion musical Bride and Prejudice (2004), directed by Gurinder Chadha, which makes for a much more fun and energetic version of the novel.

8

‘Dracula’ (1897)

Bram Stoker probably didn’t know he’d be writing the most popular recurring character in horror when he wrote his 1897 novel Dracula. That's right: Count Dracula is the most used character in horror, appearing in a whopping 60+ films. The novel’s numerous themes like gothic horror and superstition gives each adaptation plenty of room to emphasize a different side of the Count.

He has been played by Hungarian stage actor Bela Lugosi, Gary Oldman, and several times by Sir Christopher Lee, which was a role he became highly associated with. Though many of these films do deviate from the source material a bit for a fresh spin on the horror story, it doesn’t change the fact that in the last 100 years, there have just been too many of them. Count Dracula needs a break too, sometimes.

7

‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ (1871)

Lewis Caroll wrote this book back in the 19th century. Though it’s more commonly known by a simplified title: Alice in Wonderland. The story concerns a young girl named Alice who winds up in a strange and magical world called Wonderland, filled with many bizarre creatures and places.

Perhaps the most famous incarnation is Disney’s 1951 animated musical film. More recent adaptations include Tim Burton‘s 2010 live-action series. But these are only the most famous. There are approximately 19 different adaptations of this story, the first coming out as early as 1903 in the form of a black-and-white silent film. Because the story is built around surreal encounters rather than a tightly structured plot, filmmakers have enormous freedom to reinvent Wonderland’s creatures.

6

‘Peter Pan’ (1911)