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40 original movie titles for some of Hollywood's biggest-ever movies

What films were almost called.

40 original movie titles for some of Hollywood's biggest-ever movies
Marc Chacksfield
28 August 2023

Picture the scene: it's 1985 and you are sitting down to watch one of the biggest new blockbusters of the movie world, one that will end up being loved by millions. Popcorn at the ready, the lights go down and the title appears, with the words: Spaceman from Pluto... Doesn't have quite the same ring to it as Back To The Future, does it?

That's because naming your movie is even harder than naming your child. No, stick with us on this one.

Your movie is going to live for longer (even if it's awful), it will come into contact with a wider cross-section of critical people and an entire marketing campaign will exist, based on that name.

So it's therefore understandable that a title may go through a number of different options, especially considering the amount of people involved.

Here's a look at an alternate universe where films all go by very different names...

Original movie titles

Original movie titles

1. Goodfellas

...was almost known as: Wiseguy

Year: 1990

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2. Final Destination

...was almost known as: Flight 180

Year: 2000

16
6
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3. Child's Play

...was almost known as: Batteries Not Included

Year: 1988

13
3
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4. Predator

...was almost known as: Hunter

Year: 1987

12
2
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5. Back To The Future

...was almost known as: Spaceman from Pluto

Year: 1985

18
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6. Field Of Dreams

...was almost known as: Shoeless Joe

Year: 1989

14
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7. Scream

...was almost known as: Scary Movie

Year: 1996

11
4
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8. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

...was almost known as: Watch The Skies

Year: 1977

8
1
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9. Big

..was almost known as: When I Grow Up

Year: 1988

7
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10. Pulp Fiction

...was almost known as: Black Mask

Year: 1994

8
4
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11. Alien

...was almost known as: Star Beast

Year: 1979

6
3
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12. Robin Hood

...was almost known as: Nottingham

Year: 2010

6
3
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13. Last Action Hero

...was almost known as: Extremely Violent

Year: 1993

6
4
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14. Hancock

...was almost known as: Tonight, He Comes

Year: 2008

5
3
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Original movie titles

15. Vertigo

...was almost known as: Fear and Trembling

Year: 1958

5
3
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Original movie titles

16. Unforgiven

...was almost known as: The Cut Whore Killings

Year: 1992

7
5
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17. Boys Don't Cry

...was almost known as: Take It Like A Man

Year: 1999

5
3
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18. Casablanca

...was almost known as: Everybody Come To Rick's

Year: 1942

4
2
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19. Stand By Me

...was almost known as: The Body

Year: 1986

5
3
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20. Basic Instinct

...was almost known as: Love Hurts

Year: 1992

5
3
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Original movie titles

21. American Pie

...was almost known as: East Great Falls High

Year: 1999

3
2
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22. The Other Guys

...was almost known as: The B-Team

Year: 2010

4
3
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23. E.T.

...was almost known as: Night Skies

Year: 1982

6
5
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Original movie titles

24. Hollywoodland

...was almost known as:Truth, Justice and the American Way

Year: 2006

2
1
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25. The Breakfast Club

...was almost known as: The Lunch Bunch

Year: 1985

5
5
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26. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

...was almost known as: Head Cheese

Year: 1974

8
8
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27. 2001: A Space Odyssey

...was almost known as: How The Solar Space Was Won

Year: 1968

5
5
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28. Saturday Night Fever

...was almost known as: The Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night

Year: 1977

5
5
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29. Licence To Kill

...was almost known as: Licence Revoked

Year: 1989

4
4
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30. American Wedding

...was almost known as: American Pie 3: Piece Of Pie

Year: 2003

3
3
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31. Fatal Attraction

...was almost known as: Affairs Of The Heart

Year: 1987

3
3
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32. The Ring

...was almost known as: Static

Year: 2002

6
6
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33. Letters From Iwo Jima

...was almost known as: Red Sun, Black Sand

Year: 2006

3
3
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34. Shutter Island

...was almost known as: Ashecliffe

Year: 2010

2
4
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35. Annie Hall

...was almost known as: Anhedonia

Year: 1977

2
5
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36. Snakes On A Plane

...was almost known as: Pacific Air Flight 121

Year: 2006

2
5
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37. The Last Exorcism

...was almost known as: Cotton

Year: 2010

1
4
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38. Cars

...was almost known as: Route 66

Year: 2006

2
6
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39. Obsessed

...was almost known as: Oh No She Didn't

Year: 2009

1
5
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40. Some Like It Hot

...was almost known as: Not Tonight Josephine

Year: 1959

52
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