10 Film Franchises That Became Something Else Entirely

As Bob Dylan once sang, "The Times They Are A-Changin'".

That only tangentially refers to what we're talking about here, but we just wanted to mention that absolute banger. Shout out to Bobby D.

It's impossible to tell what will happen with a film once it is released into the wider world. As an artist, you have to accept that, to some degree, your art is no longer yours once it is in the public sphere.

Still, few movies have started off as one thing and then pivoted so far towards something else as these ten franchise starters.

For a multitude of reasons, it's baffling to look back at where these series started versus what we know them to be today. Some got huge injections of cash, some wanted to appeal to a broader audience, and some, well, some just went completely crazy.

We're not saying that all of these transitions were bad, far from it. Some were actually necessary in order for the franchise to survive and thrive. However, in a few instances, the genre flip was made to serve one purpose - the almighty dollar.

And, when that happens, it's rarely a good thing.

Pitch Black was a sci-fi film with horror elements released in the year 2000.

It tracked the crew of a spaceship that had crashed on a planet about to undergo an eclipse. Only problem, it was inhabited by cave-dwelling creatures that will kill them all once the sun is blocked.

What are the chances?

Thankfully, they had Richard B. Riddick in their crew - a criminal with genetically-enhanced eyes. Played by ya boy Vin Diesel, Riddick helped the crew escape the planet, redeeming himself somewhat in the process.

Diesel's performance as Riddick was one of his first standout moments and clearly caught the attention of the film's producers. The second film in the series, The Chronicles of Riddick from 2004, was entirely focused on him.

As well as switching out the lead character, the movie also became more action-oriented. It similarly had about four times more money to play with - all those Coronas don't come cheap, you know.

A third film entitled just Riddick came out in 2013 and was just as action-heavy as the last. The series has come a long way from Vin and his shiny eyes running around in the dark.