15 Films You Didn't Realise Were Remakes
12. Flubber
In Flubber, a brilliant but forgetful scientist called Dr. Ned Brainard, played by Robin Williams, accidentally creates a revolutionary compound. He uses this innovative material to make his car fly, help basketball players cheat to win a game, and smash some goons' heads in with a bowling ball. Y'know... the usual stuff you do with a groundbreaking new element.
Through Disney+, a lot of streamers have only recently learned the zany comedy is a remake of 1961's The Absent-Minded Professor. The story was based on a 1943 short story, A Situation of Gravity and the character of Brainard was inspired by a real Princeton professor called Hubert Alyea, who gained the nickname "Dr. Boom" due to his theatrical experiments.
Even though The Absent-Minded Professor isn't that well-known, it grossed over $25 million in its time, which was an extraordinary accomplishment during the 1960s. It did so well, it warranted a sequel called Son of Flubber with the original cast, writer, and director returning.