Five great short films adapted into full-length feature movie
Every movie has to start somewhere, with some people starting with a script, an enigmatic performer or a particularly impressive central concept. Though, for others, the best way to get noticed for a feature is by making a short film, the equivalent of a pilot episode for a much longer TV series, with the horror genre, in particular, embracing this.
Many of the finest filmmakers of all time have utilised the short film format to bring their features to life, with directors such as Martin Scorsese, David Lynch, Tim Burton, Gus Van Sant and Quentin Tarantino each working on micro-budget shorts in their early careers. However, whilst many of these concepts come and go like experimental sketches, others carry more powerful ideas capable of being transformed into longer versions.
There are countless movies that started off as short films, but we’ve collected some of the most interesting examples below, discussing such names as Wes Anderson, Chris Marker and Robert Rodriguez.
Five great short films adapted into full-length features:
Bottle Rocket (Wes Anderson, 1992)
Now recognised as one of the greatest living filmmakers, American director Wes Anderson started off by making the humble short film Bottle Rocket in 1992. Collaborating with Owen Wilson, the short followed the adventures of three clueless criminals, played by Wilson and his brother Luke as well as Robert Musgrave. It wasn’t until two years later, at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival, that the film would gain traction, however.
Liking the film, producer James L. Brooks funded the duo’s debut feature film, with the feature film version of Bottle Rocket being released in 1996 to critical and commercial acclaim.
Frankenweenie (Tim Burton, 1984)
Most filmmakers make their short films at the very start of their careers, but Tim Burton is no ordinary filmmaker. Instead, Burton made Frankenweenie in 1984 with the likes of Shelley Duvall, Daniel Stern, and Barret Oliver. At 30-minutes long, the Disney short was given a decent budget, but the Mouse House were not a fan of the project, firing Burton once it was complete because it did not fit into their expectations as a ‘family film’.
28 years later, after much industry success, Burton released an animated version of Frankenweenie that was adored by audiences, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature Film.
Le Jetée (Chris Marker, 1962)
Chris Marker made the innovative sci-fi film Le Jetée in 1962, but unlike the other examples on our list, his short was made into a feature film by a different director. Seeing the potential of the experimental French film that followed a man living underground during WWIII who time travels back to the past to try and stop the war, director Terry Gilliam used the short to make 12 Monkeys 33 years later.
Starring Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis and Christopher Plummer, the film retained much of the original movie’s charm and added far more in terms of narrative.
Lights Out (David F. Sandberg, 2013)
Horror filmmakers always seem to find great success in the world of short films, with even Martin Scorsese succeeding in the genre back in 1967. By creating short, scary films, directors can make something viral that easily spreads around the internet, forming an irresistible buzz for movie producers. This is exactly what happened to David F. Sandberg and his 2013 short film, Lights Out.
Going viral online, it was merely a matter of time before Sandberg’s film was picked up for the feature treatment, with the same director releasing a film of the same name in 2016 to surprising critical acclaim.
Machete (Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis, 2010)
Possibly our most unique entry on this list is Robert Rodriguez’s short film that’s sandwiched in the middle of his and Quentin Tarantino’s 2007 collaboration, Grindhouse. Featuring a whole host of fake trailers to separate the movie double-bill of Death Proof and Planet Terror, Rodriguez created an over-the-top action film mock-up of a fake feature named Machete, starring Danny Trejo in the lead role.
A feature film version of Rodriguez’s rough sketch was released three years later. The full film was very similar to the mock trailer, featuring Trejo alongside Steven Seagal, Robert De Niro and Jessica Alba.
