Why do they change the titles of movies for UK/US audiences sometimes?

[pythons]

So why do they change the titles for films sometimes for US/UK.

I know sometimes there are reasonably good reasons. But for example why was Reindeer Games renamed Deception?

I'm sure somone knowes? :)

Plus there are plenty more examples which fail me right now..

Mark

[Paul Bennison]

Reindeer games was retitled due to it's none-festive release over here.

Other prime examples of such activity are:

The Pope Must Die - (die replaced with Diet in the US due to catholic sensitivities)

Waking Ned - (had Devine added so that the title would make more sense to US audiences.)

Harry Potter was looking for the Sorcerers Stone as the Philosopher's stone he was looking for in the UK is a bit dull.

[Joe Pasquale]

Encino Man (US) -> California Man (UK)

[Toothy]

The Professional (US) morphed into Leon (UK)

[Dastardly]

The best one I heard about was The Madness of King George III.

Apparently it was reduced to just The Madness of King George in America to prevent them getting confused and thinking this was a second sequel.

I laugh everytime I picture this. An American going into a video shop and asking if he can rent Madness of King George parts I and II :D

[jroadley]

Originally posted by Dastardly
The best one I heard about was The Madness of King George III.

Apparently it was reduced to just The Madness of King George in America to prevent them getting confused and thinking this was a second sequel.

I laugh everytime I picture this. An American going into a video shop and asking if he can rent Madness of King George parts I and II :D

I was gonna post this one :p I really do think Americans are thick. Harry Potter being the prime example recently. At least when titles change for a UK release there is valid reason ;)

Not that I want to offend any Americans now... :nuts:

[Vinyl-Pants]

License Revoked became License to Kill because it was felt most americans wouldnt understand what "revoked" meant.

Im sorry, to all those politically correct, wishy washy do gooders but there are a lot of pretty stupid yanks over in the land of the obese capitalists. Don't know how many of you watched Correspondant last sunday about an American born British citizen going back to her roots after the events of sept 11th - I was horrified at the lack of general knowledge of the yanks. She asked a group of kids (12/13 year olds) where Pakistan was and NO ONE knew - I mean this wouldve been unexcusable pre-11th of September but come on! Pakistan is only the most important aid to America in the bombing campaign. I was disgusted.

[robbiejm]

Chinese translations of movie titles are better:

"Pretty Woman" - "I Will Marry a Prostitute to Save Money"

"Face/Off" - "Who Is Face Belonging To? I Kill You Again, Harder!"

"Leaving Las Vegas" - "I'm Drunk And You're a Prostitute"

"Interview With The Vampire" - "So, You Are a Lawyer?"

"The Piano" - "Ungrateful Adulteress! I Chop Off Your Finger!"

"My Best Friend's Wedding" - "Help! My Pretend Boyfriend Is Gay!"

"George of the Jungle" - "Big Dumb Monkey-Man Keeps Whacking Tree With Genitals"

"Scent of a Woman" - "Great Buddha! I Can Smell You From Afar! Take a Bath, Will You?!"

"Love, Valour, Compassion!" - "I Am That Guy From Seinfeld So It's Acceptable for Straight People to Enjoy This Gay Movie"

"Babe" - "The Happy Dumpling-to-be Who Talks And Solves Agricultural Problems"

"Twister" - "Run! Ruuunnnn! Cloudzillaaaaa!"

"Field of Dreams" - "Imaginary Dead Baseball Players Live in My Cornfield"

"Barb Wire" - "Delicate Orbs of Womanhood Bigger Than Your Head Can Hurt You"

"Batman & Robin" - "Come to My Cave and Wear This Rubber Codpiece, Cute Boy"

"The Crying Game" - "Oh No! My Girlfriend Has a Penis!"

http://pages.zoom.co.uk/robs/smileys/laughing_smiley.gif

[robbiejm]

Best one so far?

Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace - "Who Is Annoying Frog/Rabbit? Hand Me My Light-Saber!"

[nc]

They do tend to simplify titles for Americans. The new Wes Anderson film should be a major hit due to rave reviews and a superb cast. But I feel many American cinema-goers will be intimidated by the title, The Royal Tenenbaums, and not bother to see it.

[pythons]

Originally posted by robbiejm
Best one so far?

Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace - "Who Is Annoying Frog/Rabbit? Hand Me My Light-Saber!"

:D

[Dagada]

Madness Of King George - It seems this was the studio wanting to clarify matters rather than thick Americans. George III is probably the best known monarch in America due to his involvment with the war of independance. Check the entry on the urban legends website SNOPES about this.

Have to admit, though, that changing Leon to The Professional is an odd one.

What about Return Of The Jedi - that was originally to be called Revenge Of The Jedi. What happened there?

[homerjhandley]

or the teenage mutant ninja turtles!!!. This was renamed for Uk because the word ninja was deemed to be associated with violence.

At least that what i remember.

[Ben_Isaacs]

Originally posted by Dagada
Madness Of King George - It seems this was the studio wanting to clarify matters rather than thick Americans. George III is probably the best known monarch in America due to his involvment with the war of independance. Check the entry on the urban legends website SNOPES about this.

Have to admit, though, that changing Leon to The Professional is an odd one.

What about Return Of The Jedi - that was originally to be called Revenge Of The Jedi. What happened there?

Lucas changed it as he felt Jedis are too honourable to seek revenge.

[Dagada]

I've actually got a star wars figure in it's case with Revenge Of The Jedi written on it. :) *Dances around the room singing "We're in the money"*

[Ragnar]

Originally posted by Toothy
The Professional (US) morphed into Leon (UK)

Wasn't this changed because they thought U.K. audiences would get it confused with the TV series The Professionals.

[Dagada]

Isn't it called Leon in france, too?

[Roberto]

yep

[bddidier]

Originally posted by Toothy
The Professional (US) morphed into Leon (UK)

It's more like the original French title was Léon.

And yes a lot of americans are thick (and sick I must ad), I agree with Vinyl-Pants. I'm glad to be back in Europe.

[kcxdev]

Originally posted by robbiejm
Chinese translations of movie titles are better:

...

http://pages.zoom.co.uk/robs/smileys/laughing_smiley.gif

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :mad: :mad:

[Squirtle]

Originally posted by Ben_Isaacs


Lucas changed it as he felt Jedis are too honourable to seek revenge.

Nope it was to foil producers of non official merchandise - there was loads of dodgy tie in stuff floating around with 'revenge' instead of 'return' when the film was released.

Also Harry Potter has a diff title in the States because the book did. I suspect a yank wouldnt know what a philosopher (sp?) was anyway.

[Ben Martin]

Originally posted by bddidier
It's more like the original French title was Léon.

indeed. glad someone pointed that out. furthermore, not only was the professional not the original title, but the US was the only country in which the film received this title. so not only was the the title of this movie not changed for UK release, but it definitely wasn't changed to avoid confusion with "the professionals"!! :eek: :D some (not very funny) wag obviously cooked that rumour up one day when he had nothing better to do.

the americans also changed the movie's tagline from the excellent: "He moves without sound. Kills without emotion. Disappears without trace. ... Only a 12 year-old girl knows his weakness." Replacing it with the distinctly unimaginative: "If you want the job done right, hire a professional."

[Michael Brooke]

I was once abused on alt.cult-movies for showing "disrespect" to <I>La Femme Nikita</I> by "shortening" it to <I>Nikita</I> - no prizes for guessing which nationality that guy was! :D

One of my all-time favourite title changes, though, is the American film <I>Young Man with a Horn</I>, which for some unfathomable reason (;) ) was changed to <I>Young Man of Music</I> over here...

[dean richardson]

regards the revenge of the jedy re-wording, i went out my a girl who's uncle was high up in marketing that movie. and as i was a huge fan of star wars he got me loads of posters and a cap with revenge of the jedi on it. Still have the cap and a few posters stashed in my parents loft.
when the movie was eventually released as "return" i obviously asked him why.
He said that they thought revenge of the jedi was giving the end of the movie away, and as this was to be the final film they wanted to give nothing away. and that this film was so sensitive to marketing forces that nothing could be left to chance. I mean its not just the movie that makes the money is it!

i know it seems tenuous ie girlfriend uncle but this is what he told me!

[dean richardson]

other name changes are because a film did badly in the states and does not want the same bad publicity to follow over the pond.

ie adventures in babysitting = a night on the town

[Tony Keats]

Assasin (Bridget Fonda) was called Point of No Return in the U.S.

A less famous name change happened with the movie Martha meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence as it became The Very Thought of You in America. Although the U.S title is naff (and has less relation to the content), at least it's not such a mouthful.

Two If By Sea (Sandra Bullock/Denis Leary) was changed to Stolen Hearts here (if I remember rightly). I can understand that one though as the U.S title needed bit of a re-think anyway.

[goof]

Originally posted by dean richardson
other name changes are because a film did badly in the states and does not want the same bad publicity to follow over the pond.

ie adventures in babysitting = a night on the town

Rather unbelievably, I was just about to post this! I thought I would have been the only person to have actually seen this film :D

Here's a strange one tho - it was on VHS release under both titles. What's that all about then?

[phlebas]

I'm surprised they didn't change Free Willy to something less open to mis-interpretation, for the UK market. Apparently Americans don't use the word 'willy' the same way we do.

[agnetha]

In The Bleak Midwinter (*great* film btw) became A Midwinter's Tale in the US. Dunno why, probably so the dumb Yanks wouldn't get confused with the Shakespeare book (:D yes, I am being sarky and might as well confuse any Yanks reading this further! ) or maybe 'bleak' was considered too depressing. Anyone know?:cool:

[Hardnox]

Originally posted by agnetha
In The Bleak Midwinter (*great* film btw) became A Midwinter's Tale in the US. Dunno why, probably so the dumb Yanks wouldn't get confused with the Shakespeare book (:D ) of the same name or maybe 'bleak' was considered too depressing. Anyone know?

I doubt it...this would require the Yanks to not only know who Shakespeare was, but also that he wrote a book of that name...

I'll start taking bets at 1000-1...any takers?:D :D :D

[agnetha]

Heh heh, might as well confuse any Yanks happening to chance upon this thread by mixing books, authors, songs and everything else, eh? :nuts:

"In the bleak midwinter, tra la la la..."