'Spaceman from Pluto'? Popular movies that almost had entirely different titles

'Pretty Woman' was originally '3000' - This movie was allegedly supposed to be a lot darker than it ended up being, and the number 3,000 was supposed to reference the amount of money that Vivian and Edward agreed upon for her services. Director Garry Marshall wanted to lighten the mood, thus 'Pretty Woman' was born.

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'Shutter Island' was originally 'Ashecliffe' - The original working title was likely taken from Ashecliffe Hospital, the setting in the novel which inspired the film, but in the end they stuck with the novel's actual title.

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'E.T.' was originally 'A Boy's Life' - Steven Spielberg was especially protective of this now-beloved alien flick, so he gave it this code name and also reportedly demanded that on-set personnel must wear ID.

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'Some Like It Hot' was originally 'Not Tonight, Josephine!' - The origin of the working title was reportedly from Napoleon Bonaparte's response when refusing sex with Empress Josephine.

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'Titanic' was originally 'Planet Ice' -

It was also known for a time as 'The Ship of Dreams,' largely because James Cameron wanted to throw off other studios who might have also wanted to make a movie about the Titanic.

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'The Ring' was originally 'Static' -

Though the Japanese film and novel which inspired this American adaptation were both called 'Ring,' the filmmakers experimented with calling it 'Static.'

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'Back to the Future' was originally 'Spaceman from Pluto' -

'Spaceman from Pluto' was reportedly a suggestion from big-time studio executive Sid Sheinberg, who is credited for having discovered Steven Spielberg, a producer on the film. Luckily, Spielberg laughed it off and went ahead with 'Back to the Future.'

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'The Breakfast Club' was originally 'The Lunch Bunch' - They do have lunch together in the film, but somehow it doesn't sound nearly as cool.

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'Cars' was originally 'Route 66' - As 'Route 66' had already been used by a television series in the 1960s, Pixar opted for the more generic 'Cars.'

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'Psycho' was originally 'Wimpy' -

Alfred Hitchcock reportedly came up with the working title 'Wimpy' to throw people off the scent of the book on which the movie is based, in order to keep them from spoiling the ending.

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'Scream' was originally 'Scary Movie' - 'Scary Movie' later became the title of the 'Scream' parody, referencing the original name for the Wes Craven horror masterpiece.

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'The Avengers' was originally 'Group Hug' - Okay, so it was just a code name to throw off Marvel fans, but imagine how fantastic a spin-off superhero series called 'Group Hug' would be...

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'Vertigo' was originally 'Fear and Trembling' -

Alfred Hitchcock's working title for his now-famed film was much less cool than 'Vertigo.'

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'Obsessed' was originally 'Oh No She Didn't' -

Thank goodness they didn't!

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'The Matrix Reloaded' was originally 'The Burly Man' - The directors, the Wachowskis, wanted to keep the sequel a big secret, so they called the film 'The Burly Man,' which apparently came from a screenplay they'd scrapped earlier in their career.

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'Casablanca' was originally 'Everybody Come To Rick's' - The film was almost named after the stage play on which it's based, but movie executives reportedly decided to change it because of the earlier success of films with place names (i.e. 'Algiers' in 1938).

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'2001: A Space Odyssey' was originally 'How The Solar Space Was Won' - Already months-deep into production, Stanley Kubrick is said to have been inspired by Homer's epic poem, 'Odyssey.'

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'50/50' was originally 'I'm With Cancer' - The film was later also renamed 'Live with It' before they decided on '50/50.'

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'Field of Dreams' was originally 'Shoeless Joe' -

The fantasy-drama sports film was almost named after W. P. Kinsella's novel from which it was adapted.

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'Saturday Night Fever' was originally 'The Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night' - The longer name was actually the name of the magazine article on which the movie was based.

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'Goodfellas' was originally 'Wiseguy' - They're two words which carry a similar sarcasm, but which offer a very different impact. That was also the name of the novel that the film was based on.

32 / 43 Fotos

'Big' was originally 'When I Grow Up' - 'Big' is certainly a punchier name, and it lent itself to 2019's response in the form of 'Little.'

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'Hitch' was originally 'The Last First Kiss' - The name change was allegedly due to the worry that a title like 'The Last First Kiss' would put male moviegoers off.

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'Frozen' was originally 'The Snow Queen' - The original name was based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same name, but changes to Elsa's character required a new title to match.

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'Friday the 13th' was originally 'A Long Night at Camp Blood' - Camp Blood is a bit on the nose, but 'Friday the 13th' holds the added gravity of an already spooky day.

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'Fatal Attraction' was originally 'Affairs of the Heart' -

The title that stuck is a little more telling about what the film holds.

37 / 43 Fotos

'Cloverfield' was originally 'Cheese' - 'Cheese' was another code name, but it would have made some interesting fodder for film critics.

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'Last Action Hero' was originally 'Extremely Violent' - The working title sounded too much like a ratings warning.

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'Reality Bites' was originally 'The Real World' - Director Ben Stiller and the team had to change the title when the MTV show with the same name debuted.

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'Halloween' was originally 'The Babysitter Murders' - As the writing progressed and the team decided to set the story on Halloween night, an opportunity to be associated with an annual event was too good to pass up.

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'The Emperor's New Groove' was originally 'Kingdom of the Sun' -

After investing millions and nearly completing an animated musical, Disney completely re-did 'Kingdom of the Sun,' using new actors, adding more comedy, and changing the name to 'The Emperor's New Groove.'

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NL Beeld

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'Snakes on a Plane' was originally 'Pacific Air Flight 121' -

When the title was temporarily changed to the unspectacular flight name, Samuel L. Jackson made sure his opinion was heard and became the reason why 'Snakes on a Plane' exists.

NL Beeld

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'Annie Hall' was originally 'Anhedonia' -

Anhedonia is a word for the inability to experience pleasure, but the film also experimented with names like 'It Had to Be Jew,' 'Rollercoaster Named Desire,' and 'Alvy and Me.'

NL Beeld

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'The Dark Knight' was originally 'Rory's First Kiss' -

The script was actually adapted from a 'Gilmore Girls' episode! Just kidding. 'Rory's First Kiss' was just a code name to throw Batman fans off during production.

Getty Images

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'American Pie' was originally 'Comfort Food' - The infamous apple pie scene is perhaps to blame for the very questionable working title.

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'Rocky' was originally 'The Contender' - The producers felt that 'The Contender' lacked emotional weight, and the much more personal title launched Sylvester Stallone into worldwide fame.

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'Bring It On' was originally 'American Girls' - While 'American Girls' has accuracy on its side, it's akin to calling 'House of Cards' something like 'American Politics.'

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'Hancock' was originally 'Tonight, He Comes' - Everyone can relate to Will Smith's face in this photo upon hearing that the film was almost called something so naive as 'Tonight, He Comes.'

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'Pulp Fiction' was originally 'Black Mask' -

Before Tarantino chose to reference the entire pulp magazine culture, he reportedly wanted to name the film after one specific pulp magazine from the first half of the 20th century called Black Mask.

NL Beeld

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NL Beeld

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'Some Like It Hot' was originally 'Not Tonight, Josephine!' - The origin of the working title was reportedly from Napoleon Bonaparte's response when refusing sex with Empress Josephine.

15 / 43 Fotos

'Titanic' was originally 'Planet Ice' -

It was also known for a time as 'The Ship of Dreams,' largely because James Cameron wanted to throw off other studios who might have also wanted to make a movie about the Titanic.

NL Beeld

16 / 43 Fotos

'The Ring' was originally 'Static' -

Though the Japanese film and novel which inspired this American adaptation were both called 'Ring,' the filmmakers experimented with calling it 'Static.'

NL Beeld

17 / 43 Fotos

'Back to the Future' was originally 'Spaceman from Pluto' -

Getty Images

18 / 43 Fotos

'The Breakfast Club' was originally 'The Lunch Bunch' - They do have lunch together in the film, but somehow it doesn't sound nearly as cool.

19 / 43 Fotos

'Cars' was originally 'Route 66' - As 'Route 66' had already been used by a television series in the 1960s, Pixar opted for the more generic 'Cars.'

20 / 43 Fotos

'Psycho' was originally 'Wimpy' -

Alfred Hitchcock reportedly came up with the working title 'Wimpy' to throw people off the scent of the book on which the movie is based, in order to keep them from spoiling the ending.

NL Beeld

21 / 43 Fotos

'Scream' was originally 'Scary Movie' - 'Scary Movie' later became the title of the 'Scream' parody, referencing the original name for the Wes Craven horror masterpiece.

22 / 43 Fotos

'The Avengers' was originally 'Group Hug' - Okay, so it was just a code name to throw off Marvel fans, but imagine how fantastic a spin-off superhero series called 'Group Hug' would be...

23 / 43 Fotos

'Vertigo' was originally 'Fear and Trembling' -

Alfred Hitchcock's working title for his now-famed film was much less cool than 'Vertigo.'

Getty Images

24 / 43 Fotos

'Obsessed' was originally 'Oh No She Didn't' -

Thank goodness they didn't!

NL Beeld

25 / 43 Fotos

26 / 43 Fotos

27 / 43 Fotos

'2001: A Space Odyssey' was originally 'How The Solar Space Was Won' - Already months-deep into production, Stanley Kubrick is said to have been inspired by Homer's epic poem, 'Odyssey.'

28 / 43 Fotos

'50/50' was originally 'I'm With Cancer' - The film was later also renamed 'Live with It' before they decided on '50/50.'

29 / 43 Fotos

'Field of Dreams' was originally 'Shoeless Joe' -

The fantasy-drama sports film was almost named after W. P. Kinsella's novel from which it was adapted.

NL Beeld

30 / 43 Fotos

'Saturday Night Fever' was originally 'The Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night' - The longer name was actually the name of the magazine article on which the movie was based.

31 / 43 Fotos

'Goodfellas' was originally 'Wiseguy' - They're two words which carry a similar sarcasm, but which offer a very different impact. That was also the name of the novel that the film was based on.

32 / 43 Fotos

'Big' was originally 'When I Grow Up' - 'Big' is certainly a punchier name, and it lent itself to 2019's response in the form of 'Little.'

33 / 43 Fotos

'Hitch' was originally 'The Last First Kiss' - The name change was allegedly due to the worry that a title like 'The Last First Kiss' would put male moviegoers off.

34 / 43 Fotos

'Frozen' was originally 'The Snow Queen' - The original name was based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same name, but changes to Elsa's character required a new title to match.

35 / 43 Fotos

'Friday the 13th' was originally 'A Long Night at Camp Blood' - Camp Blood is a bit on the nose, but 'Friday the 13th' holds the added gravity of an already spooky day.

36 / 43 Fotos

'Fatal Attraction' was originally 'Affairs of the Heart' -

The title that stuck is a little more telling about what the film holds.

NL Beeld

37 / 43 Fotos

'Cloverfield' was originally 'Cheese' - 'Cheese' was another code name, but it would have made some interesting fodder for film critics.

38 / 43 Fotos

'Last Action Hero' was originally 'Extremely Violent' - The working title sounded too much like a ratings warning.

39 / 43 Fotos

'Reality Bites' was originally 'The Real World' - Director Ben Stiller and the team had to change the title when the MTV show with the same name debuted.

40 / 43 Fotos

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'The Emperor's New Groove' was originally 'Kingdom of the Sun' -

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'Spaceman from Pluto'? Popular movies that almost had entirely different titles

Hollywood has dodged some seriously bad choices

17/12/24 | StarsInsider

MOVIES Film

The titles of famous films are stacked on the shelves of our collective memories, canonized in cinematic history and immortalized with every new generation. But to many people's surprise, some of the world's most well-known movies were almost known by completely different names.

From 'The Breakfast Club' to 'The Avengers,' many celebrated screenplays once hosted alternate titles. Some were admitted working titles, some were almost enormous mistakes, and others were actually code names used so that other filmmakers and fans wouldn't find out about the production. What's certain is that whether the movie's tone changed or whether the director had an epiphany, the names for the existing films are almost all significant improvements from their previous titles. Click through to see for yourself.