Why is it...?

Question

Why is it when a film comes out in the States it has a certain title, but once it gets overseas, the title changes?? For example, the film "8-Legged Freaks". The oringal title of this film was "Arrak Attack", but it was changed by the producers to "8-Legged Freaks", because it sounded to much like "Iraq Attack". But once it came overseas (I live in Germany), the title was changed back to the oringal.

Answer 1

Sometimes, it's the translation. For example, a film title like The Full Monty (although it wasn't changed in the states) means something to the British, but not overseas. Another example of a title change was the first Harry Potter. The producers decided that the original English title "The Philosopher's Stone" wouldn't be as "bewitching" in the US, so they changed it to The Sorcerer's Stone. Another one was Austin Powers:The Spy Who Shagged Me. Now, in England, everyone knows what "shagging" is, and that's offensive. But not so in the US, so the American audiences got the original title.

So, mostly, it's a language thing, but mostly, it's a producer's decision on whether a certain title works or not.

Another film that had it's title changed to help sell it was Lawnmower Man 2. In theatres it was called Beyond Cyberspace. On video it's called Jobe's War. Neither helped, mostly because the film is terrible.

Answer 2

Silly political sensitivities, one would imagine.
Perhaps they should have thought longer and harder for a title- but judging by the 'script' to many of these films, thinking doesn't seem such a high priority.

Arrack Attack- how many spare seconds on the loo did that one take? And still the ylaugh all the way to the bank.
Bloody awful.
I suppose 'Spiderville' or something more appropriately cheesy was taken.

Syriana was a superb film that the title remained.
They just don't bother these days do they? Snakes on a Plane? What's next- 'Man in Shirt shoots people'? "RomCom based on predictable script take 2"?

Dreadful- seems like pure contempt for the audience to me.

Answer 3

Sometimes it is changed because of local language conflicts. where the title phonetically sounds like something else in the local language. sometimes it is because of local connotations.
I think this was the case with the movie leon.... it should be called the professional.

Answer 4

its because there worried about offending people. when you translate arrak attack does it sound anything like iraq attack? bet it doesnt. and they think people wont go to a movie with a title that reminds them of something controversial like that. Its always happening

Answer 5

i think sometimes the original titles get "lost in translation"they have a hard time translating the titles in their own language

Answer 6

Possible due to popular culture and sales in forein markets.

Answer 7

i was wondering the same thing

Answer 8

i didnt know that