The American crime genre as we know it would not exist without the work of Elmore John Leonard Jr. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1925, the legendary author's career has spanned five decades and multiple mediums, as his work has been adapted for film and television countless times — 30 to be exact.
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While Justified (and the highly anticipated spinoff series Justified: City Primeval) are arguably the most well-known Leonard adaptations, the author is responsible for many of Hollywood's most beloved films and shows.
Sadly, Leonard died in 2013 of complications from a stroke. But his legacy lives on as Hollywood continues to turn to his fictional words for inspiration. Below is what we believe to be every show and movie adaptation of Leonard's work, in order from oldest to most recent.
3:10 to Yuma (1957)
Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Leonard's first film adaptation was based on a 1953 short story and starred Glenn Ford as Ben Wade, a ruthless criminal being transported by a small-time rancher (Van Heflin) on a train to prison. A remake came out in 2007 starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale.
The Tall T (1957)
LMPC via Getty Images
Based on one of Leonard's short stories, this Western tells the tale of a former ranch foreman (Randolph Scott) who's kidnapped alongside an heiress and held for ransom.
Hombre (1967)
Camerique/Getty Images
This novel was adapted into a film of the same name starring Paul Newman as John Russell, a white man raised by the Apache who refuses to abandon his people.
The Big Bounce (1969)
Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
After making a killing in Westerns, Leonard decided to try his hand at crime novels. His first hit was adapted into a movie starring Ryan O'Neal as Jack Ryan, an ex-con drifter who's persuaded to rob a $50,000 payroll account — but it's not entirely clear who in this twisty tale is pulling the strings. A remake came out in 2004 starring Owen Wilson and Morgan Freeman.
The Moonshine War (1970)
FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty Images
The Moonshine War is exactly what it sounds like: two men fighting for control of a moonshine business in rural Kentucky.
Valdez Is Coming (1971)
United Artists/Getty Images
This Western stars Burt Lancaster as Bob Valdez, a Mexican American lawman who seeks justice for a wrongfully murdered friend.
Mr. Majestyk (1974)
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Charles Bronson stars as Vietnam veteran Vince Majestyk, who's trying to make a living as a melon farmer but finds himself facing danger when he takes on a crime syndicate.
The Ambassador (1984)
Northbrook Films
The Ambassador stars Robert Mitchum as a U.S. ambassador sent to bring peace to a Middle Eastern country on the brink of revolution, only to find himself trapped by a power struggle.
Stick (1985)
Universal Pictures
This 1980s classic stars Burt Reynolds as Stick, an ex-convict who finds himself targeted by the mob after they set him up for murder.
52 Pick-Up (1986)
Cannon Group
Two movies from the same Leonard book? Yep, this 1986 adaptation stars Roy Scheider as a successful businessman whose secret fling leads him to be blackmailed.
Glitz (1988)
Above the Line Productions
This TV movie stars Jimmy Smits as Vincent Marra, a Miami police detective tracking a serial killer in the midst of Atlantic City's glitzy casino life.
Cat Chaser (1989)
Vestron Pictures
A Vietnam vet (Peter Weller) gets pulled into a dangerous plot involving a beautiful woman and her powerful husband — a Dominican Republic general — with a connection to his past.
Split Images (1992)
Paragon Entertainment
This crime drama follows a journalist who knows way too much about a grisly murder — and the millionaire she believes is behind it all.
Get Shorty (1995)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios
John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo and Danny DeVito star in this classic comedy-drama about a mobster trying to make it big in Hollywood. The story was also adapted into a short-lived comedy-crime series starring Chris O'Dowd and Ray Romano in 2017.
Pronto (1997)
The first glimpse we get into U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens comes in this TV movie adaptation of Leonard's novel about a Miami Beach bookie who gets in trouble with his mob bosses.
Jackie Brown (1997)
Miramax
Pam Grier stars in this Quentin Tarantino film about a flight attendant trying to outsmart the cops and mobsters who are trying to get her to play both sides.
Gold Coast (1997)
This TV movie adaptation stars David Caruso (pre-CSI: Miami) as an ex-con who falls for a mafia widow whose late husband went to desperate measures to make sure she stays chaste after his death.
Touch (1997)
After he discovers his ability to work miracles, Juvenal (Skeet Ulrich) becomes an overnight sensation — but has to watch out for those who want to exploit his newfound powerful touch.
Last Stand at Saber River (1997)
TNT
Tom Selleck stars as a former Confederate soldier who returns home to Arizona after the Civil War, only to find his family threatened by "Yankee carpetbaggers" who are illegally occupying the land.
Out of Sight (1998)
Universal/Getty Images
The worst thing a bank robber could do? Fall for the U.S. marshal trying to take him down. George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez star in this classic crime comedy.
Maximum Bob (1998)
This short-lived TV series stars Beau Bridges as Judge Bob Gibbs, a tyrannical judge whose eccentric rulings often leave the residents of Florida living in fear.
Karen Sisco (2003-07)
ABC
The Karen Sisco series is based not on a book but on a character who appears in a few of Leonard's novels. It stars Carla Gugino as the titular U.S. marshal, a smart and sassy law enforcement officer determined to fight crime and corruption in Miami.
Be Cool (2005)
MGM/UA Entertainment
John Travolta stars again as Chili Palmer in the sequel to Get Shorty. Only this time, the mobster takes on the music industry.
Killshot (2008)
The Weinstein Company
This adaptation stars Thomas Jane and Diane Lane as a married couple on the run from an assassin after they enter the federal witness protection program.
Justified (2010-2015)
Prashant Gupta/2015 FX Networks
Like Karen Sisco, Justified is based less on a specific book and more on a character Leonard repeatedly comes back to. Timothy Olyphant stars as U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, a gunslinger with a serious moral code who returns to his hometown of Harlan, Kentucky, to serve justice.
Freaky Deaky (2012)
The Matthau Company
Billy Burke, Christian Slater and Crispin Glover star in this film about two former 1960s radical revolutionaries who return to their bomb-making old ways.
Life of Crime (2013)
Barry Wetcher/Roadside Attractions
Jennifer Aniston fans will love watching her play the kidnapped wife of a corrupt real estate developer — and whose husband isn't in a hurry to pay the ransom.
Justified: City Primeval (2023)
Chuck Hodes/FX
And finally, we have the latest project based on a Leonard book. Justified: City Primeval is set to be released in July 2023 and will feature the return of Olyphant as Raylan Givens.
