History Main / TwiceToldTale

* ''WesternAnimation/GnomeoAndJuliet'' is a retelling of ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet''.

* ''ComicBook/TagAndBink'' who are basically the Theatre/{{Rosencrantz and Guildenstern|AreDead}} of ''Franchise/StarWars,'' they bumble their way from Jedi academy to the Death Star to the Death Star ''again'' as they accidentally [[BeenThereShapedHistory cause some of the most significant moments in the series]]. Sadly, it's not canonical.

* ''ComicBook/GargoylesClanBuilding'': The first two issues are a retelling of [[Recap/GargoylesTheGoliathChroniclesTheJourney "The Journey"]], the only episode of the show's third season, ''The Goliath Chronicles'', that Weisman wrote.
* The graphic novel ''BB Wolf and the Three [=LPs=]'' tells a perspective-flipped version of "The Three Little Pigs" set in a talking-animal version of TheRoaringTwenties where pigs are the privileged race making a fat living while wolves are downtrodden victims of racism. BB Wolf is a farmer and blues musician who goes on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge against three pig brothers responsible for the loss of his farm and the deaths of his family.

* Terri Windling's ''Fairy Tale Series'' challenged modern authors to re-write fairy tales from a new perspective. Jane Yolen's ''Briar Rose'' entwines the Sleeping Beauty story with the Holocaust. Windling's also edited, often with Eileen Datlow, several short story collections of fairy tale rewrites.

** ''Literature/MirrorMirror'' recasts "Literature/SnowWhite" in the Renaissance, with Lucrecia Borgia as the Wicked Queen.

* Creator/MischiefTheatre makes comedic [[ShowWithinAShow fictional plays]] that [[FinaglesLaw always go horribly wrong]]. Most of their productions use original stories, but Theatre/PeterPanGoesWrong, Theatre/AChristmasCarolGoesWrong, and The Nativity Goes Wrong adapt existing stories. These adaptations are rather light on detail, as much of the runtime is taken up by the comedic mishaps, which is the main focus, and these stories are well known enough that most viewers can just fill in the gaps. There are also some jokes that expect you to know how things are supposed to happen, like Dennis (as the innkeeper) initially telling Mary and Joseph they can stay at his inn.

* ''WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet'', a RecycledInSpace version of ''Literature/TreasureIsland''.

* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'': Hohenheim's backstory has a certain similarity to the Sorcerer's Apprentice kind of story - beginning as a lowly slave and then learning magic - up until the point where the "Shadow in the Flask" [[UnwittingPawn tricks him]] into annihilating his civilization.

-->''Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale\\

* Hohenheim's backstory in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' has a certain similarity to the Sorcerer's Apprentice kind of story - beginning as a lowly slave and then learning magic - up until the point where the "Shadow in the Flask" [[UnwittingPawn tricks him]] into annihilating his civilization.

* ''Anime/Ulysses31'' is a retelling of ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]]

* As the page quote says, ''WesternAnimation/GnomeoAndJuliet'' is a retelling of ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet''.

* Creator/RodSerling's ''[[Series/TheTwilightZone1959 The Twilight Zone]]'' episode "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?," Creator/JohnCarpenter's ''Film/TheThing1982'', and Creator/QuentinTarantino's ''Film/TheHatefulEight'' all feature a [[MinimalistCast small group of people]] SnowedIn at a [[ClosedCircle single location]] dealing with the fact that [[AWolfInSheepsClothing someone is not what they appear]]. [[spoiler:[[EverybodyDiesEnding Almost everyone dies]] in all three stories, and the first two both feature aliens as the infiltrators.]]

* Terri Windling's ''Fairy Tale Series'' challenged modern authors to re-write fairy tales from a new perspective. Jane Yolen's ''Briar Rose'', which entwines the Sleeping Beauty story with the Holocaust, is the best-known. Windling's also edited, often with Eileen Datlow, several short story collections of fairy tale rewrites.

** Likewise, ''Literature/TheBlackSwan'' is more interesting if you know the plot of ''Theatre/SwanLake'' (and since ''Swan Lake'' has no fixed ending, you don't know how this adaptation is going to end).

* Helen Fielding's seminal chick-lit novel ''[[Literature/BridgetJones Bridget Jones' Diary]]'' has shades of this, as the backstory of the title character's two suitors recreates the feud between Darcy and Wickham from ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice''. Also applies to TheFilmOfTheBook, obviously.

* C.S. Lewis' ''Literature/TillWeHaveFaces'' retells the myth of Myth/CupidAndPsyche from the viewpoint of Psyche's jealous older sister.

* The Disney Press novel series ''Literature/ATaleOf'' is this for the ''Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon'', specifically the ''Franchise/DisneyPrincess'' films, giving the stories {{Perspective Flip}}s to villainous/antagonistic characters and positing they take place in a shared universe.

* ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' was, for much of the early series, the [[UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution French Revolutionary Wars]] [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE]], with the stand-in for Lord Nelson being a young woman. Around [[PrintLongRunners eight or nine books in]], the Napoleon analogue [[OffTheRails is abruptly killed]], and things spin off from there.
* ''Literature/TheLettersFromNicodemus'', for all intents and purposes a ([[MostWritersAreWriters self-insert?]]) {{fanfic}} of Literature/TheFourGospels.
* The ''Series/DoctorWho'' ExpandedUniverse has some books/stories that play with this trope.

* The music video of ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWSlOCEzRGo Prayer]]'' by Music/{{Disturbed}} is based on the Literature/BookOfJob.

* ''VideoGame/AmericanMcGeesAlice'', especially the Grimmification part.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyANewGeneration'' oddly enough has similar character archetypes, internally consistent Lore, and follows the exact same plotline as ''Fanfic/FalloutEquestria'', only in a much LighterAndSofter format.

* The plot twist of ''WebVideo/TruthInJournalism'' is horrifyingly obvious if you're even a casual fan of [[spoiler:''Franchise/SpiderMan''; it's basically [[VillainEpisode a Spider-Man story arc from the villain's POV]]]]. Contrastly, if you don't know much about the series, Eddie [[spoiler:turning into [[ComicBook/{{Venom}} a pitch-black, brain-eating monster]]]] will come off like a total GainaxEnding. Also, TheStinger only really works if you're familiar with [[spoiler:''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'' and his RoguesGallery]].

* ''WebOriginal/ABrightFlash'''s big twist is that [[spoiler:it is a retelling of ''Film/Godzilla1954'' from the titular monster's POV]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet''. Oddly enough, it's a RecycledInSpace version of ''Literature/TreasureIsland''.

* ''Literature/TheThirteenthWarrior'', like the book upon it was based, combines Ahmad ibn Fadlan's travelogue amongst the Vikings with a reworking of ''Literature/{{Beowulf}}'' in which all the monsters are replaced [[spoiler:by a tribe of Neanderthals]].

* Creator/MichaelCrichton's ''[[Literature/TheThirteenthWarrior Eaters of the Dead]]'' is a twofer Twice Told Tale, combining Ahmad ibn Fadlan's travelogue amongst the Vikings with a reworking of ''Literature/{{Beowulf}}'', replacing all the monsters with [[spoiler: a tribe of Neanderthals]].

* ''Literature/TheMermaidsDaughter'' is about a descendent of the Little Mermaid.

* Alice Randall wrote a version of ''Literature/GoneWithTheWind'', as told from the slaves' point of view. It was titled ''Literature/TheWindDoneGone''. The book portrays Scarlett as a spoiled, self-centered brat by retelling her story through the eyes of a newly invented character: a slave who is her illegitimate half-sister. Though it should be noted that the original book also went to lengths to portray Scarlett as a spoiled, self-centered brat, and part of the point of her character arc is by the time she shapes up no one is willing to listen.

The PerspectiveFlip and ExternalRetcon are subtropes. FracturedFairyTale may be, if it is fracturing a specific FairyTale rather than combining [[MassiveMultiplayerCrossover many fairy tales' characters, plots, and tropes]]. Many are parodies or satires, but it is not required. A twice told tale may or may not involve {{Grimmification}}, but rarely {{Disneyfication}}, since it requires knowledge of the original tale. {{Demythification}} may involve a twice told tale if a [[HistoricalInJoke mostly historical]] account is revealed to be the source of the legend.

* In ''ComicStrip/{{Mutts}}'', one strip features Earl and Mooch together in the title role of Literature/{{Goldilocks}}.

* ''Literature/TheThirteenthWarrior'', like the book upon it was based, combines Ahmad ibn Fadlan's travelogue amongst the Vikings with a reworking of ''Literature/{{Beowulf}}'' in which all the monsters are replaced [[spoiler:[[CoolVsAwesome by a tribe of Neanderthals]]]].

* ''Film/WarmBodies'' (as with the book below) is a loose retelling of ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', with half of the characters replaced by zombies. And a considerably lower deathcount (of course, as previously mentioned, half of the characters were already undead anyway).

* The TwistEnding of Creator/NeilGaiman's "Literature/AStudyInEmerald" can be difficult to decipher if you're not rather familiar with the Literature/SherlockHolmes canon.
* Likewise, Neil Gaiman's short story "Literature/SnowGlassApples" is a retelling of "Literature/SnowWhite" from the perspective of the queen; Snow-White herself is some kind of vampiric monstrosity, and the queen is a benevolent ruler who's only doing what's best for the kingdom. It would be an effective horror story without the original, but would still most likely lose a lot of its punch, due to the way it sets up the original story as a piece of propaganda invented by evil usurpers.
* Another Gaiman short-story example is "The Problem of Susan", on ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia''.
* Terri Windling's ''Fairy Tale Series'' [[http://www.skyehidesigns.com/index/fairyser.html challenged modern authors to re-write fairy tales from a new perspective]]. Jane Yolen's ''Briar Rose'', which entwines the Sleeping Beauty story with the Holocaust, is the best-known. Windling's also edited, often with Eileen Datlow, several short story collections of fairy tale rewrites.

* Creator/MichaelCrichton's ''[[Literature/TheThirteenthWarrior Eaters of the Dead]]'' is a twofer Twice Told Tale, combining Ahmad ibn Fadlan's travelogue amongst the Vikings with a reworking of ''Beowulf'', replacing all the monsters with [[spoiler: a tribe of Neanderthals]].

* The Disney Press novel series ''Literature/ATaleOf'' is this for the Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon, specifically the Franchise/DisneyPrincess films, giving the stories {{Perspective Flip}}s to villainous/antagonistic characters and positing they take place in a shared universe.

* Yet another riff on ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' is ''Literature/SapphosLeap'' by Creator/EricaJong, told from a GenderFlip perspective.

* ''Series/TheOA'' strongly resembles Han's Christian Andersen's ''Literature/TheLittleMermaid'', which turns out to be justified in the saddest way.

* Another ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' homage: "Home at Last" by Music/SteelyDan.

* ''Theatre/JasperInDeadland'' requires the audience be familiar with the story of Orpheus and Eurydice along with Literature/TheDivineComedy, as characters from both have vital roles in the story and are treated as if they need little introduction.

* ''Theatre/WesterosAnAmericanMusical'': The play is its own blend of ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' and ''Series/GameOfThrones'' elements, but also clearly expects the audience to be familiar with at least one of the official versions of the story it’s telling. Plot elements can get anything from proper exposition to AdaptationExplanationExtrication, depending on the whims of the narrator and characters. The fact that the plot is being retold with parodies of ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'' songs is also best appreciated if the originals were listened to beforehand.

* ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'' is essentially a very creative retelling of the myth of Prometheus. You can read an in-depth explanation of this [[http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2011/05/27/the-depths-of-aperture-science/ here]], but it contains spoilers, so beware.

* Likewise, Neil Gaiman's short story "Snow, Glass, Apples" is a retelling of "Literature/SnowWhite" from the perspective of the queen; Snow-White herself is some kind of vampiric monstrosity, and the queen is a benevolent ruler who's only doing what's best for the kingdom. It would be an effective horror story without the original, but would still most likely lose a lot of its punch, due to the way it sets up the original story as a piece of propaganda invented by evil usurpers.

* Terri Windling's ''Fairy Tale Series'' challenged modern authors to re-write fairy tales from a new perspective. [[http://www.skyehidesigns.com/index/fairyser.html]] Jane Yolen's ''Briar Rose'', which entwines the Sleeping Beauty story with the Holocaust, is the best-known. Windling's also edited, often with Eileen Datlow, several short story collections of fairy tale rewrites.

* Creator/LarryNiven's ''Literature/KnownSpace'': ''Literature/JugglerOfWorlds'' loses a lot unless you've read a lot of older Known Space short stories, particularly "Literature/TheSoftWeapon" and the Beowulf Shaeffer stories. Much of the book is retelling ''parts'' of those stories from the perspective of Sigmund Ausfaller or Nessus the Puppeteer, and trying to read it without knowing those stories is rather hard. On the other hand, ''Literature/DestroyerOfWorlds'' does a pretty good job of introducing the Pak to anyone that didn't read ''Literature/{{Protector}}'' or the later ''Literature/{{Ringworld}}'' books, making it a lot smoother to read.