Many of Leonard's novels and short stories have been adapted into successful motion pictures or TV movies.
Film
Aside from the short stories already noted, a number of Leonard's novels have been adapted as films, including
Out of Sight in 1998,
Get Shorty in 1995, and
Rum Punch (as the 1997 film
Jackie Brown).
52 Pick-Up was first adapted very loosely into the 1984 film
The Ambassador, starring Robert Mitchum and two years later, under its original title, starring Roy Scheider. He has also written several screenplays based on his novels, plus original ones such as
Joe Kidd.
The 1967 film
Hombre starring Paul Newman was an adaptation of Leonard's novel of the same name.
His short story "Three-Ten to Yuma" and novels
The Big Bounce and
52 Pick-Up have each been filmed twice.
A 2001 comedy film,
Bandits, was originally meant to be an adaptation of Leonard's novel by that name, to which Bruce Willis owns the film rights. However, the producers brought in writer Harley Peyton to write a new script from scratch that bears little or no resemblance to Leonard's book.
Other novels filmed include:
- Mr. Majestyk (with Charles Bronson)
- Valdez Is Coming (with Burt Lancaster)
- 52 Pick-Up (with Roy Scheider)
- Stick (with Burt Reynolds)
- The Moonshine War (with Alan Alda)
- Last Stand at Saber River (with Tom Selleck)
- Gold Coast (with David Caruso)
- Glitz (with Jimmy Smits)
- Cat Chaser (with Peter Weller)
- Touch (with Christopher Walken)
- Pronto (with Peter Falk)
- Be Cool (with John Travolta)
- Killshot (Diane Lane, Mickey Rourke).
Freaky Deaky is scheduled to be filmed in 2011.
Television
The TV series
Karen Sisco (2003—04) starring Carla Gugino was based on a character from
Out of Sight played by Jennifer Lopez in the film version.
The 2010 FX series
Justified is based around the popular Leonard character U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens from the novels
Pronto and
Riding the Rap and the short story "Fire in the Hole."
Leonard was referenced in the television show
Leverage in episode 105 "The Bank Shot Job" when Aldis Hodge as Alec Hardison and Beth Riesgraf as Parker introduced themselves to police officers as FBI agents Leonard and Elmore.