John Frankenheimer directed a popular film version of Black Sunday which appeared in theaters in 1977. Reviewers applauded the way the film played off the worst fears of theatergoers to provide a chilling and exciting cinematic experience as well as the rich performance of Bruce Dern as Lander. While some settings were changed to make the film more closely match current events, the film follows Harris's novel closely in matters of plot, theme, and character.