Adaptations and Merchandise Outland

Alan Dean Foster wrote the novelization

Author: Alan Dean Foster Publisher: Warner Books Date: March 1981 (released ahead of the film)

Foster was one of the most prolific sci-fi novelizers of the era, also writing novelizations for Alien, Aliens, The Thing, and the original Star Wars (ghost-writing for George Lucas). His Outland novelization expanded on the film's world-building and character backstories.

Jim Steranko illustrated a comic strip for Heavy Metal

Artist: Jim Steranko Publication: Heavy Metal magazine Run: July 1981 – January 1982

Steranko's late-1960s work on Marvel's Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. had made him one of the most respected visual storytellers in comics, and his involvement gave the adaptation a profile beyond a typical movie tie-in.

A photonovel contained over 750 color stills

A photonovel (also called a fotonovel) was published in 1981, containing over 750 color photographs from the film arranged in comic-book panel format with dialogue balloons. This was a common tie-in format in the late 1970s and early 1980s, also used for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Alien, and several other genre films.

The press kit became a collector's item

The original theatrical press kit has become a collector's item, containing production stills, cast biographies, plot summaries, and promotional materials from Warner Bros.

Star One's "High Moon" was inspired by the film

The Dutch progressive metal band Star One (a project of Arjen Anthony Lucassen of Ayreon) released a track called "High Moon" on their 2010 album, directly inspired by the film. The title is a play on the High Noon connection.

A remake was announced in 2009 but never produced

In 2009, a remake was announced with director Michael Davis attached. As of the mid-2020s, the project has not been produced. The announcement came during a period of frequent sci-fi remake announcements, many of which never materialized.