, ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁and ▁went ▁into ▁wide ▁circul ation ▁January ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 8 4 . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁in ▁the at res ▁for ▁ 1 9 2 ▁days ▁( 2 7 ▁weeks ) ▁and ▁the ▁total ▁US ▁gross ▁sales ▁were ▁$ 2 7 , 6 6 8 , 7 6 4 . ▁In ▁its ▁wid est ▁release , ▁the ▁film ▁appeared ▁in ▁ 5 4 0 ▁the at res . ▁ ▁Compar isons ▁to ▁book ▁There ▁are ▁several ▁differences ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁when ▁compared ▁to ▁M ow at ' s ▁book . ▁In ▁the ▁book , ▁O ote k ▁and ▁Mike ' s ▁roles ▁are ▁revers ed , ▁Mike ▁is ▁actually ▁O ote k ' s ▁older ▁brother ▁( O ote k ▁is ▁a ▁te en ager ) ▁and ▁O ote k ▁although ▁speaking ▁mostly ▁in ▁E sk imo , ▁communic ates ▁open ly ▁with ▁M ow at ▁while ▁Mike ▁is ▁more ▁reserved . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁adds ▁a ▁more ▁spiritual ▁element ▁to ▁the ▁story ▁while ▁the ▁book ▁was ▁a ▁straightforward ▁story . ▁The ▁film ▁also ▁isol ates ▁the ▁characters ▁while ▁in ▁the ▁book , ▁M ow at ▁meets ▁several ▁people ▁from ▁different ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁Ar ctic . ▁Also ▁in ▁the ▁book , ▁the ▁wol ves ▁are ▁not ▁killed ▁and ▁neither ▁did ▁the ▁bush ▁pilot ▁bring ▁in ▁invest ors ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁resort . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁Never ▁Cry ▁Wolf ▁( 1 9 6 3 ), ▁book ▁by ▁Far ley ▁M ow