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From the very first time people gathered around the campfire, they’ve spun stories of young,
chosen heroes taking down mighty empires, otherworldly monsters that creep in the dark,
and magical artifacts hidden from all but those brave enough to find them. Today’s
movies and TV still call on those same stories, changing the details to make it their own.
But sometimes, the similarities between a film and those that “inspired” it cross
the line. Here is Screen Rant’s list of Popular Movies That Stole Their Plots From
Other Films.
Alien
Director Ridley Scott immortalized his film career with 1979’s “Alien,” following
the crew of a spaceship slowly picked off by a murderous alien stowaway. Scott’s deep
space horror and vision of the future helped to shape a new age of science-fiction, but
the plot of the movie may not have been so original. Comparisons to the 1958 film “It!
The Terror From Beyond Space” have been made since the movie was first released, with
one producer admitting the film was shown on set to make sure they weren’t copying
it entirely. “It!” May swap out a distant alien world for Mars, and the Xenomorph for
a humanoid lizard, but entire scenes, sequences, and even the films’ finale are recreated
entirely. Since the original film was influenced by several classic sci-fi stories itself,
no lawsuits were filed. But the writers of “Alien” still have some explaining to
do.
Star Wars
George Lucas made no claims that he was creating a genuinely original story with his “Star
Wars” saga, calling on ancient archetypes – a princess in distress, a young hero,
a wise old wizard, and an evil masked villain – re-imagined in a galaxy far, far away.
The work of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa was another major influence. But when you
go back and watch Kurosawa’s “The Hidden Fortress,” it becomes clear just how much
Lucas adopted for his own story. The characters are nothing new, but the decision to tell
the story through the eyes of two bumbling tag-alongs is a direct lift. Elements of “fortress”
that couldn’t fit into “A New Hope” – were worked into “The Phantom Menace”
years later, and watching the movies back-to-back shows Lucas did more than follow Kurosawa’s
lead. He even included a nod to the movie in “Star Wars” itself, but the Imperial
Officer was force-choked before speaking the entire title (38:34).
The Fast & The Furious
The tale of Dominic Toretto and the “Fast & Furious” gang may have become a blockbuster
juggernaut, but it didn’t start out that way. Inspired by a magazine article exploring
the world of import street-racing in New York City, the script grew into a story of an undercover
cop infiltrating the community to sniff out racers robbing shipments of high-end merchandise.
Or in other words, a remake of Kathryn Bigelow’s “Point Break,” released a decade earlier.
Simply swap racers for surfers, and the structure of both films is almost identical: Keanu Reeves
and Paul Walker’s characters get close to the gang’s leader through the women in their
lives, fall in love, accept the gang as their new family, and refuse to believe they’re
the criminals that need to be brought down. In the end, both come to understand their
outlaw ways. But only The Fast & the Furious became a long-running franchise. Which is
the real shame.
Toy Story 3
As brilliant and important as Pixar’s “Toy Story” may be, it’s not as original as
you’d think. “The Brave Little Toaster” deserves some of that credit, released as
a children’s novel before it was adapted into a full-length movie. Starring household
appliances cast aside by their now college-aged owner, Rob, the team decides to find their
way to his dorm room, encountering terrifying obstacles along the way. Being thrown in with
disassembled or broken gadgets, and even winding up in a junkyard headed for disposal were
all re-imagined for the “Toy Story” series, particularly its second sequel. It shouldn’t
be surprising, since many of Pixar’s original staff worked on “Toaster,” including director
John Lasseter. Pixar’s animators telling the same story twice can be forgiven, only
because both films ended up as quality stories, meant to be as educational and entertaining
to children as they were to their parents.
The Lion King
As one of the films responsible for launching the Disney Renaissance, The Lion King stands
as one of the most beloved animated movies in history. The film draws from the biblical
tale of Moses, and Shakespeare's Hamlet. But fans of Japanese cartoons noticed a similarity
to "Kimba the White Lion," an anime series following a young lion cub who is forced to
grow up and take his rightful place as king. With scenes and themes copied from Kimba,
and early footage showing Simba as a white lion cub, it didn't help that voice actor
Matthew Broderick assumed The Lion King was related to the Japanese cartoon he had enjoyed
as a child. The director claimed nothing had been stolen, but script rewrites throughout
production meant it was possible. In the end, the studio behind Kimba deemed Disney too
big to fight, and took it as a compliment.
The Island
There's a good chance that most movie fans have never heard of "Parts: The Clonus Horror,"
but thanks to Michael Bay's "The Island," that doesn't mean you haven't seen the dystopic
sci-fi tale of clones seeking freedom. The 1979 movie showed a future where clones are
lied to about a desolate earth, never learning that they're being grown for their organs
to be harvested for the super-wealthy. One clone sees through the lies, escapes, and
eventually comes face to face with his sponsor. So when Michael Bay added Scarlett Johansson
and told the exact same story, the original filmmakers took legal action - eventually
settling out of court.
A Fistful of Dollars
The rise of spaghetti westerns in the 1960s made actor Clint Eastwood a household name,
establishing him as one of the most iconic cowboys in movie history. A Fistful of Dollars
began his rise to stardom, playing a gunslinger who drifts into a Mexican border town torn
between two families, and plays both sides in pursuit of gold. As it turns out, Akira
Kurosawa had the same idea for his film Yojimbo, swapping Mexico for Japan, and a cowboy for
a masterless samurai. When a lawsuit was filed, Leone claimed that both he and Kurosawa had
both been inspired by an even older play, and the dispute delayed the movie's release
for years. The settlement was more than worth it in the end, with Eastwood's "Man With No
Name" appearing in two successful sequels.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Just like Star Wars, George Lucas was open about the origins of Raiders of the Lost Ark,
shaping Indiana Jones in the image of classic serial adventures. But one film may have had
more of an impact than any other. "The Secret of the Incas" starring Charlton Heston may
not be a well-known movie, but Lucas was certainly a fan. Aside from hero Harry Steele looking
exactly like Indiana Jones in every way, the use of a secret key to illuminate the location
of buried treasure, and other similarities are impossible to ignore. The costume designer
on Raiders has confirmed that the crew viewed the film multiple times for inspiration, but
couldn't explain why George Lucas or Steven Spielberg didn't credit the movie they borrowed
from so heavily.
So what do you think of our list? Did we miss any movies that borrowed their plots from
other films? Let us know in our comment section and don't forget to subscribe to our channel
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