Even though creativity springs from imagination, it often has a muse. Many filmmakers in Hollywood, regardless of their talents wouldn’t have given birth to certain films had it not been for other movies. Whether the idea popped up on someone else’s film set or while watching something, the product must give credits to its father. These movies only exist because the other films were made before them. Even though it is unknown to us, but these films are related to each other like father and child. Find out the 10 hit movies that were inspired from other Hollywood films.
Tropic Thunder
Ben Stiller was filming for ‘Empire of the Sun’ where he met actors who were getting cast for war movies. As they were discussing their experiences with Ben and comparing the war movie sets to boot camp, Ben got the idea to make a film where war movie actors were stuck in a war zone- “Tropic Thunder”.
The Matrix
One of the earliest and classic sci-fis whose filming tech changed the history of Hollywood and inspired other movies also got its own inspiration from a story. The Wachowskis have paid homage to the anime “Ghost in the Shell” that pioneered in the cyberspace genre.
They showed the anime to the producer, Joel Silver and said “We wanna’ do that for real”. In fact, many directors such as Steven Spielberg and Joss Whedon, who are fans of sci-fi, took inspiration from this Japanese animation.
Dunkirk
The critically acclaimed “Dunkirk” owes credits to several films but most of all to Henri-Georges Clouzot’s “The Wages Of War”. Christopher Nolan wanted to create something unconventional that no war movie had ever focused on. He wanted to put the viewers in the soldiers’ shoes and therefore took inspiration from suspense-based movies.
The Shape Of Water
Guillermo del Toro was six when he saw the 1954 film “Creature from the Black Lagoon” but was left disappointed as the Gill-Man couldn’t unite with his love.
He promised himself to dedicate a movie to that incomplete love story and reunite the characters this time. And he finally made it possible in “The Shape of Water”.
RoboCop
Edward Neumeier was a newcomer in Hollywood and working for “Blade Runner” in the creative department, sticking wet newspaper on the wall. It was three in the morning and he was probably trippy and still on the set when he saw a blue car and imagined it to be a robot.
His trippy imagination developed further and turned into Robocop. That’s where Edward came up with the idea of writing RoboCop.
Lost
It shouldn’t be any surprise that the concept of “Lost” drives from “Cast Away”. Even though one is a mystery thriller while the predecessor is an adventure drama, the primary concept is about the struggles of a survivor who is stranded on a remote island, far away from mankind.
In fact, the former chairman of ABC, Lloyd Braun thought of “Lost” after watching Tom Hanks’ movie.
Inception
Dunkirk isn’t the only movie of Nolan that was based on another story. The brilliant director doesn’t shy away from acknowledging the source material and muse that inspired him to make some of his masterpieces. “Inception” is a legendary sci-fi that took everyone by storm for its novelty and mind-boggling concept. But it wasn’t as original as we imagine it to be. According to the director, he watched a lot of James Bond movies to draw a theme for his project.
The Favorite
If you watch “The Crown” and are mesmerized by Olivia Colman’s portrayal as Queen Elizabeth, then you must watch “The Favorite” where she plays Queen Anne and won an Academy Award for it. The movie was about two close aids, one of whom was the Queen. Their bond witnesses trouble and insecurities when a third person joins the Queen’s office. Yorgo Lanthimos was watching “The Odd Couple” where the continued squabbling between two people planted the idea for “The Favorite”.
Midsommar
Ari Aster was going through a breakup when he was watching the breakup movie “Modern Romance” of 1981. His own situation and the movie pushed him to visualize the critically-acclaimed horror film “Midsommar” where a troubled couple is thrown at the hands of a violent pagan cult.
Hereditary
The horror puzzle is about a mother and her children who unearth the mysterious secrets of their lineage and its curse after the matriarch of the family passes away. The genius Ari Aster acknowledged “Scenes From A Marriage” as its source material to understand the emotional torment linked to families.
