Buzz
Many of today’s popular movies, often praised for their originality, actually recycle familiar themes. A deeper investigation reveals earlier works with plots that are strikingly alike. In some cases, the similarities go beyond coincidence, leading to accusations of plagiarism and even lawsuits from the original creators seeking rightful recognition.
10. The Hunger Games
The most profitable and debated tale of adolescents forced to kill one another under controlled circumstances for public entertainment, The Hunger Games has captivated global audiences. While Suzanne Collins’s writing style and some plot devices have faced criticism, many argue that the core concept and characters rise above these limitations.
Film it’s eerily similar to: Slashers
Bet you expected us to mention Battle Royale, right?
Slashers, a 2001 B-movie, revolves around game show participants who must either kill serial killers or face death themselves. Despite its questionable acting and somewhat outdated critique of reality TV, it shares numerous plot elements with The Hunger Games, including an over-the-top, cheerful host and trackers that eliminate contestants for rule violations.
The Hunger Games also draws inspiration from earlier stories of ordinary people thrust into deadly arenas, but one key distinction stands out: Slashers explores the dynamic between the audience and participants. Early in the film, a prominent female contestant realizes she must win audience favor (or titillate them by removing clothing) to gain special perks.
9. The Blair Witch Project
For nearly a decade, this 1999 film about students documenting their forest expedition (and meeting a grim fate) held the title of the most profitable theatrically released movie. It’s also widely recognized for pioneering the found-footage horror genre.
Film it’s eerily similar to: The Last Broadcast
The Last Broadcast, an indie mockumentary released a year prior to Blair Witch, follows the creators of a public access show who vanish during a camping trip, leaving behind only eerie forest footage hinting at their demise. Despite its modest $900 budget, it gained traction in the indie horror scene. The makers of The Blair Witch Project acknowledged its influence on their work.
The Blair Witch Project might have closely resembled The Last Broadcast had directors Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick followed their initial vision of crafting a pseudo-documentary akin to Unsolved Mysteries. However, after capturing ample footage from the actors’ woodland expedition, they shifted to a raw, handheld style. Initially marketed as a pseudo-documentary, it was later rebranded as The Curse of the Blair Witch.
8. Star Wars
This groundbreaking science fiction saga evolved from a critically panned blockbuster to the cornerstone of a vast creative empire. Alongside Jaws, it revolutionized film distribution in America, though it faced accusations of dumbing down the nation’s cinema.
Film it’s eerily similar to: Silent Running
In 1977, Universal Studios’ Battlestar Galactica bore a striking resemblance to Star Wars, especially in its spaceship designs. Time magazine famously labeled it a “shameless copy.” This wasn’t entirely unexpected, given that John Dykstra oversaw special effects for both productions.
Fox filed a lawsuit against Universal in June 1978, prompting Universal to counterclaim that Star Wars had borrowed heavily from their film Silent Running, which follows an eco-terrorist in space who murders his crew. The lawsuit centered on the robot companions in Silent Running, which allegedly inspired R2-D2’s design. Designer Ralph McQuarrie was said to have modeled R2-D2 after these robots. Ultimately, neither party was found guilty of infringement.
7. Aladdin
Aladdin stands as a hallmark of Disney’s animated revival in the 1990s. However, it has faced criticism for its overuse of anachronisms and random pop culture references for comedic effect, a trend that became more prevalent in animated films during the 2000s.
Film it’s eerily similar to: The Thief and The Cobbler
The Thief and the Cobbler has achieved legendary status among animation enthusiasts, if not mainstream audiences. Writer-director Richard Williams dedicated 28 years to this project, funding it through other ventures. It wasn’t until his Oscar win for Who Framed Roger Rabbit? that Warner Brothers officially backed the film. Production was sporadic, with some crew members leaving to work on other projects, including Aladdin, which was released a year before Williams’s masterpiece.
The similarities between the two films are striking and numerous. Both are set in desert cities and revolve around impoverished young men who rise to prominence within royal families, winning the hearts of liberated princesses. Each features a Sultan character—a portly, elderly man dressed in white. The antagonist in The Thief, Zig-Zag, mirrors Aladdin‘s Jafar and shares a design reminiscent of the Genie. It’s astonishing that Warner Brothers didn’t attempt to halt Disney’s production with a cease and desist order.
6. Barb Wire
During Pamela Anderson’s peak fame, this 1996 comic book adaptation flopped spectacularly. Its failure was so pronounced that it couldn’t even secure a Golden Raspberry award, likely due to the public’s growing disdain for Pamela Anderson rather than the film’s quality. Notably, Roger Ebert awarded it 2.5 stars out of 4 before the backlash intensified.
Film it’s eerily similar to: Casablanca
This movie draws heavily from the greatest love story in cinematic history and one of the most iconic World War II films, replicating it almost shot-for-shot. Barb Wire, the protagonist, runs a bar reminiscent of Rick’s Cafe, and her ex-lover reappears during a plot to escape enemy territory (in this case, to Canada). The film even recreates the famous plane departure scene from Casablanca. The homage is blatant, as the villains wear uniforms inspired by SS officers from the original film.
The reasoning behind this approach remains unclear. It’s not presented as a parody, and most comic book fans in the ’90s weren’t exactly clamoring for a tribute to this classic.
5. Disturbia
This 2007 film starring Shia LaBeouf follows a teenager who believes he has witnessed his neighbor committing murder. Determined to uncover the truth, he begins spying on the suspect, a task made easier by his house arrest, which leaves him with ample free time.
Film it’s eerily similar to: Rear Window
The 1954 Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece shares a similar premise, with a suspected murder and a homebound witness. However, James Stewart’s character is confined to a wheelchair, adding greater tension and suspense as he has even less ability to act.
In 2008, DreamWorks Studios faced a lawsuit from the Sheldon Abend Revocable Trust, which held the rights to the short story that inspired Rear Window. While Sheldon Abend had won a landmark copyright case in 1990, his heirs were unsuccessful this time. In 2010, Judge Laura Taylor Swan dismissed the case, ruling that the similarities between the two stories were too general to constitute infringement.
Critical reception was far less favorable for Disturbia, with many reviewers dismissing it as “a bland, teenage-centric rehash of Rear Window.”
4. Oz: The Great And Powerful
This prequel to The Wizard of Oz stars James Franco as the Wizard, who is swept into a magical realm by a tornado. There, he becomes the savior of a naive but well-intentioned populace, inadvertently unleashing a great evil due to his own flaws.
Film it’s eerily similar to: Army Of Darkness
Both films follow a remarkably similar narrative structure in introducing the protagonist to a strange new world. They share key plot points, such as the hero using books from their own time to create inventions that defeat enemies. In Oz: The Great and Powerful, the Wizard crafts a magical carriage, while Ash in Army of Darkness modifies a 1973 Oldsmobile with spinning blades to destroy skeletons. Additionally, both movies include Bruce Campbell being humorously attacked for no apparent reason.
Legal disputes are unlikely since Sam Raimi directed both films. Raimi initially hesitated to take on Oz: The Great and Powerful, fearing it wouldn’t live up to the original Wizard of Oz. Relying on the structure and humor from his earlier fantasy work likely felt like a reliable approach.
3. The Island
Michael Bay’s 2005 movie The Island revolves around a group of clones kept in isolation for organ harvesting. One clone manages to escape and encounters his original counterpart during his flight. DreamWorks acquired the script for $1.5 million.
Film it’s eerily similar to: Parts: The Clonus Horror
This 1979 film also depicts a community of clones bred for organ harvesting. A clone escapes and meets his genetic original while evading capture. These are just a few of the 90 similarities noted between the two movies.
DreamWorks appeared to acknowledge the similarities, reaching a seven-figure settlement with the creators of Clonus.
Caspian Tredwell-Owen, the scriptwriter, didn’t land another project for seven years. This might make him the sole individual in Hollywood history penalized for lacking originality.
2. The Purge
This 2013 horror movie, centered on a night where all laws are suspended, is as notorious for its outlandish premise (and its underdeveloped themes) as it is for its attempts at thrills and tension. Despite this, it has spawned multiple sequels, with another in development at the time of writing.
Film it’s eerily similar to: Settlers Day
Settlers Day, an unproduced screenplay by Douglas Jordan-Benel, was submitted to Universal via United Talented Agency. Its premise mirrors The Purge, prompting Jordan-Benel to sue Universal Pictures for $5 million. Both stories feature a night where murder is legal, with attackers targeting a family’s heavily defended home.
During the lawsuit, UCLA film professor Richard Walter provided expert testimony, asserting that the resemblance between the scripts was so pronounced that it would be “virtually impossible” for it to be coincidental.
1. Plan 9 From Outer Space
Hailed as one of the worst films ever created, Plan 9 follows aliens resurrecting the dead to terrify humanity. It’s infamous for its zombie army, which consists of just three people. One zombie hides his face throughout the film to conceal that he’s a stand-in for the late Bela Lugosi.
Film it’s eerily similar to: Invisible Invaders
Released the same year as Plan 9 from Outer Space, this sci-fi horror movie also features aliens reviving the dead to frighten humanity. The zombies in both films are bulletproof and can only be defeated by ray guns.
Interestingly, the higher-budget and generally more polished film, Invisible Invaders, has faded into obscurity. Critics like Leonard Maltin even rated it worse than Plan 9, arguing that its flaws were less entertainingly extreme. This proves that even failure should be pursued with full commitment.
