11 Blockbusters Inspired By Lesser-Known Movies
A great movie can do many things. Movies can push you toward a career path, they can help heal you emotionally, and sometimes, movies inspire filmmakers to make other movies. And as a certified Person Who Likes Watching Movies, that truly is the ideal outcome for me.
They say that there are no original ideas anymore, and I certainly don't think that's a bad thing. But you might be surprised to hear which of your favorite blockbuster hits took inspiration from movies you might not have seen. And if you haven't encountered them yet, you have worlds waiting for you to enjoy. So, I've rounded up 11 times some of your favorite filmmakers cited the direct inspirations for their work. Let's dive in, shall we?
The Dark Knight, 2008 / Heat, 1995
Starting out strong with one of the most beloved action movies from the 2000s, which was inspired by possibly the best heist movie of all time, The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan has spoken multiple times about being inspired by Michael Mann's classic. While the movie has a ton of recognizable references, the most notable is probably the opening scene, which shows Joker running a bank robbery followed by a shootout on the street, just like in Heat. And if the similarities between the sequences weren't enough, William Fichtner plays the mob's banker in both movies.
Reservoir Dogs, 1992 / City on Fire, 1987
The precursor to Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino's diamond heist is iconic for so many scenes, a number of which were directly inspired by shots in Ringo Lam's '80s Hong Kong action flick. When asked about the similarities between the two films, Quentin confirmed that he had been inspired quite a bit. Remember the Mexican standoff at the end of Reservoir Dogs? You can find that scene in City on Fire as well.
The Shape of Water, 2017 / Creature from the Black Lagoon, 1954
Not only was the 1954 monster movie Guillermo del Toro's inspiration behind The Shape of Water, it was also his main motivation for making the movie in the first place — namely, due to his dissatisfaction with the ending. At 6 years old, mind you! Guillermo said that while watching Creature from the Black Lagoon, he fully expected the protagonist to end up with the creature, romantic-styles. He was so disappointed that they didn't, that he made his own movie to heal his heart.
The Magnificent Seven, 1960 / Seven Samurai, 1954
This is my official plea for you to familiarize yourself with Akira Kurosawa if you aren't already a Letterboxd user. If you love this classic Western, you'll love the samurai epic it's based on. John Sturges's The Magnificent Seven is a full remake of the Japanese original, changing the setting and swapping samurai for gunslingers, but the two movies share the same fighting spirit.
Midsommar, 2019 / The Wicker Man, 1973
Director Ari Aster spoke about the influence that the 1973 folk horror classic had on his follow-up to Hereditary, but it might not be in the way you expect. While the two films share similar premises (outsiders encountering a sacrificial pagan/folk festival), Ari said that Midsommar leads the viewer to expect The Wicker Man's ending, but ultimately the film goes in a different direction. Watch both, and you'll totally know what he's talking about.
The Favourite, 2018 / Amadeus, 1984
While Yorgos Lanthimos cited multiple movies when speaking about the inspiration behind The Favourite, one is the 1984 film Amadeus, which follows the life of Mozart through the perspective of his rival, Salieri. Yorgos said that as a regency period film, it was 'inspiring for trying to do something different with the genre.' And if you've seen both, you'll notice the similarity between the grandeur and emotional theatrics.
The Matrix, 1999 / Ghost in the Shell, 1995
While Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell has inspired a ton of stuff in Hollywood, one of the most notable is definitely The Matrix. The Wachowski sisters, who directed the film, reportedly approached producer Joel Silver with a copy of Ghost in the Shell and said, 'We want to do this for real.' The similarities can be seen in some of The Matrix's most iconic sequences, such as the green text, which appears in the opening for Ghost in the Shell.
Luca, 2021 / Porco Rosso, 1992
While Luca's director, Enrico Casarosa, has cited multiple Studio Ghibli films as influences for his adorable sea-monster tale, viewers might spot that the town in the movie, Portorosso, is a direct play on words from the Ghibli film Porco Rosso, which is also set in Italy. While the two movies definitely differ in narrative styles, they share themes about nature, and both feature non-human protagonists interacting with their human counterparts.
The Hateful Eight, 2015 / The Thing, 1982
John Carpenter's The Thing was reportedly required viewing on the set of Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight, and if that doesn't scream homage, I don't know what does. Quentin described the similarities between the two movies and highlighted that they were both 'studies of paranoia' and described the feeling of paranoia in The Thing as 'so thick and so bottled up in that shelter that it bounced on the walls until it had nowhere else to go but through the fourth wall and into the audience,' which was what he aimed to replicate.
Chicken Run, 2000 / The Great Escape, 1963
Boy oh boy, was I scared of this movie as a kid. This and Flushed Away. Regardless, this Aardman feature is a tongue-in-cheek parody of the classic war movie, The Great Escape. If you have the guts to rewatch it as an adult, you'll notice the similarities — the American newcomer who helps a bunch of Brits escape being the overarching theme. The wildest part is that the chicken coop is, well, Auschwitz. Which isn't really a sentence you expect to write.
Avatar, 2009 / Princess Mononoke, 1997
If you love James Cameron's Avatar and you haven't ever encountered Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke, I'm about to change your life. While the two are visually completely different, they share themes of preservation of the natural world, warrior societies, and a ton more. James has cited the influence of this and another Ghibli film, saying that life on Pandora was partially inspired by Princess Mononoke and the floating islands in Castle in the Sky. Which is another one you need to watch.
And that's all! Let me know if you've spotted similarities between any of your favorite movies.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gizmodo
2 days ago
- Gizmodo
‘Star Wars: Starfighter' Adds ‘Frankenstein' Star Mia Goth
As much as we'd love to see a Star Wars movie that just stars Ryan Gosling, Star Wars: Starfighter was never going to be that. He needs co-stars, aliens, droids, and now the very first of those may have come into view. The InSneider reports, and io9 has confirmed, that Mia Goth, the actress best known for her roles in Pearl, X, and MaXXXine, who'll soon appear Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, has been cast in the film. No word on what the role is, but reporter Jeff Sneider writes it is the same one Anora-star and Oscar-winner Mikey Madison was circling before moving along. This story is developing…
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
TCL finally added this key feature to its 2025 TVs — here's why you should use it
If you're a stickler for preserving the creator's intent when watching movies and shows at home, this news is for you: TCL has finally added the popular FIlmmaker picture mode to its latest TV lineup. Previously, TCL had been one of the last remaining holdouts to incorporate Filmmaker mode among the biggest TV brands in the industry. For several years, Filmmaker mode has been a common feature among the best TVs on the market. Now, TCL is finally in the fold. As a TV expert, I not only use it everyday when evaluating TVs in my day-to-day duties at Tom's Guide, I also use it when watching flicks at home. In fact, I love Filmmaker mode so much that I recommend it to folks whenever I get the chance. Making its debut in 2019, Filmmaker mode is the brainchild of the UHD Alliance — a group of TV manufacturers and Hollywood studios — along with some of the biggest names in filmmaking, including Patty Jenkins and Christopher Nolan. The goal was (and still is) to bring the cinema experience into the living room by offering a TV picture mode that adheres as close as possible to the reference standards used by Hollywood in the production of shows and movies. In other words, Filmmaker mode ensures that your TV is delivering a picture that falls in line with the creators' intent as much as possible. It achieves this by fixing the TV's white point to the industry standard, disabling motion smoothing and reining in the TV's color saturation. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. As a TV-reviewer and a film buff, I've been an avid user of Filmmaker mode since its inception. As a TV-reviewer and a film buff, I've been an avid user of Filmmaker mode since its inception. Comparable picture modes — like Movie, Cinema, and Theater — often adhere quite close to Hollywood reference standards, but brands frequently enable various picture processing enhancements (like motion smoothing) for these modes, too. Filmmaker mode is stricter in its approach. Compared to over-processed, over-sharpened and oversaturated picture modes like Vivid (a picture mode you should avoid at all costs), Filmmaker mode is a breath of fresh air. In action, Filmmaker mode's impressiveness ultimately comes down to the overall performance of your TV. That said, regardless of the price and performance of your set, there's a good chance that Filmmaker mode will be the most accurate picture mode available to you. In fact, because it's so accurate, Tom's Guide runs several picture-related tests in Filmmaker mode for every TV review we publish. This ensures that we're reaching a valuable conclusion about a TV's ability to produce an accurate picture. At the time of publishing, Filmmaker mode is a confirmed feature across all of the models in TCL's 2025 main TV lineup. This includes the recently announced TCL QM8K, the brand's flagship Mini-LED TV this year (and a follow-up to the superb TCL QM8). The QM8K also arrives with a special Bang & Olufsen sound system and a new 'Precise Dimming' feature for better backlight control, so Filmmaker mode should add to an already-cinematic can also be found on the fantastic QM7K, a mid-range TV that just got way more affordable thanks to a recent discount. In our TCL QM7K review, Matthew Murray made note of how impressive 'Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning' and 'Deadpool & Wolverine' look on the QM7K in Filmmaker mode. Take Filmmaker mode out for a test drive on the all-new TCL QM7K, the brand's budget-friendly, mid-range Mini-LED TV for 2025. The QM7K cracks an impressive 1,700 nits of brightness in HDR, pairing these searing highlights with impressive backlight control. When you're done with movie night, switch over to the QM7K's dedicated game mode for smooth gameplay up to 4K/144Hz. Filmmaker mode can also be found on the brand's entry-level Mini-LED for 2025, the TCL QM6K. Given its performance profile, this set benefits greatly from Filmmaker mode's careful guidance. It doesn't offer the high-level brightness you'll find on the QM7K and the QM8K, but you're getting a lengthy list of features for the price, including Dolby Vision and a handful of gaming enhancements. The entry-level QM6K is on a crash-course with our round-up of the best affordable TVs of 2025. While not as bright, colorful and kitted out as higher-end TCL TVs, you're getting plenty of features for the price, including a 144Hz native refresh rate, quantum-dot color and Dolby Vision support. According to FlatpanelsHD, while TCL has not ruled out the addition of Filmmaker mode to models from 2024, there are currently no plans to add the picture mode to older models. If Filmmaker mode made its way to TVs like the 2024 TCL QM7 and last-year's TCL QM78, the feature would arrive in the form of a firmware update. For now, however, picture purists and all-around A/V enthusiasts will have to stick with the brand's latest offerings, should they want a taste of Filmmaker mode on a TCL-branded TV.
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Evan Engram embraces Sean Payton's 'Joker' role but says it's something he has to earn in Denver
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Don't call Evan Engram the 'Joker' just yet. The ninth-year tight end has embraced coach Sean Payton's vision of him as a versatile player who can create mismatches for Denver's offense, led by second-year QB Bo Nix. When he signed a two-year, $23 million deal in the spring, Engram took to X and posted a GIF of the late Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning performance as the Joker in 'The Dark Knight.' On Thursday, however, Engram said he still needs to earn the moniker. 'That is a cool thing to just embrace," Engram said. "Sean talks about it a lot. It was a big part of the pitch coming here. The fans are great here, so (the social media post) was just embracing that narrative a little bit. I definitely see that it is something that has to be earned with the way I work and the way that I learn the offense to gain the trust of Sean, Bo and the rest of the coaches and players. "I think we have a bunch of Jokers on this team, honestly, that can have a great role on this offense. It is definitely something that I like to embrace, but it is also something that I am going to earn, too.' Actually, Engram is probably the only member of the Broncos offense who fits Payton's description of the Joker. Last year, Payton described the Joker as 'either a running back or tight end with exceptional ball skills and then you can work matchups. We've had that at the running back (position). Reggie Bush was the Joker, Darren Sproles and Alvin Kamara. Those were all unique players, not just in the running game, but they had passing game skill sets that allowed you to do multiple things.' Payton was hoping tight end Greg Dulcich would turn into his Joker last season, but his propensity to drop passes squelched that notion and led to his release. So, Payton entered free agency this year intent on landing the traditional hallmark of his offense, and he did so when Engram signed with the Broncos after three seasons in Jacksonville and five with the New York Giants. Before Engram agreed to Denver's offer, Payton and the rest of the Broncos' brain trust had to sweat through Engram's subsequent visit with the AFC West rival Los Angeles Chargers. 'Free agency is a crazy roller coaster,' said Engram, who was the 23rd overall pick by the Giants in 2017. 'I took a visit to LA. It's a great organization there, as well. I had a great visit with them, but the best place for me and my family was here in Denver. Just with the offense, the history here, the way the organization takes care of its players.' On Thursday, the final day of organized team activities open to the media, Engram ran routes with receivers, not tight ends, and he stood out for his fluidity and his jersey number. Asked why he chose No. 1, Engram said it was his number in high school. At Mississippi he wore No. 17, a number he revived with the Jaguars. So when the Broncos sent him a list of available numbers after he signed, he relayed the list to his family members, who all concurred he should wear No. 1 again. 'It's a cool thing just to reconnect to the glory days of high school football,' Engram said. Dobbins to Denver? The Broncos could be adding a veteran running back to their roster. Free agent J.K. Dobbins plans to visit Denver a week ahead of the team's mandatory minincamp. 'We'll have a chance to visit with him and then we'll see where it goes,' Payton said. 'We really like the group right now that we're working with. It's just another opportunity to possibly bring in another good football player to help us win." The Broncos drafted R.J. Harvey out of Central Florida in the second round of the NFL draft in April. He is viewed as a potential three-down back and leads a relatively young group of rushers that includes second-year pros Blake Watson and Audric Estime, third-year player Jaleel McLaughlin and fourth-year pro Tyler Badie. Dobbins gained a career-best 905 yards on 195 carries and tied his career high with nine rushing touchdowns last year with the Chargers despite missing four games with a sprained knee. If he signs, Dobbins could become a big contributor in the Broncos' backfield. The former second-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens has an extensive injury history, including an ACL tear in 2021 and a torn Achilles tendon in 2023.
