Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but these 10 classic movies have been ripped off more than any others. The copycat movie is as old as cinema itself, and as soon as something works, producers come out of the woodwork trying to cash in. However, some movies are so good that they inspire legions of imitators.
Many ripoffs are blatant and obvious, while others are a bit more subtle. They often borrow the basic story framework from another movie, but add new details to spice things up. A few of the most ripped off movies are archetypal cornerstones of cinema, and launched their own subgenres in the process. Genre is an important part of the puzzle, and the most copied movies usually come from genres like sci-fi, horror, and action.
Ripoffs aren’t necessarily a bad thing, and there are countless examples of blatant copies actually turning out pretty good. It’s important to note that adaptation is not the same as ripping off, and two movies based on the same source material don’t count as copies. Considering the litigious nature of Hollywood, the ripoff trend has slowed drastically in the last 25 years.
This list of classic movies is jam-packed with recognizable hits that have stood the test of time. The reason they have been ripped off so much is the exact same reason viewers still flock to see them. Even though all the films on this list have been copied excessively, none of them have lost the originality that made them popular ripoff fodder in the first place.
10
Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)
Raiders of the Lost Ark is an interesting case because the first Indiana Jones adventure is a tribute to the classic movie serials of the past. Nevertheless, there was a clear influx of ripoffs throughout the 1980s and ’90s that borrowed heavily from elements unique to the Steven Spielberg franchise.
Films like King Solomon’s Mines are the most obvious, though the pattern continued in later movies like National Treasure and The Mummy (1999). Indiana Jones ripoffs often include a heroic explorer (usually wearing a fedora) and some lost artifact that typically possesses some sort of supernatural power. As many copies have shown, there’s some variety in the formula.
9
The Matrix (1999)
The many copies of The Matrix are less of an example of archetypal filmmaking and more of an example of chasing trends. The Wachowski’s cyberpunk action hit brought the genre firmly into the 1990s in a way that many of its contemporaries couldn’t. The bullet time effects and martial arts were an amalgamation of existing ideas, but the combination is what made them unique.
The early years of the Aughts were awash in Matrix clones, including The One and Equilibrium. It wasn’t so much about copying the “gun-fu” action and more about adopting the leather outfits and dystopian visuals of the 1999 franchise starter. Unlike most ripped off flicks, the trend to copy The Matrix died off very quickly.
8
Alien (1979)
Ridley Scott’s Alien shifted the paradigm for sci-fi horror forever, and dozens of producers saw the moneymaking potential in Alien clones. The dark and claustrophobic halls of the Nostromo were an ideal setting for such a creepy story, but they were also very easy to recreate on a low budget. Thus, tons of monster movies in space followed.
The first wave of Alien knockoffs was charming and unabashed, with Harvey Corman churning out films like Forbidden World and Galaxy of Terror in a few short years. However, Alien‘s success had a wider impact that would show up later in big budget movies like Leviathan. Most modern sci-fi horror films can be traced back to Alien.
7
Dawn Of The Dead (1978)
The honor of most ripped off zombie movie could easily go to Night of the Living Dead, but it’s technically Dawn of the Dead that has the most copies. George Romero’s second of the Dead flick built upon the lore established in Night, further moving the subgenre away from classical interpretations of zombies. Like the shuffling undead, many imitators rose from the grave.
The Italians were particularly fascinated by Dawn of the Dead, and Lucio Fulci’s Zombi 2 was produced as an unofficial sequel. In a much larger sense, Romero’s zombies became the de facto presentation for the undead. Even though many filmmakers put new spins on zombies, projects like The Walking Dead and 28 Days Later owe a debt of gratitude to Romero’s original vision.
6
The Exorcist (1973)
The Exorcist was the first horror film to ever earn a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars, and its massive box office appeal made it ripe fodder for ripoffs. The obscure Catholic rite of exorcism suddenly became common knowledge (albeit simplistically) thanks to The Exorcist and demonic possession stories swept the nation in the 1970s.
Tons of low-budget ripoffs like Abby and The Possessed came out in the first few years following the release of William Friedkin’s blockbuster, but the legacy of The Exorcist lived on. Every movie featuring a possession or exorcism is pulled directly from the 1973 original, and various stages of Satanic Panic bring the subject back into the mainstream every decade. Even today, new exorcism movies are in the works.
5
Halloween (1978)
Halloween was by no means the first slasher film, but it solidified the tropes that became synonymous with the horror subgenre. Michael Myers’ masked visage represented the unmotivated violence that was on the rise in the ’70s, but the popularity of Halloween merely represented dollar signs to a lot of film producers. In only a few years, Halloween had dozens of copycats.
The most famous ripoff of Halloween is Friday the 13th, which ironically spawned its own legion of imitators in the coming years. Clichés like a masked killer, an unsuspecting babysitter, and a suburban setting all became necessities in the slasher genre thanks to Halloween. It isn’t as obvious, but John Carpenter’s Halloween is one of the most ripped off horror films ever made.
4
Die Hard (1988)
Action is a genre built on clichés, but the abundance of Die Hard ripoffs are too similar to be chalked up to coincidence. Bruce Willis’ John McClane was an average Joe in a sticky situation, and was a far cry from the muscle-bound superheroes of other ’80s action films. Soon, the trend became “like Die Hard but…” with plenty of ripoffs to fill in the blank.
Die Hard clones like Under Siege and Sudden Death follow the same basic structure. A lone hero is trapped in a confined location with a group of villains, and he must fight his way out despite being outgunned. The minimal set and cast requirements allow for easy cost-cutting, thus Die Hard ripoffs could be made on the cheap.
3
The Road Warrior (1981)
George Miller’s Mad Max was a low-budget action classic, but The Road Warrior was the movie that got all the ripoffs. With the post-apocalypse in full swing, The Road Warrior established its own nuclear wasteland style. All filmmakers needed was a desert and a bunch of junkie old cars, and they could make their own Mad Max flick.
Numerous Road Warrior knockoffs came out in the 1980s, and only a few of them were actually worth watching. Without the deft direction of George Miller, movies like Steel Dawn and Battletruck were a slog to get through. It could be argued that expensive movies like Waterworld also took a page from The Road Warrior.
2
Star Wars (1977)
The foundations for the story of Star Wars are so archetypal that it shares elements with most other movies, but that’s not to say George Lucas’ vision wasn’t ripped off countless times. The simple and effective space opera format was just too tempting for other producers to ignore, even if they couldn’t quite get the details just right.
Even as the original saga was still in full swing, movies like Battle Beyond the Stars tried to get in on the action. A good Star Wars ripoff needs to have a naive young hero, an evil empire, and some sort of mystical power that helps good win in the end. Star Wars ripoffs run the gamut from pretty good to downright weird.
1
Jaws (1975)
The notoriously difficult production of Jaws should have scared away any potential copycats, but the lucrative potential of a shark attack movie couldn’t be overlooked. The original summer blockbuster distilled the broader animals-run-amok genre and focused it into the gaping maw of one of nature’s most frightening beasts. Sadly, the trick wasn’t nearly as effective the second time.
The so-called Jawsploitation subgenre sprung up in the 1970s, and examples like Cruel Jaws and Orca were a bit too obvious. Jaws also inspired a ton of looser ripoffs like Deep Blue Sea and Lake Placid in the ensuing decades. Considering the fact that Jaws is one of the greatest movies ever made, it only makes sense that others would want to copy it.