10 Unexpected Inspirations Behind Our Favorite Movies and Shows
Some movies get repetitive with their source material, for example, many superhero movies or shows take inspiration from other superhero movies or shows. But not all movies/TV shows do that, some of them take inspiration from surprising places or things. Here we have compiled 10 unexpected inspirations behind our favorite movies and shows.
1) The Office
Actor and producer B. J. Novak has stated that “The Sopranos was actually the biggest influence on The Office. The way Michael Scott will say something very serious but mispronounce a word I feel is a direct descendant of the Tony Soprano sense of humor”.
2) James Bond
When author lan Fleming moved to Kent in the 1950s, he would often travel back to London by bus – specifically, the 007 bus which still runs today and is very popular among James Bond fans. This bus gave him the idea of James Bond’s 007.
3) Spider-Man: Homecoming
This movie took cues from Akira Kurosawa. Kurosawa’s High and Low served as a model for the character of Vulture as a ground-level villain and his relationship to Tony Stark. Producer Amy Pascal explained it as “somebody who looks up at a wealthy person almost in a tower … and feels the need to respond to that in a villainous way”.
4) Black Panther
The Godfather was the primary source of inspiration for Black Panther. It was somewhat similar to it, a man’s father dies, and suddenly he has to step into this position of power so director Ryan Coogler watched all the Godfather films, taking notes.
5) Logan
The director of Logan took inspiration from Little Miss Sunshine. Director James Mangold told the studio that he “wants to make Little Miss Sunshine with Logan, Charles Xavier, and X-23”, adding “Trap these superheroes in a van on a highway … and see what happens”.
6) E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
This film is partly autobiographical, when director Steven Spielberg’s parents got a divorce, he made up an imaginary friend to deal with that and in the movie, the friend is an actual alien.
7) Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman’s famous theme was inspired by Led Zeppelin. As per Thomas Holkenborg (a.k.a Junkie XL), both he and Hans Zimmer are fans of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song, and Wonder Woman’s powerful theme in the DCEU is their tribute to it.
8) Eternals
Eternals took inspiration from Final Fantasy VII and Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. Both were constantly brought up during production.
9) The Purge
Director James DeMonaco and his wife were almost killed by a drunk driver once and in the heat of the moment as she was mad at the guy, she said, “Wouldn’t it be great if we could have one free one a year?” and that inspired James DeMonaco to create the movie.
10) Supernatural
Jack Kerouac partly helped in creating Supernatural. Kerouac’s novel On the Road is about friends Dean and Sal as they travel across America. Supernatural is about brothers Dean and Sam (creator Eric Kripke didn’t like the name Sal) as they hunt monsters and demons across America.
Also read: 3 TV Shows That Quit While They Were Ahead (And, 3 That Didn’t)
