Top 20 Most Copied Movies

The influence of these movies and franchises on cinema history cannot be overstated. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most influential movies that either created a genre or inspired endless copycats in their wake. Our countdown of the most copied movies includes “Pulp Fiction”, "The Matrix", "Die Hard", “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, “Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope”, and more! Do you prefer these original films or their copycats? Let us know in the comments below!
Watch more great movie videos here:
Top 100 Movies of All Time: • Top 100 Movies of All ...
Top 10 Satisfying Villain Deaths in Action Movies: • Top 10 Satisfying Vill...
Top 20 Comedy Movies That Were Way Better Than We Expected: • Top 20 Comedy Movies T...
Become a channel member to get access to special perks:
/ @watchmojo
Don't forget to play our Live Trivia games at 3pm EST for a chance to win cash! The faster you answer, the more points you get!: www.watchmojo.com/play
Have your idea become a video!
wmojo.com/suggest
Subscribe for more great content!
wmojo.com/watchmojo-subscribe
Visit our shop for awesome merch!
shop.watchmojo.com/
Your trusted authority for Top 10 lists, reviews, tips and tricks, biographies, origins, and entertainment news
#Movies
#Film
#Franchise
#Action
#Drama
#Fantasy
#Horror
#SciFi
#Copycat

[@WatchMojo]

Do you prefer these original films or their copycats? Let us know in the comments below! For more movie content like this, click here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmiyZJWhZ7CDZqs Don't forget to play our Live Trivia (www.watchmojo.com/play) games at 3pm EST for a chance to win cash! The faster you answer, the more points you get!

[@underland1983]

You forgot Enter the Dragon. After Bruce Lee died came Bruceploitation. Everybody wanted to make kung fu, and found their own Bruce Lee lookalike.

[@tarryteeth]

Please do top 20. Copycat tv cartoon shows

[@mojo3318]

Original films.

[@erzaender]

godzilla and the matrix

[@aramusbolden1780]

😅😢

[@alejandronajera728]

The Dark Knight was way ahead of it's time than any other superhero films.👍

[@SPAnComCat]

ABSOLUTELY!

[@EdinMike]

I still laugh uncontrollably sometimes at Airplane and I must have seen it dozens of times. Leslie Nielsen was something else ! 😂

[@Idontwant1]

Surely you just???? No I’m not. And don’t call me Shirley!!! Lol that was hilarious

[@slothreacts34]

That inflatable co pilot had some fun in that movie

[@ruuddekoff1090]

How "The exorcist" didn't make it into this list is beyond me.

[@albertPI007]

I don't know if there are so many horrors movies that includes exorcism.

[@manchesterunitedno7]

Gosh, still fresh in my memory just after The Matrix came out. Suddenly, Cybergoth's style became cool. Countless imitations copied the aesthetic from the movie Surge Up. Advertising, music videos, and copycat movies, from the 99s to the 00s. Sure long black trenchcoats, cool shade, and goth sensibilities weren't new in the '90s. From the period aesthetics such as Dracula, Interview With The Vampire, to more modern The Crow, Dark City, Strange Days, and especially Blade preceded it. But The Matrix made it cool as hell.

[@sarahpettipher1759]

You picked the wrong Batman series, Tim Burton is the one who showed how to make dark superhero movies. The first two he directed were incredible

[@Toledotourbillion]

How about Rebel without a cause? That started the whole antihero angst genre.

[@kleine.5438]

Why wasn't King Kong(mainly this one), Dracula, Frankenstein, werewolf movies, Men in Black, The Terminator or The exorcist in this list

[@matteomascaropennacchi2220]

Honorable mentions, Redhosaurus from the beast from50000 phantoms in 1953, after this film, Toho decided not only creating Godzilla based on ww2 but also Based on Redhosaurus

[@whitedevil2]

excuse me, but the "drastically dark shift in tone" for comic book movies started with Tim Burton's Batman, not Christopher Nolan.

[@SpencerM180]

Late at night, bro

[@maineman5757]

It's 6am here. I'm at work.

[@tathagataroy2641]

It's 4 pm bro

[@EMizzle57]

It's 5am

[@ZulkarnainK]

It's already tomorrow here.

[@vincecramer7950]

I don't understand why y'all don't do research on the dates of movies Belleville mountain 1999 Lord of the rings didn't come out till 2001

[@madtheghost337]

Me: I should go to sleep freals Watchmojo: Top 20 most copied movies- Me: Okay!!

[@waittillfamewtf2385]

"Basic Instinct" (1992)

[@MrMagyar5]

Excellent list. Agreed on all points. These were the genre defining films.

[@DieseNerdInhalte]

what i miss : Gladiator and %Black Hawk Down (kind of camera)

[@grayshigami6797]

Shrek has defined the humor of animated movies this century as well as having an unlikely hero and his charismatic sidekick

[@2neetoon]

With the way some of us have been copied, it's weird to hear it being called out.

[@kali3665]

The joke was Goldfinger inspired more copycats WITHIN the James Bond canon! Yet another reason why Goldfinger is STILL considered by many to be the finest Bond film ever made.

[@greggkrueger]

Star Wars even copied itself in the force awakens

[@rrqkuaci]

blade runner ? that movie basically created cyberpunk sub-genre, harry potter movies also inspired many studio to adapting young-adult novel series

[@competitionglen]

Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket for war films. Saving pte Ryan, Dunkirk War Horse.

[@Bathorypriest]

I'll say Apocalypse Now for war films

[@DMBLaan]

The Drak Knight is an amazing movie, but I don't think it was nearly as influential as most movies on this list, outside of other DC live action movies. In contrast, something like Guardians of the Galaxy did so well that its director is now in charge of all the DC movies.

[@granger2malfoy]

Okay... maybe I am missing something, but what about the first musicals, or first mystery movies, or Alfred Hitchcock movie ... I forget which one was first... wizard of oz... disney snow white... your list is a bit lacking..

[@marcel_max]

... a seriously high bar for competition... That is the best description of Nolan's work.

[@Heavymetallord1]

One movie you forgot is the 1968 Movie Bullitt, before that movie car chases were quirky and goofy (ex: it's a mad mad mad world) but after Bullitt car chases became more gritty, exciting, and grounded in reality. Examples include Gone in 60 seconds (the original), Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, Vanishing Point, and The French Connection Even comedic car chases took a more grounded approach mixing it with cartoon style goofiness (ex: Smokey and the Bandit, The Dukes of Hazzard, and The Blues Brothers) And it was all thanks to Bullitt

[@kennethferrari5232]

The Color Purple which redefined familial drama, influencing movies such as Steel Magnolias, Mystic Pizza and Beloved. The Princess Bride was an influence on kids sword and sorcery such as The Never ending story and Willow.

[@CaptainMcTubeSnoot]

Pinocchio? Frankenstein? Taken? King Kong?

[@mojo3318]

I've seen "The Matrix", "Jurassic Park", and some of "The Dark Knight". "The Matrix" came out the same year I was born!

[@MarkLaw13]

7 samurai is missing. The team work genre

[@Gor85]

So many fantastic ones. Hard to choose in order. Dark Knight,LOTR,Matrix,Jaws,Alien,A New Hope,The Godfather,Die Hard,A New Hope,Rocky,Halloween. I believe how Psycho is so influential. Deserving number 1. I like these,the originals. Great video

[@WatchMojo]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@eugeniapatroncosta920]

Die Hard, The Dark Knight and the Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King are my favourites.

[@richardsussens490]

All fantastic movies

[@Shady4Dayz]

That REALLY hurt! Honestly, who throws a shoe?

[@Jeremiah_Rivers76]

In terms of the _Star Wars_ franchise versus movies that copied it, like Zack Snyder’s _Rebel Moon_ movies, I’ll always go with the former. Accept no substitutes.

[@FRN2013]

The Ten Commandments, Indiana Jones, Shrek, King Kong, Wizard of Oz.

[@tammylynnbeatricedoyle4500]

Pulp Fiction is one of my all-time favorite movies 🎉 Jaws and Halloween definitely scared the crap out of me back in the day!

[@BlackHatCinephile]

I feel so much better after that last poop. I gotta BUNCHA stuff outta me that needed to be out so bad.

[@armandogoncalves7226]

7 samurais is the most influencer movie of all time

[@DMBLaan]

I'd say Godzilla created the Kaiju genre in name only. King Kong came out in the 30s, and even Godzilla was inspired by The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.

[@jakealter5504]

That’s what I thought too

[@DMBLaan]

@@jakealter5504 Don't get me wrong, its a really great movie and it did a lot for cinema, it just wasn't the first. I guess one could argue it brought it to a new level, but even then here in the US at the time it was more of a "just another giant monster movie" feel at the time.

[@jakealter5504]

@@DMBLaan I had meant that King Kong was one of the first giant monster movies. The first giant monster movie was the lost world in 1925 but King Kong was the first icon of that genre

[@Bathorypriest]

Star Wars itself was a ripoff of many other properties

[@stephaniemiya9757]

I read where FFCoppola took a class to learn how to write a screenplay. The first chapter in the textbook said to study Coppola's Godfather movies. He didn't even know how to write a screenplay but he won Oscars for his work.

[@Fightarcade]

Maximo is an original video game character from Maximo: Ghost to Glory from 2001 and Anakin Skywalker is a copy movie character from Star Wars Episode II 2002 and III 2005.

[@jamesmnaylor]

How could you miss heathers of this list that brought a lot of cliq films to the market.

[@96miffy]

I say John Wick is the most copied film in the 2020's

[@to.kanali]

You forgot about in the name of the king,it's copy of lotr

[@anhurtorrez]

2 things about Airplane that wasn't mentioned here. First the expectation of it wasn't that high since it came out around the same time as a few other movies they thought would do better. But Airplane became more popular than those others. And second was the great Leslie Nielsen who almost didn't get the part because they wasn't sure if he could do comedy since he was more of a serious actor at the time. But after they saw him do his parts they knew he was the right choice which launched him into the comedy legend.

[@NickCC23]

If Airplane! wasn't on this list I would have rioted.

[@user-em6ie2be7x]

There are so many Star Wars copycats.

[@Bathorypriest]

Star Wars itself was a copycat of Valerian (french comic) & samurai films

[@jfreshig]

Not having the wizard of oz is irredeemable

[@raymondbermudez555]

I think you misspelled Iron Man/The Avengers with Psycho considering Iron Man showed the viability of less popular comic book characters and The Avengers showed interconnectivity was super successful.

[@gailhall6283]

Hated the dark knight. I never thought I'd ever have to hide a "Batman" flick from my grandchildren but...

[@ScarysReviews]

Good list, no one really copies a SLASHER, they, just tend to do something better and different. these days, it's copy, remake, but back then, no. just took points and went bigger. You missed Grease, The Exorcist, MAD MAX,

[@jamalvargas6146]

Men In Black (1997-) The Terminator (1984-) Rocky (1976-2006) Die Hard (1988-2013) Lethal Weapon (1987-) Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Splash (1984) Fight Club (1999) Breakin' (1984) Transformers (2007-) Purple Rain (1984)

[@jskelly1979]

Your mom's box! (1969) Dust off them cobwebs!

[@Tangeni.]

Die Hard The Matrix The Dark Knight Rocky The Godfather Pulp Fiction Halloween

[@halfghaniteevee3559]

Okay, hear me out on this.... Deep Blue Sea > Jaws 💯💯💯

[@Alam-jg2rx]

I feel like bond movie OHMSS might have inspired die hard and Christmas action films

[@vincentsaia6545]

Mario Puzo did not make up the term "Godfather." In the footage of Joe Velachi testifying before Congress about the Mafia, he mentions "the Godfather" in the finger-pricking ritual.

[@johnmcnulty2705]

The first movie I think about after reading the title of this video is Die Hard

[@adamhoward1408]

Top 10 greatest movie scenes shot in black and white

[@Idontwant1]

After I had watched The Offer. I went back and watched all 3 Godfather movies. I’ve always been a mob movie fan. Casino, Goodfella’s. So dang good.

[@EntertainmentCreatorDrWho]

I watch these videos. It’s a Thursday night, come out of a shower. I’m dripping a bit. It’s dark and I’m in my bed with my lamp on. Probs 10PM. After a long day, I just pull up these videos.

[@kaylapounds1359]

I mean, when I think of copycats, I think of movies that directly have the same plot. I don't consider movies that are inspired by others, especially when they have their own unique plot lines to be copycats. It's like somebody dying their hair blonde because their friends or a dejection does it, versus getting a haircut.

[@henrymilles5744]

I would have thought that any of the "Amityville Horror" film Movies (Regardless of whether they are from the original series of films, a remake, or just Based on the Amityville haunting) would be on this list. I mean just Look at Amityville Horror Movies their are.

[@AndreaDoesYoga]

🎬Wow, didn't realize how influential these movies were!🍿

[@DMBLaan]

Who else loves the Clerks cartoon and wish they made more of it?

[@CTladiesman]

That’s show seems mean spirited.

[@grassfedcharlie]

Cyclopes is so fine

[@maloperverso8118]

Scream (1996)!?

[@maloperverso8118]

Jaws (1975)!?

[@fawziekefli2273]

6:49 Mary O. Pootsoe? _Mary O?_ WatchMojo, WatchMojo; what has he ever done for you to treat him so disrespectfully?

[@MercedesGarcia-fb1et]

Nothing from the MCU, no mention of Bourne identity no John Wick no Taken

[@josh72456]

I’ve not seen Godzilla.

[@CTladiesman]

Are the films that are copied films that started genres that people know and love today?

[@TimHayes]

The Alien Ripoffs are fun, so is the original!

[@maloperverso8118]

Goodfellas (1990)!?

[@manoftheusajones5147]

TOP 10 Ugliest Robots

[@StanHalen1936]

I see you. You get a bump.

[@erikthompson619]

Helloooo? "Raiders of the lost ark"?

[@wilrivera2668]

... 7 samurai

[@lindabarnhouse3724]

Did I miss it? How is Night of the Living Dead on this list??

[@maloperverso8118]

Batman (1989)!?

[@jtmanwill]

Silence of the Lambs 48 hours

[@robertelliott2026]

Silence of the lambs was great, but the Michal Mann's Hannibal Lecter movie Manhunter with Brian Cox and William Petersen was so much better. The Red Dragon remake just to try and make Hopkins' canon, was absolute sh!t.

[@marcel_max]

where's Indiana Jones?

[@thepikminbrawler1746]

Ok so you used a parody in the thumbnail. What else is on this list, Spaceball?

[@alexfallah7]

Maybe mention top gun maverick is a 1:1 parallel with Star Wars IV

[@zeokingsilver]

who throws a shoe honestly

[@Mike-DuBose]

Throwing a shoe at someone is a universal sign of insult and disrespect. Here are some of the most famous shoe-throwing incidents: 2008: Shoe thrown at George W. Bush:The most famous instance of shoe-throwing might be the one that involved former US President George W. Bush. During a 2008 press conference in Baghdad, Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi hurled both his shoes at Bush, shouting, "This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people, you dog!" Bush famously ducked out of the way of the shoes. 2011: Shoe thrown at Tony Blair: Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair also wasn't spared from a shoe-throwing incident. In 2011, while attending a book signing event in Dublin, an anti-war protestor threw a shoe at him. This incident occurred just days after another shoe-throwing incident at a separate book signing event for Blair. 2011: Shoe thrown at Anders Behring Breivik: In 2011, during the trial of Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik, the brother of one of Breivik's victims threw a shoe at him while yelling, "You killed my brother! Go to hell!" The shoe didn't hit Breivik but struck his lawyer instead.

[@robertelliott2026]

It's a nod to the hat in Goldfinger.

[@Cisco_24]

Ok we get it. The 70s was the best ever decade for movies.

[@gailhall6283]

The Godfather was, is and always will be the best of the best of its kind.

[@kingoogie23rd16]

Time stamps?

[@Lana2k6]

Sorry, but the first Superman film should have been in the top five. The superhero blockbuster wouldn't exist if not for this 1978 classic.

[@edwardjaymescamino6896]

hello

[@BlackHatCinephile]

🥉

[@jorgeadairramos7469]

Hello good morning 😮😮😮😮😮

[@greenisnice9345]

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark: If Indiana Jones stayed out of the movie, the Nazis would've brought the ark to Hitler, opened it and kill everyone including Hitler. (Someone ruined this movie to me, and now I ruined it to you.)

[@daneparsons8983]

You realize that this was brought up on The Big Bang Theroy

[@greenisnice9345]

@@daneparsons8983 They got it wrong because they said that it would happen exactly the same way as how the movie ended, when in fact, Indiana Jones destroyed the Nazi's plane, but if he didn't, the Nazis would've brought it to Hitler instead. They got it half way right.

[@Sly88Frye]

I'm fighting this too hard to watch. If you guys insist on having Phoebe narrate can you guys like coach her on how to narrate enthusiastically? She always sounds like she's just reading a script. She sounds like she's not into what she's talking about and I'm not saying she doesn't know what she's talking about but the fact that she doesn't sound like she's into it could suggest that she doesn't know what she's talking about. At least make her sound like she does and geez just have some enthusiasm. She sounds so robotic

[@TheWorldMemeDatabase]

While the books were influenced by LOTR (Tolkien and Lewis were friends), the movie adaptations of Chronicles of Narnia exist primarily due to the success of Harry Potter, not LOTR. LOTR targets a slightly older demographic than Harry Potter and Narnia after it.

[@carlitoapplespitter]

Late af

[@BlackHatCinephile]

🥈

[@j189512]

Maybe don't use a man who committed unspeakable crimes in your thumbnail? His name is Joe son and if I say what his crimes were I'd probably get a ban from KZbin

[@DJ-Frostbite64]

I don't know if this counts, but I feel like Coco straight up copied The Book of Life.

[@Bathorypriest]

No. Coco was conceived prior to the release of TBOL. Two similar ideas can co-exist. Besides, Coco is the better film, by far.

[@user-ml2so8dp8i]

Star Wars is good.Not great star trek is better

[@MudSluggerBP]

You don’t know what copying means 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@troublenyc4092]

More AI guys???? It’s getting a bit obvious now I miss the REAL presenters!!!!

[@G1Grimlock94]

Rip off