10 Movie Scenes That Later Happened For REAL
10 Unbelievable Movie Scenes That Eventually Happened IN REAL LIFE
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were looking at events that happened in movies before they eventually occurred in real life. Beware of Spoilers!
Scott Petersons Imprisonment
Demolition Man (1993)
This 1993 film takes us on a ride into a futuristic world set in 2032. Not only is it bristling with satire and explosive action, its prophetic in many ways. One eerie prediction? Scott Petersons imprisonment. In an early scene, after Lenina pulls up a list of prisoners awaiting parole hearing, among them is Scott Peterson. Shockingly, in 2003, a man by that exact name was arrested for killing his wife, convicted in 2004, and re-sentenced to life in 2021. Add in its other accurate predictions - like Arnold Schwarzeneggers political career - and Demolition Man feels less like sci-fi and more like a time-traveling documentary.
Hologram Message
Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (1977)
Theres no denying it, Star Wars was far ahead of its era. With groundbreaking concepts like cloning, prosthetics, artificial intelligence, and more, it shaped a galaxy of ideas that inspired a lot of technological developments. Take the hologram messages, for example. The first we see one is in A New Hope, where Princess Leias 3D image pleads with Obi-Wan Kenobi to help her. Since then, holograms have become a staple of the franchise. In reality, scientists are working hard to bring this technology to life. While there have been some breakthroughs, holograms arent yet as common or as seamless as portrayed in movies. But who knows? One day, they might just be the ultimate way to communicate.
Video Calling & HAL
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
This visionary film dives into the growth of humanity, technological advancement, and its darker sides. Long before AI and video calling became everyday realities, they were already depicted here. Incredible, right? In the film, theres HAL, a supercomputer programmed by humans to guide a space exploration mission. Like the AIs we have today, HAL can perform automated tasks, understand, and even respond conversationally with the astronauts. Then, theres the video calling scene where Dr. Floyd chats with his daughter from space- a prophetic vision of Zoom, FaceTime, and Skype calls decades before their time. Truly, Stanley Kubricks masterpiece isnt just a cinematic marvel. Its a groundbreaking achievement both on a conceptual and technical level.
WHO Doctor
World War Z (2013)
Peter Capaldi wasnt zipping through time and space just yet in Marc Forsters World War Z, but the film subtly hinted at his future as Doctor Who. Remember Brad Pitt as a former United Nations investigator racing to stop the zombie apocalypse? Among the few surviving medical experts he meets in Wales is a World Health Organization doctor with a brief screen time. That doctor was played by none other than Capaldi and is literally credited as WHO Doctor. Shortly after playing this minor role, Capaldi was announced as the twelfth doctor in BBCs iconic sci-fi series, Doctor Who. Coincidence? Maybe, but its almost as if the universe or even the casting department was dropping a cheeky little hint.
Rise of Reality TV
The Truman Show (1998)
Way before digital technology became a big part of our lives, this thought-provoking flick foreshadowed how it would shape our lives. From our obsession with celebrity lifestyles to the rise of social media and mass surveillance, it almost detailed todays digital reality. Jim Carrey plays a man whos unaware that his entire life is a reality TV show. Sounds familiar, anyone? Of course, shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians literally blur the line between whats real and whats scripted. While reality TV wasnt something new in the 1990s, it didnt dominate like it does today. The Truman Show foresaw how it would evolve and take over in ways no one would have imagined.
Pandemic Society
Contagion (2011)
Almost ten years before the coronavirus turned our lives upside down in 2020, Contagion predicted what our lives would look like in the face of this global crisis. Steven Soderbergh's 2011 disaster film follows several characters battling the effects of a mysterious airborne virus. While it may not have been the thrill ride some expected, it was downright prescient. From the science of the virus to human reaction, social distancing, and the dangers of conspiracy theories, the film feels like it saw 2020 before we did. Well, if anyone wants to relive the horror of that year, Contagion is the perfect and creepy reminder of how closely art mirrored reality. Its without a doubt unsettling.
Personal Advertising
Minority Report (2002)
Back in 2002, Minority Report felt like pure sci-fi, but looking at it now? Its hauntingly predictive. In the film, John Anderton isnt just dodging crime predictions, but also billboard-like ads calling out his name and pitching products tailor-made for him. Fast forward to today, our phones and smart TVs are basically doing the same thing. The film wasnt just about cool techs. It also nailed the darker sides of these advancements. From intrusive advertising to the eerie capabilities of AI (the precogs), the film predicted a future that feels uncomfortably real. Honestly, its creepy how Steven Spielbergs game-changing vision wasnt just sci-fi but a crystal ball into our ad-filled, tech-driven lives.
The Future Is Now
The Cable Guy (1996)
When this psychological thriller-comedy came out, not many people got it or even liked Jim Carreys obnoxious character, Chip Douglas. To some, it was yet another goofy Carrey comedy. But it was clever in its own way and ahead of its time too. In one memorable scene, Carreys character screams on top of a satellite dish about a future where your TV, phone, and computer would all be connected. He even predicts playing Mortal Kombat with a friend in Vietnam and shopping online. Doesnt that sound a lot like streaming, video calls, and online gaming that we have today? So, beneath the chaos of Carreys antics, The Cable Guy in some ways saw how technology and the internet would transform our lives.
Put Some Money on the Cubbies
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
The Cable Guy may have been futuristic, but it wasnt as eerily specific in its predictions as Robert Zemeckis 80s time-travel adventure. In Back to the Future Part II, Marty and Doc travel to the future to save his kids. While there, Marty spots a headline announcing the Chicago Cubs as World Series Champions. To his shock, an old man confirms its true. Back in 1989, when the film was made, it was a laughable joke since the Cubs hadnt won a single championship since 1908. But in 2016, just a year after the movie's timeline, the Cubs won the World Series in real life. What was meant to be a joke about impossible odds became one of historys most astonishing victories.
Brandon Lees Death
Game of Death (1978)
While some films serve as windows into ground-breaking inventions and events, others are premonitions of doom, like 1978s Game of Death. In this Bruce Lee film, he plays a martial arts star who is shot on set with a prop gun that is secretly tampered with. Tragically, this storyline mirrored the real-life death of his son, Brandon Lee. Decades later, while filming The Crow, Brandon was fatally shot when a lodged dummy bullet was propelled out of the prop guns barrel following the firing of a blank - all due to negligence. And, like his father, Brandon died before the film was released. Whether its a chilling foreshadowing or a cruel twist of fate, this connection adds a layer of tragedy to the untimely deaths of both father and son.
Which of these had the most mind-blowing foreshadowing? Let us know in the comment section.
