19 Times Filmmakers Recreated Moments From Real Life With Stunning Accuracy

In making new films, directors often use scenes from existing movies, real-life events, and other pre-existing media. This requires even more painstaking work from the entire team, be it costume designers, camera operators, makeup artists, or, of course, the actors themselves. It is often more difficult to recreate the original successfully and convincingly than to create something new from scratch.

Here at CHEERY, we wanted to take some time to remember the scenes that have brilliantly captured moments from real life or from other films.

Niagara (1953) and Blonde (2022)

Elvis Presley — If I Can Dream (1968) and Elvis (2022)

I Love Lucy (1956) and Being the Ricardos (2021)

And God Created Woman (1956) and Bardot (2022)

Prince Charles and Diana’s engagement photoshoot (1981) and The Crown (2016—)

Aileen Wuornos: Selling of a Serial Killer (1992) and Monster (2003)

To Tell the Truth (1977) and Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Brian Clough and Don Revie interview (1974) and The Damned United (2009)

Queen — I Want To Break Free (1984) and Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

Andy Kaufman in Saturday Night Live (1975) and Man on the Moon (1999)

Christopher McCandless in Alaska (1992) and Into the Wild (2007)

Selena — Bidi Bidi Bom Bom (1995) and Selena (1997)

John du Pont interview (early 1990s) and Foxcatcher (2014)

Harvey Milk at the Gay Pride Parade in Los Angeles (1978) and Milk (2008)

The Andy Williams Show (1962), Strait-Jacket (1964) and Feud (2017)

Princess Diana Interview (1995) and Diana (2013)

XVII Olympic Winter Games (1994) and I, Tonya (2017)

Stephen Hawking’s wedding to Jane Wilde (1965) and The Theory of Everything (2014)

Pamela Anderson during an interview with host Jay Leno (1995) and Pam & Tommy (2022)

Which films, in your opinion, captured the original scenes most accurately?