H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds is the most infamous hoax of all time, originally recognized as a real-time report of aliens invading Earth. When it was first broadcast by Orsen Welles, people believed his reporting. Families huddled together in fear, hanging on his every word as he announced more of the fictional attack. Ironically, those who sat terrified would've realized how silly they looked if they hadn't tuned in to the broadcast midway in.
While Welles' broadcast wasn't technically a hoax, it included the seminal components of one: a false lead, exaggeration of facts, panic, and exposing the ruse. Panic sank in the hardest because people didn't have many resources to disprove the report. It was either radio, newspaper, or television back in the day. And during an invasion, the average person assumed those services would cease functioning, explaining why so many individuals fell for Welles' broadcast of his novel, War of the Worlds.
Film producers eventually adapted Wells' book into a feature-length film, although it's not the only real-world hoax to become a movie. Several fabrications made enough of an impact on pop culture that they also received the same treatment. Here are six more hoaxes that later became movies.
Conspiracy 58 (2002)
In 2002, Sveriges broadcasters released a mockumentary called Konspiration 58" about the 1958 World Cup, claiming that the event didn't happen. The feature attempted to call factual reports a conspiracy concocted by FIFA and the CIA while alleging a different set of events transpired. Mind you, broadcasters revealed not long after that Konspiration 58" was used to measure television's influence on a given population.
Measuring influence isn't too surprising when Welles' broadcast offered similar results. The number of people who believed Welles equated to how many Swedish viewers became convinced that FIFA 58 was, in fact, a cover-up.
The Curious Case of Sidd Finch (1985)
Sidd Finch, the most amazing baseball player that never was, got his spotlight in the Plimpton Documentary. The one-time feature explored a Harvard dropout with all sorts of impressive talents who would be the next big thing for the New York Mets; the only thing is, he never existed. He's one of George Plimpton's creations—nothing more. Of course, the Mets tried to lend credibility to the story by making a jersey for Finch.
The Curious Case of Sidd Finch was originally a 1958 article from Sports Illustrated that later became a TV documentary. Unhittable: Sidd Finch and the Tibetan Fastball is available in ESPN's 30 for 30 Shorts collection.
Shattered Glass (2003)
Stephen Glass, a former journalist for the New Republic publication, didn't attempt just one hoax; he fabricated several headlines to draw in readers until the truth came out. The New Republic outlet fired him, which led to much disgrace in the journalist community.
Glass' story later became the subject of a movie starring Hayden Christensen titled Shattered Glass. The 2003 film explored the events of Glass' life from when he decided to post fake stories until he got busted. Glass, somehow, escaped the stain on his reputation. The former journalist actually found work as a paralegal for the law firm of Carpenter, Zuckerman & Rowley.
Denial (2016)
Denial, starring Rachel Weisz, explores the libel case against author Deborah Lipstadt. The real-life case began when historian David Irving released his book Denying The Holocaust, which claimed the gas chambers of World War II were a fictitious invention. Lipstadt took notice and called out the lies in Irving's book; his supposed claims of a hoax were entirely off-base and without evidence.
For whatever reason and despite logic's sake, Irving filed a lawsuit against Lipstadt. He went through the whole convoluted process of hiring an attorney, submitting paperwork, and going to court for the case, only to find out that he would have to prove Lipstadt intended to damage his character. The courts found that Lipstadt wasn't guilty of the charge under English Defamation Law, ending the matter altogether.
After the trial, Irving was in ruin. He gained the unfortunate title of Holocaust denier by the courts while losing most of his finances. Irving had to pay the court costs of his trial against Lipstadt, which inevitably bankrupted him.
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Saturday Night Fever, one of John Travolta's first movies, was based on a fictional article by the New York Times, Tribal Rights of the New Saturday Night. The fictitious portrayal of disco dancers in the 80s wasn't entirely false, but most aspects of "Saturday night" partying were exaggerated. Future op-eds on the craze later revealed that while some details held truth, Travolta's over-the-top performance was just that—over-the-top.
Unsurprisingly, the musical drama made enough of an impression on audiences that Paramount Pictures greenlit a sequel. Staying Alive kept the story going, concluding with a joyful cliffhanger, but the series ended there.