The world of Hollywood is full of incredible stories. But movies based on true stories are extra special, and you wouldn't believe some of the blockbusters that have real-life DNA.
Did you know that The Sound of Music was based on a memoir? Or that Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie star in an important #MeToo story, Bombshell? From J-Lo's Hustlers to Dallas Buyers Club, there are so many real-life inspired movies to choose from.
She will co-star alongside Too Much and The White Lotus actor Will Sharpe.
GLAMOUR has pulled together an extensive list of the top 26 movies based on true stories.
The Imitation Game
Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley star in the gripping, tragic biopic of mathematician Alan Turing's cracking of the enigma code during WW2, making a huge contribution towards the defeat of Hitler and the Nazis. It also looks at how he was subjected to heartbreaking homophobia, an indictment of society's views towards queer people in the 20th century.
Walk The Line
Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix play the infamous June Carter and Johnny Cash, bringing their tumultuous yet beautiful romance to the screens. It looks at how their budding romance is tested when Johnny grapples with addiction.
Woman of the Hour
Anna Kendrick plays a struggling actor who goes on a dating show, only to be fixed up with a serial killer. The true shocker? Woman of the Hour is based on a true story. Kendrick plays bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw, who picks Rodney Alcala in a Blind Date style situation. What could've served as her big break now puts her in huge danger.
Lion
Based on the real-life story of Saroo Brierley, Lion sees an adopted young man (played by Skins star Dev Patel) return to India from Australia to search for his birth mother. Nicole Kidman and Rooney Mara also star in this incredible, moving tale.
Hustlers
The movie may star Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Julia Stiles, Lili Reinhart, Keke Palmer, Lizzo and Cardi B, but the story's roots are just as remarkable as its cast. It was inspired by a viral 2015 New York magazine article all about a group of strippers who scammed their rich clients out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Farewell
Following the story of a family who gather together for a wedding, with a hidden agenda, The Farewell is based on the experiences of writer and director Lulu Wang. Protagonist Billi travels to China to spend time with her terminally ill grandmother Nai Nai, with the entire family keeping her prognosis a secret.
I, Tonya
Starring Margot Robbie and Allison Janney, I, Tonya is loosely based on the extraordinary life of figure skater and boxer Tonya Harding.
Wild
Adapted from Cheryl Strayed's 2012 memoir of the same name, Wild sees Reese Witherspoon portray Cheryl's expedition across Pacific Crest Trail after suffering a series of traumatic tragedies. It's a heartbreaking, life-affirming watch.
The Big Short
Starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt, The Big Short takes a look at three separate stories centred around the lead up to the 2008 financial crisis, and the greed that led up to it.
The Social Network
Jesse Eisenberg plays Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in dramatised biopic The Social Network, which portrays how the giant of a social media site came to be.
The Sound Of Music
As well as being based on the 1950s stage musical of the same name, it is also loosely based on the real-life Maria von Trapp’s 1949 memoir, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. Who knew?
She Said
Adapted from the explosive book of the same name, She Said follows how two New York Times reporters – Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) – researched and published the story that would expose Harvey Weinstein's crimes, and a resurgence of the #MeToo movement.
Nyad
Starring Annette Benning and Jodie Foster, this sports biopic tells the true story of Diana Nyad, who set out to swim from Cuba to Florida at the age of 60.
Judas and the Black Messiah
Shining a light on the lives of civil rights pioneers, Judas and the Black Messiah looks at the murder of activist Fred Hampton (played by Daniel Kaluuya) and Chicago’s Black Panther Party in the 1960s. LaKeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Ashton Sanders and Martin Sheen also star.
Schindler's List
Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Ben Kingsley, Schindler's List follows the true story of German businessman Oskar Schindler, who saved over a thousand Jews from the Nazis by employing them in his factories.
Hidden Figures
Hidden Figures tells the amazing true story of three Black female mathematicians Katherine Jonson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) and how they quietly and crucially contributed towards the Space Race.
Erin Brockovitch
With Julia Roberts playing Erin Brockovitch, the movie follows the real-life story of a mother who launched an investigation into a California power company because it was contaminating its community’s water supply, fighting for justice for those who were affected by it.
Dallas Buyers Club
Matthew McConaughey plays Ron Woodroof, who sold black-market HIV meds to early AIDS patients after being diagnosed and given 30 days to live. His character is made all the more complex and compelling due to the fact he was a homophobe. Jared Leto also smashes it as (fictional) trans woman with AIDS Rayon who helps Ron with his business.
Spotlight
Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo Michael Keaton, and Brian d’Arcy James brought to our screens the story of The Boston Globe's journalistic exposé of the sexual abuse of children in the Roman Catholic Church.
Zero Dark Thirty
Starring Jessica Chastain and directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty depicts the assassination of Osama Bin Laden, with some fictional tweaks.
Selma
David Oyelowo plays Dr. Martin Luther King Jr in the story of the historical march from the city of Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, a continued protest against racism and a key moment in the civil rights movement. It resulted in the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The Iron Claw
Zac Efron and Jeremy Allan White play the Von Erich brothers, Kevin and Kerry, two famous pro wrestlers who defined the scene in the 1980s.
On the Basis of Sex
Felicity Jones brings the incredible life of the late, great Ruth Bader Ginsburg to our screens, touching on her time studying law at Harvard and Columbia, the “Sex Discrimination and the Law” class she taught and the gender discrimination case that shaped her career, and led her to become the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court .
Molly's Game
Based on the real Molly's 2014 memoir, the movie – starring Jessica Chastain – tells the story of Molly Bloom, an ex Olympic skier who ran an exclusive underground poker game that attracted mobsters and celebrities alike.
Bling Ring
Inspired by Nancy Jo Sales’ Vanity Fair exposé, The Suspects Wore Louboutins, Bling Ring looks at the real-life burglaries of celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Megan Fox back in 2008 and 2009, and the fans/culprits behind it. Emma Watson, Katie Chang and Leslie Mann star.
Bombshell
A huge story that came from the #MeToo movement, Bombshell follows the real-life story of the sexual harassment allegations against former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes. Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie star.
