Some works might be standalones, but they leave such an indelible mark that their mantle is picked up by another work determined to carry on the emotions and feel. Not officially a sequel but more like a reincarnation. For example, Breaking Bad is a spiritual successor of The Sopranos.
You see it all the time, and it’s not limited to any one medium. I think we’re even attempting to do it by default when we list comps and inspirations. We’re constantly trying to follow the footsteps of the greats before us. And many times the stories that grip us the most are the old ones everyone nonetheless can’t resist retelling in their own way (Greek myths come to mind, everyone loves them).
I think that’s really neat and like we’re all part of a great Transmedia project.
What are your favourite spiritual successors?
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Banafsheh Esmailzadeh That’s a great way to look at it I like the idea of storytelling as an ongoing conversation rather than isolated works.
A pairing that always stands out to me is Breaking Bad and The Sopranos not in plot, but in how they explore morally complex protagonists and the slow unraveling of identity. It feels less like imitation and more like evolution.
Another one I find interesting is Taxi Driver and Joker both tap into isolation and psychological descent, but through very different cultural lenses.
I think what makes a strong “spiritual successor” is when it doesn’t just borrow tone or theme, but reinterprets it for a different time and audience. That’s where it starts to feel alive again rather than derivative.
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Banafsheh Esmailzadeh I do find myself thinking of specific works when starting a new script and trying to imagine what sort of lineage it would fall into. I'm sure that is an ego driven perspective but hey, storytellers are nothing if not a little egotistical (hopefully mainly in the most positive way).
Thinking about pairing other existing works these are probably my top ones:
Rocky - Spiderman (first one)
Jaws - Raiders of The Lost Ark
Exorcist - Phantasm