The doomsday movie trend as of late...

Something that has gotten my attention lately is all these doomsday movies that have started coming out as of late...

"The Happening" is the latest one now, with Mark Wahlberg

n the northeastern U.S., people suddenly begin committing suicide en masse. First they become disoriented, then stop moving, and finally find the quickest way to kill themselves. The pandemic begins in parks, and quickly spreads to nearby population centers. It is initially believed to be a bioterrorist attack, but this is ruled out as the events increase in frequency.

Then there is the movie actually called "Doomsday"

Authorities brutally quarantine a country as it succumbs to fear and chaos when a virus strikes. The literal walling-off works for three decades – until the dreaded Reaper virus violently resurfaces in a major city. An elite group of specialists is urgently dispatched into the still-quarantined country to retrieve a cure by any means necessary. Shut off from the rest of the world, the unit must battle through a landscape that has become a waking nightmare.

And of Course " I am Legend" with Will Smith...

Now I am certain there are a few more I have missed, anyone who knows of some, please add them.


Now is this just a trend, is this the "IT" movie style of the moment, or is there something more behind it ?

I mean I love these kinds of movies and all, but to me it's just a bit weird that so many of them has started coming out lately...

Or is it just me ?

Add to that "Blindness" and the remake of "The day the Earth stood still".

I would say it's quite possible that the scripts that the movie companies choose to be put into film are mirrored in what is popular at the moment.
It's an easy way to make money.
But I totally agree with you. If ones mind start digging in and asking questions about it all it's quite curious what we can deduct or add it all up to.

Put in other words. It would be cool if it's all a prelude to something bigger. I just don't wanna get too absorbed by that train of thought too much

Anyone here who works in the movie industry who can add some thoughts? Are you guys in fact researching trends on the net for the profit of movie making?

These types of movies have been coming out regularly for decades. I seriously do not think this is a build up to anything.

Movies are and always have been about making lots and lots and lots of money. To do this they play on society's fears, pander to current events and marvel at the current technology. They also rip off the most popular or best-selling movie at the time and try and pip each other to the post.

There are always gluts of particular themes. Remember the 70s with The Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake, The Towering Inferno, The Omega Man, Soylent Green, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Logan's Run, The Stepford Wives etc. They pandered to our fears of a technological society gone mad and environmental catastrophe, as well as showing off new special effects technology.

In the 50s and 60s we had The Day the Earth Caught Fire, When Worlds Collide, War of the Worlds, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Invasion of the Body Snatchers etc which described the fears of brainwashing and alien invasion through the cold war and communism.

More recently we've had the Matrix trilogy, Right at Your Door, Deep Impact, Armegeddon, Minority Report, I Robot, Terminator trilogy etc etc. Now our fear is of being taken over by computers or being mashed up by asteroid impacts.

I wouldn't be concerned about certain 'themes' at the movies which are more about knowing what will sell.