Mockbuster: History and Key Facts

A mockbuster, also known as knockbuster, is a film created to exploit the publicity of another major motion picture with a similar title or subject. Mockbusters are often made with a low budget and quick production to maximize profits. The term is a portmanteau of the words "mock" or "knock" and "blockbuster".

Unlike films produced to capitalize on the popularity of a recent release by adopting similar genres or storytelling elements, mockbusters are generally produced concurrently with upcoming films and released direct-to-video around the time the film they are inspired by is released. A mockbuster may be similar enough in title or packaging that consumers confuse it with the actual film it mimics. These attempts are notorious for their plagiarism which have resulted in successful infringement lawsuits. However, their producers maintain that they are simply offering additional products for consumers who want to watch more films in the same subgenres.

Source and attribution

Text excerpted from Mockbuster by Wikipedia contributors, available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0. The extract is abridged and formatting has been adjusted; the adapted text on this page is shared under the same licence. Revision history.