21 Surprising Classic Movie Facts That Are Actually True

The writers and directors of Airplane! — Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker — first conceived the idea after seeing the film on television and opted to create their own airplane‑disaster comedy. Finding their initial script lacking, they chose to model it closely on the plot of Zero Hour!. To sidestep any legal complications, they purchased the rights to Zero Hour! for a nominal fee, granting them free use of its material. Interestingly, one of Zero Hour!’s co‑writers, Arthur Hailey, authored the 1968 novel Airport, which inspired the 1970 film of the same name and launched the disaster‑movie genre — a genre that Airplane! would later parody and effectively overshadow.

Source link