13 movies that started life online

Key Points:

• Fred, created by Lucas Cruikshank, started on YouTube with dark, macabre humor before moving to Nickelodeon, theaters, and eventually TikTok; the character was mostly retired by 2014.
• Grumpy Cat, originating from Reddit, became a meme sensation and starred in a Lifetime Christmas movie voiced by Aubrey Plaza, capitalizing on the cat's distinctive grumpy expression.
• Slender Man began on Something Awful and expanded into various media including web series, video games, and movies, influencing many similar horror characters and stories.
• Mister America, derived from the On Cinema podcast, evolved into a mockumentary film released in theaters, showcasing the internet-born project's complex narrative and in-jokes.
• Zola started as a viral Twitter thread and was adapted into a critically recognized film that premiered at Sundance, notable for its wild true story and strong creative team.
• Additional internet-originated works like Grimcutty, Skinamarink, Dear David, Nimona, and A Woman Called Mother transitioned from platforms like WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter, and Tumblr to various film and streaming releases, highlighting the growing trend of viral content influencing mainstream media.