10 Sci-Fi Movies You Didn't Know Were Based On Real Life Events
8. Overlord
In Overlord, a group of WWII soldiers are tasked with destroying a Nazi radio tower on the eve of D-Day. But when they discover the Germans were using the tower as a lab to transform soldiers into savage mutants, the soldiers realise their mission is a bit above their pay grade.
As crazy as that premise sounds, there is a modicum of truth to it. In 1944, the Nazi party felt like their forces weren't dominating the war as they expected and so, took more desperate measures to fight the enemy.
German researcher, Wolf Kemper, was ordered to develop a drug for the Nazis to keep them as alert as humanly possible. After much experimentation, a brew was concocted which contained cocaine, meth, and other A-list drugs. Obviously, the tonic didn't turn the subjects into super-mutants but it did increase their endurance levels considerably. According to one report, test subjects who consumed this drug were able to march 55 miles in a day while carrying a 44lb backpack.
However, the screenwriters for Overlord thought walking a lot while carrying a heavy bag wasn't a particularly interesting premise for a movie, so they took a few liberties with historical accuracy.