8 Sci-Fi Movies That Re-Used Props From Other Movies

1. Countless Retro Sci-Fi Movies - Robby The Robot

Forbidden Planet Lost In Space Columbo Robby The Robot
MGM/20th Television/Universal Television

Upon someone's utterance of the word "robot", one of several images is likely to spring to mind immediately. C-3PO and R2D2 of Star Wars, Futurama's Bender, Metropolis' Maria for all you connoisseurs of culture or Optimus Prime for all you connoisseurs of loud noises and flashing lights. However, undoubtedly one of the most influential, enduring and heavily recycled is the classic conical-headed Robby The Robot.

Making his first appearance in 1956's Forbidden Planet, Robby's glass dome, pincer-like hands and stubby, Michelin-Man legs resonates across sci-fi history - likely in part because of just how many times he was re-used. The very next year, the same Robby suit was used in The Invisible Boy, which can be tenuously linked to the same canon as Forbidden Planet. Other notable works which used the suit are TV shows including but far from limited to The Twilight Zone, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Lost In Space and even Columbo.

After the original costume was put on display at the Movie World/Cars of the Stars Museum, the suit was replicated and has seen use in a near-endless amount of films and TV series over the decades. Even video games have got in on the act, with the Fallout series allowing the player to encounter Robby-like Protectrons across the world and promptly blow them to bits.

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A self-taught video editor with nearly 25 years of experience, Joe worked in freelance videography for many years before joining WhatCulture in 2018. During that time, he has expanded his work to include both writing and presenting, and has been at the forefront of several new channel launches including WhatCulture Horror and WhatCulture Star Wars, largely defining their visual identity through the design and curation of their bespoke assets. As a dedicated WhatCulture Gaming staff member, he has spearheaded numerous new content strategies and formats, and has taken the lead on various charitable projects that have raised large sums of money for charities close to his heart. Bluesky and Instagram: @jjpinwheel