Forbidden Planet

Story

In the 23rd century a rescue mission is sent to planet Altair 4 to look for an Earth ship that had disappeared twenty years earlier en route to the planet. On arrival the rescuers find the only inhabitants of the planet are Dr Mobius, his daughter and Robby the Robot – and something terrible lurks in the shadows.

Why we chose it

Though somewhat dated now, Forbidden Planet was a ground breaking science fiction adventure. It was the first film to be set entirely in outer space and Robby the Robot was one of the first robots to have a personality and full role in the plot

Where it came from

Considered to be loosely based on Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, the original screenplay was titled Fatal Planet and written by Irving Block and Irene Adler. It was renamed in a later draft by Cyril Hume.

Where it went next

The film is thought to have influenced or inspired a number of sci fi dramas, including Star Trek, Dr Who (the Planet of Evil story in 1975), Star Wars and The Twilight Zone

Associated stories

The designer of Robby the Robot, Robert Kinoshita, also designed the robot in the series Lost in Space. Robby himself appeared in some episodes of the series as well as in The Twilight Zone, Wonder Woman, Mork and Mindy and Gremlins. A sequel was made starring Robby, called The Invisible Boy, but it was not a success with critics or audiences.

The British musical Return to the Forbidden Planet was inspired by the film – it won an Olivier award for best musical in 1989/90.