This 56-Year-Old Sci-Fi Story Is So Good, There Are 3 Great Versions of It

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Science fiction often inspires lasting discussions and ideas. In 2025, we saw a trend of sci-fi movies and shows – like The Running Man and Pluribus – that were either updated versions or completely reimagined takes on classic stories from decades past. When sci-fi tackles important questions or challenges our beliefs, it’s hard to overlook its impact.

The story of 12 Monkeys is a great example of a sci-fi tale that keeps captivating audiences. It’s been adapted for the screen multiple times – as a short film, a beloved movie, and a highly-rated TV series – and each version continues to challenge viewers and leave them thinking long after it’s over.

12 Monkeys’ Cinematic History, Explained

The movie 12 Monkeys was originally inspired by a 1962 short film called La Jetée, created by director Chris Marker. This 28-minute film takes place in France after a World War III, and follows a prisoner haunted by his past. He’s sent on a mission to the past to find a mysterious woman he remembers, and then to the distant future to gather technology that could help rebuild their ruined world. Though he succeeds in bringing the technology back, he discovers his captors intend to eliminate him. With help from future allies, he escapes to the past, hoping to spend his life with the woman from his memories. However, he ultimately realizes his childhood memory wasn’t of a happy moment, but of witnessing his own death at the hands of those who had been chasing him from the future.

Terry Gilliam directed and David and Janet Peoples wrote the screenplay for the 1995 sci-fi film, 12 Monkeys, expanding on the ideas presented in the short film La Jetée. The film reimagined the story to tap into 1990s anxieties about pandemics and bioterrorism. It follows James Cole (Bruce Willis), a prisoner from a virus-ravaged future who believes the outbreak was caused by a group called the “Army of the 12 Monkeys.” Sent back in time to 1990s Philadelphia, Cole is mistakenly institutionalized. There, he unexpectedly teams up with Goines (Brad Pitt), an erratic and wealthy man’s son, and an activist who is later revealed to be connected to the 12 Monkeys. After convincing his psychiatrist he’s a time traveler, Cole attempts to stop Goines and his group from unleashing the virus that will destroy the future.

MAJOR SPOILERS FOLLOW!

Terry Gilliam’s film 12 Monkeys features a surprising twist: the seemingly dangerous Goines is revealed to be a simple animal rights activist. The true threat is a scientist connected to Goines’ father, and Cole has the opportunity to stop him before the deadly virus spreads. However, a key childhood memory of Cole’s – witnessing a death at the airport – is actually him seeing his future self die, unable to prevent the outbreak.

As a huge movie fan, I remember being blown away by 12 Monkeys when it came out – it was the same year as Se7en, and both films had Brad Pitt delivering fantastic performances! What really stuck with me, and a lot of people my age, was how both movies just didn’t give you a happy ending; the good guys didn’t win, and it was genuinely unsettling. 12 Monkeys especially messed with your head with its time travel plot. It’s a sci-fi film that really stayed with me. And it was a big success too – made over $168 million from a $29 million budget, and Brad Pitt even got a Golden Globe and two Oscar nominations for his supporting role, plus recognition for the incredible costumes!

From 2015 to 2018, the TV series 12 Monkeys aired on Syfy, expanding on the story told in the films. The show focused on James Cole (played by Aaron Stanford, known for X-Men), and his frequent travels between the past and future. This created complex time travel scenarios, as Cole dealt with challenges in both the 2010s and the 2040s. Different groups tried to either stop or allow the spread of the Kalavirus, which threatened to wipe out humanity, believing events were predetermined.

The 12 Monkeys TV series built on the mystery of Cole’s destiny by using multiple timelines. Unlike the movie, Cole starts as a scavenger, and he’s chosen for time travel because past discoveries already prove he’s the one meant to do it. The show delved into a complex mystery, gradually revealing clues about how Cole affects the timeline and hinting that the future is fixed due to his actions and those of his allies. By its fourth season, 12 Monkeys had become a large-scale science fiction story, featuring different groups using time travel technology and a unique interpretation of the original premise.

While the 12 Monkeys TV series doesn’t quite reach the level of Terry Gilliam’s film, it’s still an enjoyable sci-fi show about time travel for fans of the genre. Overall, the story of 12 Monkeys remains popular, with three different ways for people to experience it.

You can watch the movie 12 Monkeys (released in 1995) on Sling TV. The television series based on the movie is available for purchase from digital stores.

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2025-11-21 17:18