The Zodiac Killer was an unidentified serial killer responsible for at least five murders in California in the late 1960s. The unsolved case has lingered on in pop culture, with at least parts of the mystery inspiring at least five movies, including the new film The Batman.
But was the Zodiac Killer himself inspired by a movie? The 1939 film Charlie Chan at Treasure Island may have given the killer some ideas. The plot is confusing, but contains several things that resurfaced later in the real Zodiac case. They include a warning about Zodiac, a character named Dr. Zodiac, and enigmatic notes sent to the authorities. Although the real-world case has yet to be solved, one suspect was said to have loved the movie Charlie Chan at Treasure Island in his childhood. Read about the ties between Charlie Chan and the Zodiac Killer at Cracked.