What Is ‘Zepotha?’ Here's What You Need to Know About TikTok’s Fake Viral Movie
In the event you've scrolled through your TikTok feed in the past 48 hours (which—be honest—you have), you may have come across people's comments sections being flooded with remarks like, "You really look like that character in Zepotha"and "So glad Zepotha is finally getting recognition it deserves." Now before you go down a full-on rabbit hole in an attempt to figure out just WTF Zepotha even is, don't worry! We'll break it down so you don't lose any cool points in your group chats.
Essentially, Zepotha is a 1987 horror film, and tons of people online are thrilled it's finally getting its ~moment~. *Insert Keke Palmer voice* But the gag is...it's not actually a real movie! IRL, the entire concept was created by 18-year-old musician Emily Jeffri, who shared a post over the weekend with the idea of creating a fake horror film to try and convince people it's completely legit. And it definitely worked. Here's everything you need to know about the viral TikTok trend currently having a moment.
Wait, but is Zepotha a real movie? Asking for a friend...👀
To give ya the SparkNotes version: Nope! Zepotha isn't actually a real film. In fact, the fake movie meme was created only two (!!) days ago by musician @emilyjeffri. Here's the video that started it all:
In the post, Emily mused, "Ok so new bit idea: What if we created a fake '80s horror movie called 'Zepotha' & started commenting 'omg u look EXACTLY like ________ from Zepotha' on every thirst trap we see."
"Together, we will witness new lore develop, main characters will emerge, etc. & we can convince thousands of people that this weirdly titled '80s horror film actually exists," the creator added.
Unclear how it happened, but the algorithm clearly did its thing and the video now has over 940,600 likes and 5.1 million views...which means *tons* of people are now playing along with the elaborate prank, and the ripple effects have started confusing the heck out of appearing on unsuspecting creators' comment sections.
Despite the trend having existed for only, like, 48 hours, things have gotten so out of hand that some people have even urged others to help them find the film so that they can see what the hype is about.
Hilariously, they've been told the reason why the indie flick isn't available on the internet is because it "only exists on DVD and VHS." Lol.
Is there anything we know about the world of Zepotha?
There have been tons of Zepotha characters added to the lore on TikTok, including Danny, Alaine, Emma, Sophie, Ray, Jane, Maxine, Rita, Alex, Michael, Cole, Neil, Robbie, Alecia, and Eileen.
There's even a filter on the app that tells you which Zepotha character you are (alongside photos of random people, obvi).
There are also countless scenes people can't stop talking about, including Zepotha's opening scene and the iconic forest scene, which has been dubbed "one of the best scenes in cinematic history" by users.
Oh, and because this fandom knows how to commit to a bit, there are even fake Wikipedia pages that not only explain the first movie but give information on a fictional sequel that is currently in production.
Wizards of Waverly Place fans will be pleased to know that Maria Canals-Barrera has even hopped on the trend with a post explaining how much she loved the movie when it originally came out and how much her daughter looks like Alaine.
Truly, what is happening?!?!!?
Why is everyone also freaking out about the music?
Honestly, Emily is a marketing G-E-N-I-U-S and no one can tell me otherwise. Their hugely viral original post featured a snippet from her own song "DO YOU REMEMBER ME," which people really love. So not only are there actual Zepotha stans out there, but Emily themself has garnered a massive fanbase—so much so that people are anticipating and excited for her upcoming album, SOUNDTRACK FOR AN 80'S HORROR MOVIE, which is set to debut on August 25.
So, will Zepotha ever be made?
Interestingly enough, there is actually a very real possibility that Zepotha may become an actual film IRL in the near future. Just yesterday, Emily launched a short film competition in order to bring the movie to life, writing, "Hey, sorry to break the 4th wall, but as the creator of zepotha i feel it is important that we restore & organise our lore. time for you, the REAL creative geniuses behind all of this, to bring zepotha to life in your own short movies. the winner of this competition will receive £500 from me and their movie will become canon in the zepotha universe!"
TL;DR: TikTok really is the gift that keeps on giving.
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