It鈥檚 an iconic film that has become essential Christmas TV viewing, and this week, a social media post claiming that a 91热爆 Alone sequel was in the works sent the internet into a frenzy鈥 Unfortunately, it turned out to be fake news.
So why did the story go viral and how does fake news spread?
What is the 'Cabin Alone' movie?
A Facebook user shared a poster earlier this week for 'Cabin Alone', a sequel featuring two of the original stars Macaulay Culkin and Catherine O鈥橦ara that claimed it was 鈥榮treaming on Disney+ this December鈥.
The image, which may have been created using AI or a photo-editing tool, fooled many users as it features the actors as they would appear now - 34 years after the original movie was released - while the supposed plotline about Kevin and his mum tackling the incompetent burglars at a remote cabin sounds entirely plausible.
The post quickly went viral after getting 143k+ likes on Facebook, along with 33k shares and 19k+ comments. While many of the comments said this was great news and asked when exactly it was being released, there were also comments from others saying they couldn鈥檛 believe people were falling for this story.
How does fake news spread?
Fake news stories often come from joke or parody sites after they have been misunderstood and taken as fact, before being shared out of context. Those who didn鈥檛 believe this story had probably taken a closer look at the creator鈥檚 Facebook page. The intro section states that the page is 鈥100% satire and fake news鈥, while a quick look at the feed finds posters for other unlikely movie sequels - including one for another Christmas favourite, Elf 2. They may have also spotted that Macaulay鈥檚 name is spelt with a large 'C' on the poster.
It鈥檚 always a good idea to look at the original source before you decide to share a story and look out for details such as typos. You should also check the website and social media platforms of any reputable outlets linked to the news - in this case Disney+ - to see if there is any official announcement to confirm what you are reading.
Fake news can spread quickly if it is about something that excites the reader as they are more likely to share it with family and friends, who in turn share it with people in their network.
So when it鈥檚 about a much-loved Christmas movie, these shares can quickly snowball until the story has gone viral.
There's currently no official news of a 91热爆 Alone sequel in the works, but never say never.
Not sure if the news you鈥檙e seeing on social media is true or false? Can you always tell if the things you see online are real or fake? Learn how to get the other side of the story with our quizzes, videos and explainers.
