I generally handle this by allowing both PCs and opponents to combine into a group effort, like a swarm, although mostly it is only used for their opponents. I mainly made it up to make things easier for me, but also to make PCs fighting hordes more interesting. The basic rule is that if 2, 4, 8, 16, etc., opponents combine into a group effort they gain a bonus of 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. This bonus applies to attack rolls, AC, saves, and increases the number of attacks per round by the bonus. It also increases hit points by the bonus times whatever the median hit points are, and increases movement by the median movement. All of this makes it easier to handle a larger group that can spread over a wider area, can't focus all attacks on one target but can move in and out so that the opponent hit one round isn't the opponent hit the next, and so on.
PCs don't usually do this as they are more effective on their own, but they can use it if they're leading, say, a unit in an army.
That said, I cringe when I hear words like "recreate" used to describe RPGs in comparison to movies, tv, books. Unless there's a director and writer controlling both the opponents and the PCs, recreating is going to be counterproductive to fun and interesting.