Making a feature film is by no means a simple task. Tensions often run high and cast and crew frequently clash. However, some movie’s behind the scenes nightmares extend far beyond simple feuds.
The question is: is it possible for a movie to be born under a bad sign? Some productions feel less like creative endeavors and more like epic battles for survival. Whether it’s a legendary “curse” that follows the cast home or a set so toxic that the lead actors end up pulling weapons on each other, some films are defined more by their wreckage than their dialogue. Here are five movies that were absolutely plagued with behind the scenes nightmares.
5. Blue Collar (1978)
On paper, Blue Collar should have been a massive success. Screenwriter Paul Schrader was fresh of the success of Martin Scorsese‘s Taxi Driver. With that level of clout, he managed to wrangle an all-star cast for his debut as a director – Harvey Keitel, Richard Pryor, and Yaphet Kotto. While the movie was a hit with critics, the making of this dark crime comedy was an absolute disaster.
Reportedly, all three lead actors clashed with Schrader. When they weren’t at loggerheads with him, they were fighting with each other. Legend has it that Pryor pointed a gun at Schrader, something crew members put down to drug-fuelled set.
4. The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)
In the chaotic lore of Hollywood disasters, few legends loom larger than the 1996 adaptation of The Island of Dr. Moreau. Directed by both John Frankenheimer and Richard Stanley, this wasn’t a collaboration of cinematic visions – it was a muddy mess. Just four days into filming, Stanley was fired when New Line Cinema executives lost confidence in his ability to manage a major, big-budget studio production. Frankenheimer (known for fast-paced action movies) stepped in but didn’t fare any better, reportedly facing a rebellious cast that largely ignored his authority.
Despite the film being led by megastars Val Kilmer and Marlon Brando, production completely unravelled due to their increasingly erratic behaviors. Kilmer was reportedly “difficult” to the point of sabotage, and Brando insisted on wearing an ice bucket on his head and receiving lines via an earpiece – which often picked up police radio signals instead. Matters were made way worse when then the Australian set was battered with a tropical hurricane.
3. The Shining (1980)
The Shining‘s behind the scenes nightmares didn’t involve weather issues or feuding cast members. Instead, this iconic horror film’s BTS trivia has become notorious due to Stanley Kubrick‘s supposed psychological warfare approach to achieving authenticity. Simply put, he wanted Shelley Duvall to literally be terrified. The problem here is, method acting should be a tactic decided by the actor, not the director.
The toll on Duvall was devastating, with her hair reportedly falling out due to the sheer stress of Kubrick demanding a gruelling 127 takes for a single scene. Physical disasters also plagued the production. A massive, mysterious fire ripped through Elstree Studios, completely destroying the iconic Overlook Hotel set and causing a massive production delay.
2. Roar (1981)
For the 1981 movie Roar, the nightmare began with a reckless creative decision: forcing the cast and crew to work alongside over 150 untrained lions, tigers, leopards, and cheetahs. Often cited as the most dangerous movie ever made, it’s a miracle no-one was killed. However, many were injured.
Cinematographer Jan De Bont (who went on to direct Speed) was famously scalped by a lion, requiring 220 stitches to reattach his scalp. A further 72 people were injured across the cast and crew. Star Melanie Griffith was savagely mauled by a lion, forcing her to endure extensive facial reconstructive surgery and narrowly missing the loss of an eye. Amazingly, no animals were harmed during the multi-year shoot, but the human cost left a permanent, horrific scar on Hollywood history. And even more bizarre, there were no major lawsuits filed.
1. Poltergeist (1982)
The iconic horror movie Poltergeist takes the list of plagued movies into heart-breaking territory. Now known as the “Poltergeist Curse”, the real-world toll began almost immediately, marked by the brutal murder of 22-year-old actress Dominique Dunne just months after the film premiered. This tragic loss cast a permanent shadow over the movie’s massive box office success.
When cameras were rolling, the set was often looked upon as doomed from the outset. A confusing power dynamic fuelled persistent rumors that producer Steven Spielberg ghost-directed the film instead of credited director Tobe Hooper. Adding to the friction, a macabre atmosphere took over the set when the production featured unsettling behind-the-scenes decisions. In the famous climax where actress JoBeth Williams falls into a muddy pool, the crew used real human skeletons because they were cheaper than plastic props at the time – a truly horrific detail the cast didn’t discover until after filming.
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