10 Films With Troubled Productions
Animal issues. Egos. Creative differences.
When a movie hits the screen, we often focus on the final product, loving or hating it, without considering its journey. Yet, many films endure chaotic productions marked by actors departing, budget overruns, directors clashing, financial woes, crew disputes, and even unpredictable weather, all of which create turmoil behind the scenes.
There are a ton more examples of this than you might believe. As a movie history amateur, I found these films and their troubled productions interesting.
Here are 10 movies with troubled productions:
Cujo
This 1983 adaptation of a Stephen King novel was directed by Lewis Teague. It follows a rabid St. Bernard that terrorizes a family. The problem was, St. Bernards are not an aggressive breed. The production staff had to bring in other breeds with dyed fur and even human stunt performers for attack sequences because the star doggies would not go rabid.
Rover Dangerfield
Stand-up comedian Rodney Dangerfield desperately wanted to make an adult animated comedy similar to Fritz The Cat. In 1991, he got his wish, but Warner Media, angry that he dropped out of Caddyshack II, sabotaged the project to make it more family-friendly. The experience was so bad, the film became a footnote in his autobiography.
Fantastic Four
The 2015 reboot of Marvel’s First Family was troubled when director Josh Trank had a mental breakdown on set. Upon seeing the rough cut, the studio demanded reshoots which only furthered complications on set, leading to a box office bomb.
The Room
Tommy Wiseau became a pop culture sensation with the line, “Oh hi, Mark.” Books and films have been written about the chaotic 2003 production, which saw Wiseau control the shoot every step of the way, even making himself a private toilet on set… in the middle of the soundstage.
Casino Royale
Before Daniel Craig entered the scene, there was Peter Sellers. And David Niven. And Ursula Andress. And Woody Allen. No, I am not kidding. Sellers feuded with co-star Orson Welles and quit. This forced the director to shoot and even reshoot several of Sellers’ scenes with new actors, all pretending to be James Bond. Needless to say, this 1967 spoof has since become a cult classic.
Stalker
This 1979 Russian sci-fi had to be completely reshot after discovering that the original film reels were “unusable.” This caused the original cinematographer to be fired, and he was replaced with a new one. It is also thought that the filming location, including near two power plants, contributed to the deaths of several cast and crew members.
Waterworld
Director Kevin Reynolds considered it a good idea to shoot out in the open ocean to make the 1995 feature more authentic. However, the waves would constantly push the floating sets out of range of the cameras, and the weather was unpredictable. It is also said that star Kevin Costner demanded rewrites to the script during filming.
Apocalypse Now
Marlon Brando caused many issues on the set of this 1979 war film. He showed up massively overweight and had not read the script. Martin Sheen had a mental breakdown and suffered a heart attack. It is also said that Francis Ford Coppola shot five endings before finally cobbling something together with editor Dennis Jakob.
American History X
It is said that star Edward Norton took over creative control of this 1998 crime drama from first-time director Tony Hale. Norton hated the ending and demanded reshoots. Kaye went to war in the press, which only angered studio execs, who sided with Norton. Hale has since renounced the film.
Blade Trinity
Wesley Snipes was not happy with the script or director David S. Goyer. He refused to speak with him and would only appear for close-ups. This prompted Goyer to shoot around co-stars Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel, which only angered Snipes further. Goyer would describe the experience as “difficult and painful.”
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, anime, or novel you would like me to review.