15 Random Movie Facts From Fun to Unsettling

Making a movie involves the effort of countless people, all working together (and not always in harmony) to deliver a final product to theatres. The behind the scenes tales of these productions can be as interesting as the fictional stories they’re making, with every little factoid shining a light into the chaos that is filmmaking.

They offer a fascinating reminder that filmmaking is rarely as straightforward as the finished product makes it look. The strangest stories happened before cameras rolled, and these are the ones we’ve found to share with you today.

Disney Rejected Back to the Future

Disney rejected Back to the Future because executives considered its central premise, Marty’s mother falling for her teenage son, too much of a risk for the studio. Other studios were less concerned, and Universal ultimately made the hit.

The Usual Suspects Started With a Poster

The Usual Suspects began with a visual idea rather than a conventional story. Christopher McQuarrie imagined five criminals standing in a police lineup, then he and Bryan Singer developed a poster and premise around that image.

Schrader’s Loaded-Gun Writing Desk

Paul Schrader wrote Taxi Driver in roughly five days during a particularly difficult period in his life. He kept a loaded gun on his desk while writing, some say, although that detail is generally presented as a rumor.

Indiana Was Lucas’s Dog

George Lucas’s dog was named Indiana, and the Alaskan Malamute helped inspire the name of Indiana Jones. The connection was eventually acknowledged in The Last Crusade, when Indy explains his nickname came from the family dog.

Ghostbusters Was Originally Futuristic

Dan Aykroyd’s original Ghostbusters concept was dramatically larger than the finished movie. His rough draft was set in the future, where Ghostbusters operated everywhere as ordinary public-service workers, comparable to paramedics or firefighters.

Red Was Originally Irish

In Stephen King’s novella Shawshank Redemption, Red is a white Irishman. Frank Darabont cast Morgan Freeman instead, then kept the joke where Red explains his nickname by saying he might be Irish.

Tom Cruise Was Bateman’s Neighbor

Patrick Bateman’s world in Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho contains a bizarre celebrity cameo absent from the movie: Tom Cruise is literally his neighbor. Bateman even encounters the actor in their building’s elevator.

Kubrick’s Late-Night God Question

Stephen King recalled Stanley Kubrick calling him late at night while making The Shining and asking whether he believed in God. King has told different versions, including one where Kubrick replied, “I knew it!”

Ludlum Never Saw Bourne

Robert Ludlum, creator of Jason Bourne, died in March 2001 while The Bourne Identity was still in production. He therefore never saw the finished 2002 film, although he had been involved with the project before his death.

Deakins’ First Feature

Roger Deakins’ first feature film as cinematographer was 1984, Michael Radford’s adaptation of George Orwell’s novel. The assignment followed years of documentary work and began the feature career of a future two-time Oscar-winning cinematographer, and was also released on the very year the movie is set: 1984.

Kurt Cobain in Pulp Fiction?

Courtney Love has claimed Quentin Tarantino offered Kurt Cobain and her roles in Pulp Fiction. Tarantino has disputed the story, saying he never met Cobain and did not offer him the part of Lance.

Reagan Was Supposed to Star in Casablanca

Ronald Reagan was announced alongside Ann Sheridan and Dennis Morgan as a star of Casablanca, but the announcement was never genuine casting. The publicity release was reportedly designed to keep the actors’ names circulating.

Sean Connery’s Missed Blockbusters

Sean Connery turned down several enormous opportunities, including roles associated with The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, and Blade Runner. While some specific offers are disputed, the list remains remarkable.

James Woods Fired His Agent

James Woods has said his agent rejected Reservoir Dogs without showing him the script, despite the role of Mr. Pink being written for him. After discovering this, Woods fired his agent over the decision.

There Will Be Smoke

While filming No Country for Old Men in Marfa, Texas, the Coen brothers’ production was forced to stop for a day when smoke from Paul Thomas Anderson’s nearby There Will Be Blood set drifted into their shot.