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The history of cinema is full of examples when the production of a movie went catastrophically, or at the very least, was full of challenges. Despite that, a difficult production period doesn’t mean the finished movie is doomed to failure, as some of the best movies with notoriously troubled productions prove.
5 The Wizard Of Oz (1939)
The 1939 movie is one of the classics that inspired multiple other movies. But the production was far from easy. The usual course of action is for a movie to have a single director. The Wizard of Oz had several of them, and even more screenwriters, well around 20, making it difficult to get to one final version of the script. As a result, the script was only completed after the filming had actually started. Judy Garland gave an iconic performance as Dorothy but almost wasn’t cast in the movie as they believed she looked too old for the role.
The role of Tin Man had to be recast fast because the original actor turned out to be allergic to the special make-up. And even more trouble was caused by Dorothy’s dog Toto, who had trouble finishing the scene the way the creators needed. However, all the hard work paid out, and to this day, The Wizard of Oz remains one of the most celebrated fantasy movies of all time.
4 Jaws (1975)
The iconic shark horror movie is a good example of turning problems into potential advantages. The main problem was the malfunctioning shark Bruce that simply didn’t work as needed. To solve the problem, Steven Spielberg decided to show the shark in the movie as little as possible, making for a more intense atmosphere since the heroes (and the viewers) didn’t know where the shark would appear next.
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The production lasted almost three times longer than was originally planned, and Richard Dreyfuss and his co-star Robert Shaw famously didn’t get along. Despite all the difficulties, Jaws turned out to be a box office hit and Steven Spielberg went on to have a long and fruitful directing career.
3 Star Wars (1977)
When Star Wars premiered in 1977, it quickly became a huge hit and changed the world of science fiction forever. But while the movie was in production, it looked like luck was against it. As it often happens, the production ran longer than expected. The London crew members who worked on the movie had very little trust in the production and the cast (such as Harrison Ford) wasn’t doing much better. Because of the special effects, the movie cost more than was originally planned.
When the first version was finished, it was screened and met with a dismal reaction. Overall, nobody, except for George Lucas and a few key people, believed in the movie’s success. Star Wars proved everybody wrong and went on to spawn many sequels, both in movies, TV series, and literature, not to mention it turned all the three main actors into stars.
2 Apocalypse Now (1979)
Of all the 20th century movies, Apocalypse Now is probably the best-known example of a nightmarish production. It was so difficult that it even earned a documentary movie titled Hearts of Darkness. Once again, the movie took longer to make than expected. The original plan was to film for five months…and it was more than a year. The script was rewritten several times, Martin Sheen replaced Harvey Keitel in the leading role, and he suffered a heart attack during the filming.
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The cast and crew weren’t doing so well filming in the jungle in the Philippines so by the time the production was over, it was a relief for everyone involved. Apocalypse Now is hailed as one of the greatest war movies of all time, it was nominated for eight Oscars and won two of them, so all the effort wasn’t in vain.
1 Titanic (1997)
With eleven Oscars under its belt, including the one for Best Picture, Titanic is one of the most successful movies of all time. But just like with other major hits, its production process was far from easy. The movie took longer to film than expected, which meant it also cost more money to make. The filming conditions weren’t pleasant for the actors or the stuntmen who were forced to film in cold water. Several of the stuntmen got injured during the filming.
There was also a poisoning on the set and over 50 people ended up in the hospital, including the director James Cameron. Unlike Jack and Rose’s romance in the movie, the production had a good ending, though. The movie not only became a classic, but it also made Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio famous.
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