Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory was financed by the Quaker Oats company to sell their real-life Wonka Bar. The bar was taken off shelves after a few months due to problems with its formula, but the film went on to become a cult classic.
The inspiration for “Nacho Libre” was Fray Tormenta, a Mexican priest…
The inspiration for “Nacho Libre” was Fray Tormenta, a Mexican priest who turned to wrestling to raise money for an orphanage, but he himself got the idea and name from a 1963 film… about a priest who turns to wrestling to raise money for an orphanage.
Disney executives were initially confused by Johnny Depp…
Disney executives were initially confused by Johnny Depp’s performance as Jack Sparrow in POTC, questioning whether he was drunk or gay. The CEO of Disney proclaimed that Depp was ruining the film. Depp’s response to Disney executives was they could trust him with his choices or let him go.
A Gladiator sequel script had Maximus reincarnated by the Roman…
A Gladiator sequel script had Maximus reincarnated by the Roman gods and returned to Rome to defend Christians against persecution; then transported to other periods including WWII, the Vietnam War, and finally being a general in the Pentagon. It was rejected for being too far-fetched.
The cast of Super Mario Brothers was constantly…
The cast of Super Mario Brothers was constantly drunk while filming just to get through their scenes.
James Cameron would use a nail gun to nail the film crew’s cell…
James Cameron would use a nail gun to nail the film crew’s cell phones to a wall in retaliation for unwanted ringing during the production of Avatar.
Steven Spielberg refused payment…
Steven Spielberg refused payment for his work on “Schindler’s List”.
When Ronald Reagan watched Back to the Future for the first…
When Ronald Reagan watched Back to the Future for the first time, he loved the joke about who was president in 1985 (Ronald Reagan? The Actor?) so much that he made the theater projectionist stop the film, roll it back, and play the joke again.
The American Humane Association complained about a live maggot…
The American Humane Association complained about a live maggot being eaten in the movie “The Shawshank Redemption” on the grounds that it was cruel to the maggot. A maggot that had “died of natural causes” had to be found.
One show during Guns N Roses “Use Your Illusion Tour” was delayed…
One show during Guns N Roses “Use Your Illusion Tour” was delayed because frontman Axl Rose was watching the movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and refused to take the stage until it had finished.