Even the most dedicated movie buffs might be surprised by some of the incidents happening both on and off-screen during the making of their favorite hits. Some of these stories actually make it on film, while others simply become the stuff of legend for decades to come. From fun trivia to actual horror (Michelle Pfeiffer had a method acting moment in Batman Returns that even Tim Burton was stunned by), here are 10 unbelievable being-the-scenes stories from hit movies that will make you want to watch them again at once.
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1 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
New Line CinemaIt’s only fitting that Alan Lee and John Howe, long-term illustrators for The Lord of the Rings movies and books, appear in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Keep your eyes open for their brief cameo as two of the kings in possession of the nine rings of power.
2 | 22 Jump Street (2014)
Sony Pictures ReleasingPoor Jonah Hill was not acting when he freaked out after being attacked by a bird on screen. It was real! No wonder he doesn’t like birds.
3 | Batman Returns (1992)
Warner Bros.Michelle Pfeiffer actually put a bird inside her mouth for that infamous Batman Returns scene. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so impressed,” director Tim Burton told The Hollywood Reporter. “She had a live bird in her mouth while the camera was rolling. It was four or five seconds, and then she let it fly out. It was before CG, it was before digital. It was so quick, it seems like it was an effect.”
4 | Toy Story 2 (1999)
Buena Vista PicturesImagine a Toy Story 2 without Jesse—it almost happened. At least Señorita Cactus got to make a brief appearance either way.
5 | Interstellar (2014)
Paramount PicturesChristopher Nolan is nothing if not thorough—imagine being such a stickler for a beautiful shot you plant 500 acres of corn. “Luckily, [director] Zack [Snyder] had grown a bunch of corn, so I said, ‘How much can you really grow practically? And they had done a couple hundred acres [for Man of Steel], so we looked into it; we found that where we wanted to build our farmhouse really close to the mountains [outside] Calgary,” Nolan told The Hollywood Reporter. “In the end, we got a pretty good crop, and we actually made money on this.”
6 | Goldfinger (1964)
United ArtistsTalk about method acting—Howard Sakata showed a bonkers dedication to the scene In Goldfinger by allowing himself to get burned. Impressive! Let’s hope they covered his medical bills.
7 | Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
A24In a delightfully meta move, footage of beautiful Michelle Yeoh is included, on the red carpet for Crazy Rich Asians (2018). There’s no such thing as too much Michelle Yeoh!
8 | Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1978)
EMI FilmsIt’s telling that the cast of Monty Python and the Holy Grail are so funny they crack each other up unexpectedly. Eric Idle is all of us trying to keep a straight face while John Cleese does his thing.
9 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
New Line CinemaEven hardcore LOTR fans may not know that Arwen was supposed to have fought at the battle of Helm’s Deep. Liv Tyler filmed the scenes but her character was cut out later.
10 | Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
20th Century FoxJane Russell’s tumble into the pool was entirely unscripted but she made it look as elegant as a choreographed dance. And all her makeup stayed on! They truly don’t make them like they used to.
