16 Three Major Horror Franchises Were Inspired by the Same Serial Killer
It takes one particularly terrifying creep to inspire Hannibal Lecter, Norman Bates, and Leatherface, but that's the legacy left by horrifying serial killer Ed Gein. When he was finally caught and his house of horrors in Plainfield, Wisconsin, discovered, police found masks and lampshades made from human skin, among plenty of other atrocities. His astonishing depravity proved a source of creative inspiration.
17 Gene Hackman Was Originally Going to Play Hannibal Lecter
Speaking of Hannibal the cannibal, while Anthony Hopkins turned the crazy-smart serial killer into an unforgettable cultural touchstone, the role was originally supposed to go to Gene Hackman, who bought the rights to The Silence of the Lambs and had planned on directing the film himself. He backed off the project when he decided that the role was too dark for his taste.
18 The Most Profitable Film of All Time Is Paranormal Activity
Thanks to its microscopic budget and major success at the box office, the 2007 film Paranormal Activity, scored a return on investment of 19,758 percent, absolutely blowing away the next most profitable film (2015 horror film The Gallows, with an ROI of 6,843 percent). It cost just $60,000 to make and another $400,000 or so to market, yet ultimately brought in more than $89 million.
19 The Two Least Profitable Films Both Take Place on Mars
If you're looking to score big box office bucks, stay away from Mars. The two biggest money losers of all time both take place on that planet, with the 2012 sci-fi bomb John Carter holding the No. 2 spot with a loss of almost $127 million, outdone only by Mars Needs Moms, from a year earlier, which lost its studio more than $143 million—the worst ROI ever.
20 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Was Originally the Other Way Around
The original script for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, by William Goldman, was originally titled The Sundance Kid and Butch Cassidy. That all flipped when Paul Newman, maybe the biggest star on the planet at the time of production, took the role of Butch.
21 Harry Potter Has Brit Rock Cameos
The Harry Potter franchise boasts basically every British character actor in film, but it also squeezed in some British rock stars, too. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Weird Sisters include Pulp members Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey as well as Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood and Phil Selway.
22 American Psycho Was Inspired by Tom Cruise
Christian Bale explained that he drew inspiration from a Cruise interview on David Letterman's show, in which he was struck by the star's "very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes," as American Psycho's director, Mary Harron, put it.
23 George Lucas' Dog Inspired Chewbacca
The creator of the Star Wars world would drive around with his large Alaskan Malamute in the front seat of his car, which he described as "bigger than a human being and very long-haired." The affection he felt for the dog was what gave him the idea for the connection between Han Solo and Chewbacca. (Fun fact: He was named Indiana.)
24 Bill Murray Was Considered for the Role of Batman
In addition to Kevin Costner, Pierce Brosnan, and Mel Gibson, Bill Murray was considered for the role of the caped crusader in the 1989 film Batman. That was, until director Tim Burton came on board and went with Michael Keaton.
25 The Bridge Explosion in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Had to Be Shot Twice
The big scene in this Spaghetti Western classic—when Blondie and Tuco blow up the bridge leading to the cemetery where the gold is believed to be buried—had to be shot twice. A misunderstanding led to the dynamite around the bridge being detonated before cameras were ready to catch it, requiring the bridge to be rebuilt and the whole thing to be shot again.
26 Scream Was Originally Titled Scary Movie
While the Wayans brothers' spoof of Scream went with the not-so-subtle title of Scary Movie, they would have had to get a bit more creative if the movie they were sending up had stuck with its original title. Now-disgraced former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who produced the original, heard the Michael Jackson song "Scream" in his car and decided he liked that better than the title that the project had originally been given, and the name stuck.
27 John Landis Loves Casting Other Directors in His Movies
Directors may have a reputation as egomaniacs that don't like to share the spotlight, but John Landis has proven happy to give other directors cameos in his films. Frank Oz and Steven Spielberg both appeared in The Blues Brothers; George Lucas popped up in Beverly Hills Cop III; Into the Night featured Amy Heckerling, David Cronenberg, Jonathan Demme, and others; and Dario Argenta played a paramedic in Innocent Blood.
28 Oscar Winners Used to Be Announced Before the Ceremony
During the early years of the Academy Awards, the organization provided newspapers with the names in advance, with the agreement that they would not publish the names until 11 p.m. Of course, then someone had to ruin it for everyone, when The Los Angeles Times broke this rule during the heated 1940 competition, announcing that Gone With the Wind had won before the statue had been handed out. It led to a rule change that stands today.
29 The Matrix Code Comes From Sushi
Those complex-looking green digits scrolling down the screen in The Matrix may look like mysterious code, but in fact they were symbols from a sushi cookbook, scanned by the movie's production designer.
30 John Travolta Is Actually Pulling the Needle Out of Uma Thurman's Chest
The grizzly scene in Pulp Fiction where Travolta jams a needle into Uma Thurman's chest to try to revive her from her overdose was actually filmed backwards. It allowed to create the effect of the needle actually making contact with the actress—without requiring Travolta to risk puncturing her.