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10 Movie Facts That Sound Fake But Are Actually True
Some movie facts sound so improbable they seem made up, but they’re surprisingly true. For example, despite being the face of a "wizarding world," Harry Potter doesn’t cast a single spell in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. It’s hard to believe the titular character doesn’t wield his wand properly in the entire first film, but it’s true.
Then, there's A World Away, which stars real-life sisters Rowan and Carmen Blanchard. Oddly enough, they don’t play siblings on-screen, a casting choice that seems like a missed opportunity or perhaps a deliberate twist.
Potentially even more unbelievable is a familial connection hidden within Star Wars The actor who plays Rebel pilot Wedge Antilles is actually Ewan McGregor’s uncle. Obi-Wan Kenobi’s lineage runs through the Rebellion in more ways than one. If you think Disney animated films don’t play with meta jokes, think again. At exactly the 46-minute mark of Hercules (which runs 92 minutes), Hades declares, "It’s only halftime," a perfectly timed line that breaks the fourth wall in subtle genius.
Here are 10 more movie facts that almost sound too absurd to be real, but are.
The Rock and Grant Heslov Were Nearly Attacked By A Vulture During This Scorpion King Scene
In The Scorpion King, Dwayne The Rock Johnson and Grant Heslov weren’t really buried up to their necks in the sand, as the two were placed in underground compartments built for the scene for a couple of hours. However, Heslov was nearly attacked by a vulture on the first take of the scene. An animal trainer then stepped in before any physical contact was made, and Russell made the call to scrap the vultures from the scene.
Mike Myers only Agreed to Do the Cat in The Hat Because of The Threat of Legal Action
Mike Myers only agreed to do The Cat in the Hat because of the threat of legal action. In the early 2000s, Myers had signed on with Universal Pictures to do a movie based on the Dieter character from the SNL skit Sprockets, only to back out at the last minute. Universal threatened to take Myers to court for breach of contract, but dropped the suit when Myers agreed to be in The Cat in the Hat.
Legolas Only Says Five Words To Frodo In The Lord of The Rings Trilogy
Apart from saying, "And you have my bow," Legolas never says another word to Frodo in the theatrical or extended release of the entire LotR trilogy.
Linda Hamilton Had a Twin Sister Who Also (Briefly) Played Sarah Connor
Linda Hamilton had a twin sister. The shot in the mirror of Sarah Connor sewing up the T-800 was achieved by having a mirror frame with no glass. Linda and Arnold are on one side, facing the camera, her sister and a dummy with their backs to the camera. Linda and her sister synced their movements. Also, the T-1000 posing as Sarah was her twin when she shot it.
James Cameron Admitted to Making Titanic to Dive to The Real Wreck
James Cameron openly admitted to making Titanic as an excuse to dive to the real wreck himself. He also pitched the movie simply by having a photo of the ship behind him and saying, “Romeo and Juliet on this ship.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger Duped Sylvester Stallone Into Taking The Role For Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone were constantly vying for the same parts during their heydays in the late '80s and early '90s. Schwarzenegger read the script for Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot and thought it was bad, but floated the idea that he was considering the role. Stallone demanded his agent get him an offer and took it right away, thinking he was undercutting Arnold, but it was really the other way around. That’s how he wound up in such a stupid movie.
Christopher Nolan and His Team Planted $100K Worth Of Corn For Interstellar
For Interstellar, Christopher Nolan planted 500 acres of corn just for the film because he did not want to CGI the farm in. After filming, he turned it around and sold the corn and made back profit for the budget.
Neve Campbell Legitimately Injured Ulrich While Stabbing Him with The Umbrella
In the climax of Scream (1996), Neve Campbell legitimately injured Ulrich while stabbing him with the umbrella the second time. She missed the padding around his chest, causing him to be in excruciating pain as he had had heart surgery. The scream he yells out afterwards is very real.
Marlon Brando Didn't Know Ron Perlman's Character Was Blind And Thought He Was A Terrible Actor
While filming The Island Of Dr Moreau, Ron Perlman's character changed halfway through filming, so he was now blind. Marlon Brando was not informed of this, so he was naturally baffled by his acting mannerisms and tried repeatedly to get him fired for being a terrible actor. One day, he realises and asks him, "Are you playing your character blind?" After being told yes, he said, "This entire time I thought you couldn't act!"
Harry Potter Doesn't Cast A Spell In The Sorcerer's Stone
Harry never actually casts any spells in the entire first movie. I'm not including the random "spells" he inadvertently cast when picking out a wand.
