The history of cinema is full of events that have guaranteed some films the not so flattering fame of cursed films . Nothing to worry about obviously, it is not intended that looking at them we will face a terrible fate!
Accidents on the set, unexpected or unmotivated deaths and even paranormal phenomena : there are films that, in short, in addition to having become famous for their success, have also become famous for what happened behind the scenes. Other times, however, real urban legends are created behind trivia misinterpreted by the public, not denied by the producers, which have increased the fame of a film.
And, for example, the case of Three Bachelors and a Bebe directed by Colin Serrau, where in a scene a mysterious figure appears behind a window, immediately interpreted as a ghost . Only 31 years later it turned out that it was a hardcover that ended up there by chance , which allowed ” the film to make a lot of money, since people were renting it to see the spectrum ” as Margaret Colin later declared.
Let’s find out together the 10 cursed films in the history of cinema!
Atuk by Tod Carroll
If you’ve never seen or even heard of this movie, don’t worry as Atuk has never been officially released! The reason is simple, all 6 actors who became interested in the lead role died shortly after reading the script . The first was John Belushi, who died of an overdose after just a couple of scenes shot. Touch also to Sam Kinison, to John Candy and to his friend Michael O’Donoghue who read the script with him, then to Chris Farley and Phil Hartman. Production was stopped and the script sold at auction, losing track of it.
Rosemary’s baby – Roman Polanski
Probably someone will be aware of the sad story that Roman Polanski touched in 1969 , during the shooting of the film Rosemary’s baby . The “family” of the multiple murderer Charles Manson broke into the director’s house killing everyone present, including his wife, Sharon Tate, pregnant in the eighth month. This, added to the death of the composer of the soundtrack and the producer of the film contributed to the cursed fame. Furthermore, legend has it that the murder of John Lennon is also linked to this film, in fact he died outside the building used as a scenography.
The Exorcist – William Friedkin
The events that animated the production of the film The Exorcist are several. Some rumors speak of a variable number of deaths related to the set between 3 and 9 . Additionally, 2 accidents injured Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn, the second also carrying permanent damage. As if that weren’t enough, during the early stages of production, a mysterious fire destroyed much of the scenography, saving only the bedroom where the possession takes place during the film. The director, or so it is rumored, also used a real exorcist to bless the set.
The Wizard of Oz – Lyman Frank Baum
The fame of a cursed film is not just about horror , as evidenced by The Wizard of Oz by Lyman Frank Baum. The first calamity touched the Tin Man, Buddy Ebsen, forced to abandon filming because the aluminum powder of the make-up caused him an allergic reaction (according to others, however, it was deposited in his lungs). An eye infection caused by the same dust also affected his replacement. Then came Margaret Hamilton’s turn, whose costume caught fire . The wires holding the flying monkeys broke, causing several fractures to the actors. Lastly, the little dog Toto broke a paw on set .
The ring – Gore Verbinski
The events that revolve around the film The ring fortunately did not cause deaths of any kind. A week after filming began, a water pipe broke , and as the film focused on the death of a child drowned in a well, the director used a priest to bless the set . But the incidents did not stop, before the crew found themselves facing a swarm of bees that suddenly appeared and then disappeared in a short time. Finally, a water tank burst, flooding the production offices again .
Poltergeist – Steven Spielberg
When it comes to cursed films, the main example is Poltergeist , directed by Steven Spielberg. Legend has it that the trail of unfortunate events that affected the actors was due to Spielberg’s choice to use human skeletons instead of artificial ones, as they are cheaper. The curse first struck the two penthouses who play the lead sisters, Heather O’Rourke died at 12, shortly after filming. Dominique Dunne, her elder sister, died strangled by her boyfriend, exactly like her character in the film. Three other actors lost their lives in mysterious circumstances , so much so that for the second chapter a shaman purifies the set.
The Omen – Richard Donner
The production of Il presagio started somehow already cursed , even before starting filming. In the previous three days, in fact, 2 lightning struck the planes on which some members of the cast and the production were traveling. The trainer on the set was killed by one of the animals. The director was hit by a car, fortunately not suffering serious damage. The worst fate, however, touches the special effects employee, author of the famous scene of the beheading of the photographer. He was in the car with his girlfriend and they had a frontal accident in which the woman died beheaded by a metal plate.. It is rumored that the incident occurred a few kilometers from the city of Ommen, in the Netherlands, and the original title of the film is The Omen.
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote – Terry Gilliam
The production of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote lasted 25 years due to the numerous problems that struck it. First of all , a violent storm caused the destruction of a large part of the set , forcing the production to stop to find the necessary funds for the reconstruction. This also meant that Johnny Depp, hired as Sancho Panza, left the production forcing the director to 2 years of auditions to replace him. An illness forced Jean Rochefort, Don Quixote, to bed for several months and then it took another 7 months to teach him English. The project was once again put on hiatus due to lack of funds, and was definitively released in 2018.
The Passion of the Christ – Mel Gibson
Of all the cursed films that can be mentioned, The Passion of the Christ probably occupies the last positions. Yet, the misfortunes that hit the film were numerous , starting with those of the protagonist Jim Caviezel. He was initially struck by a lung infection, later hypothermia forced him back to bed . The makeup then causes him a skin irritation. But that’s not all, he was also struck by lightning together with assistant director Jan Michelini , who was then struck a second time in the same way.
The conqueror – Oscar Millard
The last position on this list can only be filled by The Conqueror , by far the film that causes the most deaths between cast and crew . In total , the people who collaborated on the film were 220 and 91 of these were affected by serious cancer in the years following the end of filming and 47 died, including the star John Wayne . More than a curse, the cause should be attributed to a wrong choice for the scenography. In fact, St. George in Utah was chosen, the site of numerous nuclear tests. 2 years of radiation exposure , the time it took to complete the film, as well as the director’s decision to bring a good amount of sand taken from there for the film’s reshoots to Hollywood.
