There are lots of urban legends in Hollywood, beyond the usual rumors and rumblings about mysterious parties and powerful ties. When it comes to movie sets, there are plenty of occasions in which a film has been considered cursed. Beyond rumors of ghosts appearing on screen, like the hanging person in The Wizard of Oz or the ghost of a boy in Three Men and A Baby (both of which have been proven false), some movie sets have had too many spooky coincidences to be written off as normal.
While one might consider that such events are the result of poor planning or unhappy accidents, there are some incidents that cannot be explained away by logic and reason. Perhaps a curse befell these 15 movie sets? Perhaps, for some reason, someone (or something) didn’t want to see these films made.
15 Lightning Struck The Passion Of The Christ
You know the saying, ‘Lightning doesn’t always strike twice?’ Well, for The Passion of the Christ, it did. Star Jim Caviezel was struck while filming the Sermon on the Mount scene, but weirder still was that production assistant Jan Michelini was also hit by lightning – twice! Caviezel also dislocated his shoulder and received real lashings by accident during the film.
14 Insidious Chapter Two Gave The Cast And Crew Illness
During the second installment of the Insidious series, a scene takes place in a hospital. Unfortunately, while filming that sequence, many cast and crew members claimed to feel ill on set. Those who worked on the movie also claimed that a buzzer on an unoccupied floor of the building went off repeatedly, although no cause for the event was discovered.
13 Demonic Forces May Have Been At Play On The Exorcist
A film about demonic possession is bound to leave people feeling a bit spooked, but The Exorcist was reportedly cursed from day one. Actor Jack McGowan passed away before the film’s release, as did the brother of star Max von Syndow; Ellen Burstyn suffered a permanent spinal injury after falling down the stairs; and finally, the entire MacNeil home burned to the ground.
12 Costumes Complicated Things On The Wizard Of Oz
The Wizard of Oz has its urban legends, but the reality was that the costumes caused a lot of the curse. Original Tin Man Buddy Ebsen had to be replaced after the aluminum dust makeup caused permanent lung damage, while Wicked Witch Margaret Hamilton’s costume caught on fire, giving her second- and third-degree burns!
11 The Innkeepers Took Place In A Haunted Hotel
Filming in an actual haunted hotel can have some creepy consequences, as was seen on set of 2011’s The Innkeepers. Shot at the Yankee Peddler Inn in Connecticut, cast and crew experienced phone calls with no one on the other end, lights switching off and on for no reasons, and doors swinging open and shut.
10 The Nun Was Filmed In A Haunted Castle
We see a haunted hotel and raise you a haunted castle! The Nun was filmed at a castle in Romania and director Corin Hardy spoke about an experience that seemed other-worldly: Hardy saw two men in a room during filming. After he completed the shot, he turned around to speak to them, only to find them gone – but they would’ve had to walk past him to leave!
9 Monsoon Season Marred Apocalypse Now
Francis Ford Coppola took a gamble when he decided to film Apocalypse Now during monsoon season – and lost. The rains destroyed multiple sets, star Martin Sheen suffered a heart attack while filming and Coppola even had a stress-induced seizure! Yeah, we’d say that the monsoon tried to warn him what was to come before he got in too deep.
8 Stunts Went Terribly Wrong On The Set Of Twilight Zone: The Movie
Director John Landis should’ve listened to co-director Steven Spielberg who was worried about safety on the set of Twilight Zone: The Movie. Instead, a stunt involving a helicopter flew out of control, killing actor Vic Morrow and two child stars when they fell into the whirling blades. Landis ended up getting acquitted of manslaughter, but the incident has shadowed the film ever since.
7 Poltergeist Saw A Lot Of Loss
Poltergeist saw the deaths of many of its stars, including young Heather O’Rourke, who passed at 12 due to septic shock; Dominique Dunne, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend; and two stars of the sequel (Julian Beck and Will Sampson) died of stomach cancer and kidney failure. Child star Oliver Robbins even claimed that he was almost choked to death by the evil puppet in the original!
6 Ghost May Have Had A Real Ghost!
Giving a more hopeful look at the afterlife, 1990’s Ghost may have had a real ghost on the set – Heather O’Rourke! The young Poltergeist star was said to have haunted the film’s set, which was shot on the same soundstage O’Rourke had filmed on. Cast and crew reported hearing footsteps and children’s laughter.
