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Film sets can be hazardous environments, where creating lifelike scenes often means confronting real-world dangers. Whether working in a studio in Hollywood or on location, actors and crews are always exposed to risks like natural calamities, faulty props and set pieces, the challenges of filming in remote areas, and even simple human mistakes.
At times, the difference between a successful shoot and a catastrophic production shutdown can be razor-thin. Here are 10 film shoots that almost met disaster but managed to avoid the worst.
10. Now You See Me (2013)
In the post-David Blaine era of magic, Louis Leterrier’s *Now You See Me* brought together Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson, and Isla Fisher as the Four Horseman, a group of magicians who pull off seemingly impossible stunts to amaze their audiences. While much of the magic was crafted through editing, camera tricks, and CGI, some of the daring stunts were performed live.
One such moment occurs when Fisher’s character, Henley Reeves, is submerged in a water tank, chained up with only 60 seconds to escape before a swarm of piranhas are released. Due to the transparency of the glass tank, a body double wasn’t an option, so Fisher had to perform the stunt herself.
As her character struggles and seemingly fails to escape, Fisher found herself in real danger. The quick-release mechanism on her chains malfunctioned, leaving her shackled at the ankles and wrists. With cameras rolling, the crew mistook her real distress for part of the act and didn’t intervene. Fortunately, they realized what was happening just in time, and she was able to complete the shoot safely.
9. Back to the Future Part III (1990)
The third installment of the *Back to the Future* series moves the action to the Wild West, where Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) finds himself trapped in the past, and his friend Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) must come to his rescue.
What begins as a simple rescue mission quickly turns into a wild adventure as Marty, adopting the alias Clint Eastwood, gets swept into a series of chaotic events and ends up fighting for his life against a gang of gunslingers. Despite his 21st-century knowledge, Marty finds himself caught and nearly hanged, only to be saved in the nick of time by Doc.
The on-screen tension was high from the start, but the risks on set were just as intense. Even though Fox was filmed from the waist up while standing on a box in the noose, the swinging motion didn’t look realistic enough. To solve this, they made the decision to actually suspend him from the rope. With Fox hanging from the gallows, the noose cut off his carotid artery, and he lost consciousness, swinging unconscious for several seconds before director Robert Zemeckis had him lowered. If it had lasted any longer, Fox would have been lost for good.
8. The Abyss (1989)
Much of *The Abyss* was filmed underwater, and director James Cameron was adamant about using real conditions. He insisted on shooting submerged, with safety divers and air tanks kept just out of shot but close enough to assist if necessary. This setup meant that in case of an emergency, there could be a delay in responding, pushing the actors to the edge of their limits.
Ed Harris’s experience took a dangerous turn during scenes filmed 45 feet (14 meters) underwater. While acting, he was tethered to a line and had no oxygen supply of his own, relying instead on his safety diver between takes.
In one particularly perilous take, Harris’s safety diver got tangled in an underwater line and couldn’t get to him. When Harris signaled to cut the scene and sought his diver’s help, he found himself alone. Another diver reached him just in time before Harris passed out, but the diver mistakenly gave him the regulator upside down, causing Harris to inhale water. The cameraman stepped in quickly, but it was only a few seconds from turning what could have been a good film into a tragedy.
7. Super Mario Bros. (1993)
While the 2023 animated Super Mario Bros. Movie may have set the bar for Mario films, we can't forget the infamous 1993 live-action version. Featuring a star-studded cast, including John Leguizamo, Bob Hoskins, and Dennis Hopper, this ill-fated adaptation almost damaged the careers of the actors involved.
Hoskins, in particular, had a challenging experience from the start. He had agreed to the role after reading an earlier, more mature script by Dick Clement and Ian la Frenais, not realizing he'd be portraying a character from a video game.
Things took a disastrous turn for Hoskins throughout the filming, as he was nearly drowned, electrocuted, stabbed multiple times, and even had his finger broken by a van door. Yet, despite all the close calls, he managed to make it through the production without any serious harm, helping complete the film without too many setbacks.
6. The Craft (1996)
Though *The Craft* may not boast the sharp dialogue of films like *Scream*, it left a lasting impression on ’90s pop culture. The film follows four Catholic schoolgirls who embrace witchcraft and a fashionable gothic lifestyle. It resonated with the black eyeliner crowd and paved the way for the supernatural trends that *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* would later capitalize on.
While the witchcraft rituals on set didn’t spark any major superstitions, a string of strange events made the production feel unusually perilous at times.
One of the most eerie moments came during the scene where the teen witches perform the “call the corners” ritual on a beach. As filming began, the tides unexpectedly began to rise, forcing the crew to retreat inland. The situation escalated when a massive wave crashed, destroying both the cameras and the set. Thankfully, no one was swept into the ocean, the set was quickly rebuilt, and filming resumed without further incident.
5. *Waterworld* (1995)
Often dubbed as *Mad Max* on the water, *Waterworld* imagines a dystopian future where melting ice caps have submerged all land, leaving only ocean. In this world, pirates, rogues, and drifters fight for survival and control over the remaining resources, with Kevin Costner playing a genetically altered mariner.
Filmed on location off the coast of Hawaii, the production of Waterworld was marked by constant struggles with the elements and nature itself. From start to finish, the crew faced numerous setbacks, with several near-disasters threatening to derail the project. Despite all this, the film ultimately reached completion, becoming a final product after all the challenges.
During filming, the female lead Jeanne Tripplehorn and child actress Tina Majorino had a terrifying brush with death when the bowsprit of their trimaran snapped, sending them plunging into the ocean. Kevin Costner also faced danger when he was caught in a fierce storm while strapped to the mast of his own trimaran. Despite the difficulties, a rescue team of about twelve divers managed to save everyone without further incidents.
4. The Exorcist (1973)
Any film that delves into supernatural themes and possession inevitably carries a certain sense of superstition. However, there is a strong case to be made that the production of The Exorcist was plagued by an unusually dark series of events that added to its ominous reputation.
The story follows 12-year-old Regan MacNeil (played by Linda Blair), who becomes possessed by the demon Pazuzu. Despite the large presence of clergymen on set, or at least actors portraying clergymen, the production was fraught with a number of unsettling and nearly disastrous events.
During the filming of the exorcism scene, the set was intentionally chilled overnight using a series of air conditioning units to create visible breath effects on camera. When the cast and crew arrived in the morning, the set was frozen, a rather strange environment for a fire. Still, the air conditioning units caught fire one night, and the blaze destroyed most of the set. Although this caused a six-week delay, the situation could have been much worse had the fire occurred during regular working hours.
3. Cast Away (2000)
Tom Hanks won his fourth Golden Globe for his performance in Robert Zemeckis’s Cast Away, which required him to carry the majority of the film on his own. Stranded on a deserted island, Hanks portrays Chuck Noland, a FedEx analyst forced to survive on his own and stave off madness while he waits years for rescue.
Filmed on the island of Monuriki in Fiji, Hanks took a method acting approach, fully immersing himself in the role. He tried to replicate his character's struggle by building shelter and making fire with his bare hands. But this commitment to authenticity came with its own set of challenges.
A cut on Hanks's knee resulted in a severe staph infection that landed him in the hospital for three days and kept him off set for several weeks. Staph infections can lead to life-threatening conditions like sepsis, which can cause a drastic drop in blood pressure. Despite the near-death experience, Hanks used his recovery time to collaborate with director Zemeckis on revising parts of the script, allowing for some rare adjustments during the lengthy shoot.
2. Scream (1996)
With his meta-slasher Scream, director Wes Craven revolutionized the horror genre, both honoring and poking fun at the familiar tropes that fans had come to expect. The masked Ghostface arrives in Woodsboro, targeting a group of teenagers, and while there is no shortage of blood and stabbings, it could have been much worse.
In the film’s final showdown, when the killer, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), is revealed and launches his last attack on Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and her friends, Ulrich ended up taking a real hit during filming.
As explained in the DVD commentary, Craven recounts how Campbell’s stunt double accidentally missed her target while stabbing Ulrich with the tip of an umbrella. Instead of hitting his protective vest, the umbrella pierced the exact spot where Ulrich had undergone open heart surgery as a child. Though it could have been a fatal injury, Ulrich survived with serious pain, and Craven chose to keep the footage in the final film, making Billy’s reaction to the stabbing authentic.
1. Apocalypse Now (1979)
Francis Ford Coppola took his Vietnam War masterpiece, Apocalypse Now, to the Philippines, assembling a large crew and a seemingly endless budget. In an attempt to immerse his actors in the grueling conditions, he placed them in the harsh environment of the jungle to experience firsthand the hardships of combat.
Although Coppola's intentions were genuine, things took a dangerous turn when his lead actor, Martin Sheen, suffered a heart attack. Coppola, pushing Sheen harder than any other actor, had hoped to draw out a raw, authentic portrayal by encouraging excessive drinking and pushing Sheen to abandon his persona in favor of pure honesty in his performance.
The physical strain took a severe toll on Sheen, with the heart attack almost proving fatal. Had Sheen not recovered, the production would have ended prematurely, Coppola would have returned with an unfinished film, and we might never have witnessed Apocalypse Now. Fortunately, Sheen recuperated over time and completed his scenes under a doctor’s orders, avoiding strenuous activity.
