The film industry has always been interested in telling stories that explore curses. Whether it is the videotape that will kill you seven days after watching it inThe Ring, or thegrief analogythat is the focus ofSmile, curses are a common trope in the medium. It can be argued that the concept of a curse is scarier than a killer in a hockey mask, as once you have been marked by it, it will get you no matter what you do.
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Perhaps more fascinating than exploring the curses depicted on the screen are the ones that take place behind them. There has always been a subsection of movies that some will claim endured a cursed production, whether it was accidents on set, strange coincidences, or the deaths of cast and crew in the months and years that followed. Usually, thesecursed productions take place in the realm of horror, but they have been known to occur in all manner of genres.
‘The Exorcist (1973)
The most notorious “cursed production” of all time, some believe the set ofThe Exorcistwas visited by a real demonic presence. When young Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair) begins showing signs of demonic possession, her mother enlists a group of priests to help her daughter, and together they battle to save the girl’s soul.
The production was inflicted with every incident imaginable. Cast and crew members passed away (though not on set), while others suffered life-long injuries. Almost the entire set of the MacNeil house had to be rebuilt after a fire destroyed it, while viewers to this day still swear there are satanic messages hidden within the film.
The Exorcistis available to stream on HBO Max.
‘Apocalypse Now’ (1979)
Long heralded as one of thegreatest war movies of all time,Apocalypse Nowalso proved to be one of the most difficult film shoots ever. When an American colonel goes rogue and starts a cult in Cambodia, Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is sent into the war zone with orders to assassinate the dangerous fanatic.
When a documentary (Hearts of Darkness) has been produced about the difficulties of making your film, you know it was a bad time.Apocalypse Nowwas hit with many disasters, including monsoons destroying expensive sets, lead actor Sheen suffering a heart attack, andMarlon Brandoarriving unprepared and overweight for his role as Colonel Kurtz.
‘The Crow’ (1994)
A cult classic from the ’90s,The Crowis still highly regarded for its unique style and emotional resonance in the action genre. After he is murdered alongside his girlfriend, musician Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) is resurrected by a supernatural force and hunts down those responsible.
The Crowis infamous for the accidental death of Lee on set, the result of a prop gun firing a live round. Lee’s death adds an extra bittersweet layer to the film, as one can not be moved by his character’s musings on death his character’s musingsmost poignant and affecting action movies of all time.
The Crowis available to stream on Paramount+.
‘Poltergeist’ (1982)
When a family moves into a new home, they are soon tormented by evil spirits and strange happenings. As the ghosts take a special interest in five-year-old daughter Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke), the Freeling family is forced to consult with an eccentric medium as they band together to save her young soul.
Poltergeistis infamous for using real skeletons in a scene where mother Diane (JoBeth Williams) falls into a swimming pool filled with corpses. This has led some to believe that acurse was placed on the production, as O’Rourke died six years later due to a bowel obstruction, whileDominique Dunne, who played older sister Dana, was murdered by her boyfriend in the same year as the film’s release.
Poltergeistis available to stream on Tubi.
‘Stalker’ (1979)
A trippy, meditative art film from Russia,Stalkerfollows the titular character as he is hired by two men to escort them through a hazardous wasteland to reach “The Room.” The Room is said to gift the innermost desire of anyone who manages to reach it.
Less of a cursed production and more of a case of negligence,Stalkerused two abandoned power plants for sets. Several scenes were also filmed in nearby rivers, which unknowingly contained contaminated water. This resulted in many cast and crew members dying from cancer in the years that followed, including directorAndrei Tarkovsky.
Stalkeris available to stream on HBO Max.
A project so cursed that it never even entered production,Atukwas a screenplay that floated around Hollywood circles for years, based on the novelThe Incomparable Atuk. The script followed an Inuit hunter as he is forced to adapt to life in New York City, pitched as a “fish out of water” story.
The curse ofAtukstems from the fact that many of the actors who expressed interest in the lead role died soon after.John Belushiwas the first to be attached to the project but died shortly after due to a drug overdose. He was followed bySam Kinison(car crash),John Candy(heart attack), andChris Farley(drug overdose).
‘The Conqueror’ (1956)
A culturally insensitive production that would not fly today,The Conquerorsees the very American actorJohn Wayneplaying Mongolian emperor Genghis Khan. Pitched as an epic love story, the movie sees Khan falling for the daughter of a rival clan leader and steals her away, resulting in a war between the two armies.
LikeStalker,The Conquerorwas filmed downwind nuclear testing sights, which put the cast and crew at unnecessary risk despite such dangers not even being considered back in those times.In the years that followed, 41% of the people who workedon the film developed cancer, including Wayne and directorDick Powell.
‘Twilight Zone: The Movie’ (1983)
An adaptation of the popular television series for the big screen,Twilight Zone: The Movieconsists of four short stories. The most infamous story starsVic Morrowas Bill Connor, a racist who is sent back in time to periods such as World War II and the American South in the 1950s, with the white Connor forced to experience the persecution that was inflicted upon innocent Jewish and Black people during those respective periods.
John Landisdirected this segment, and his gross negligence resulted in the deaths of Morrow and two child actors (Myca Dinh LeandRenee Shin-Yi Chen) after a stunt went wrong and caused a helicopter to crash into them.
‘The Omen’ (1976)
After his newborn son is declared stillborn, American diplomat Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) agrees to swap the child with an orphan baby, unbeknownst to his wife. As their child Damien grows older, he begins to exhibit menacing behavior that results in several deaths, as Robert begins to believe he is the Antichrist.
The Omenwas plagued withstrange events during its production, including lightning striking aircraft carrying cast and crew, animal handlers being mauled by their charges, and even several fatal accidents. The creepiest occurrence was the death ofLiz Moore, whose death in a car accident resembled a scene that her husband, special effects designerJohn Richardson, created for the film.
The Omenis available to stream on HBO Max.
‘The Wizard of Oz’ (1939)
One of the most popular tales of all time,The Wizard of Ozis still referenced today despite being close to a century old. When a hurricane rips young Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her dog Toto to the strange land of Oz, they meet an assortment of colorful characters as they try to find a way back home.
Less cursed and more of an example of those in control abusing their power,The Wizard of Ozwas filled with preventable accidents and the mistreatment of its cast, particularly Garland.Later years would reveal the actress was subjected to both physical and sexual abusefrom her fellow cast and crew members, putting a dark stain on this legendary film.
