Top 10 Times Things Happened on Sets That Couldn't Be Explained

The haunted doll at the center of “The Conjuring” franchise returned in this 2019 sequel. In it, famed ghost hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren bring the allegedly haunted Annabelle home to live in their museum of occult artifacts. According to several cast members, not all of the supernatural occurrences were the work of its team of artists. The younger actresses in the cast insist that the Annabelle doll would change locations around the set without anyone moving it. Other instances like unexplained nosebleeds and unaccountable knocking sounds only added to the growing sense of paranoia on set.

Mixing legal drama with the story of a demonic possession, this bracing horror tale already had a shadow over its production. It’s based on the true story of Anneliese Michel,[a] a mentally ill woman who died of malnourishment during a series of alleged exorcisms. Stars Jennifer Carpenter experienced a series of eerie coincidences involving the Pearl Jam song “Alive.” Then, actress Laura Linney and members of the crew kept reporting instances of TVs and radios starting to play in their hotel rooms without being turned on. Maybe the mystery and tragedy of the true story carried over onto the set.

Movies about possession just seem to attract stories about odd on-set events. Whether it’s genuine brushes with the supernatural or simple publicity stunts is always hard to tell, but the makers of “The Possession” seemed convinced. Even the producers were cautious about broaching the taboo subject of the Dybbuk, a malevolent spirit of Jewish mythology. It didn’t help that during filming, cold drafts would come during key scenes, and lights that weren’t even on at the time would just explode without warning. Star Jeffrey Dean Morgan told The Hollywood Reporter that his skepticism toward supernatural occurrences was shaken during the making of the film.

It’s one of the most famous haunted house stories in America, and much of that has to do with how well-publicized it is. But it’s hard to write off some of the unfortunate coincidences and bizarre mishaps that dogged the 2005 remake of “The Amityville Horror” as marketing tactics. Early in the film’s production, a dead body was recovered from the lake near the house. Star Ryan Reynolds explained that many people involved with the remake found themselves waking up at 3:15 a.m. unprompted. This just happens to be the time when a previous inhabitant of the real-life Amityville house was said to have committed the murders of his family.

Although it’s now a beloved classic, things were not always easy or peaceful on the set of “Titanic.” One memorable story involves an outbreak of sickness among the cast and crew that director James Cameron later confirmed was the result of a spiked chowder. The legend goes that Cameron was such a demanding director that a disgruntled crewmember committed the act as revenge. Apparently stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet were spared. Although he claims to know who sabotaged the set, Cameron assures that it was for reasons that had nothing to do with his working style. The culprit and their reasoning remain a mystery.

Mel Gibson’s controversial and unflinching retelling of the story of Jesus Christ pulls no punches when it comes to the crucifixion sequence. Production assistant Jan Michelini[b] was struck by lightning not once, but twice during the shoot. The second time, Michelini was standing under an umbrella with Jim Caveizel, the actor playing Jesus. A lightning bolt struck the umbrella, shocking them both. Shockingly, neither was hurt. Michelini was even referred to as “Lightning Boy” in the end credits. Whether it was a really unlucky coincidence or divine intervention, it added even more mystique to an already intriguing project.

Even before the accidental death of star Brandon Lee during a stunt gone wrong, “The Crow” was gaining media attention for its various and endless string of on-set disasters. From the very day principal photography began, creatives attached to the film suffered several injuries, accidents, and mishaps both on and off the studio lot. At one point, a storm destroyed several sets. The movie’s most infamous incident, which saw Brandon Lee mortally wounded by an allegedly misloaded prop gun, could be traced back to human error. But in the context of everything else that occurred, some have posited the set truly was cursed.

The supposed real-life haunting of the Perron family may have followed the people behind the cinematic recreation of those events. “The Conjuring” stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as two celebrated paranormal investigators trying to help the family rid their new home of demonic spirits. Farmiga reported that strange claw marks appeared, first on her laptop computer, and then on her body. The entire cast lost sleep, and would frequently wake up early in the morning at around the same time. Even the real-life Lorraine Warren visited the set and told the filmmakers there was a presence attached to the furniture. Despite all this, the movie was a massive, franchise-launching success.

In this horror classic, a diplomat and his wife come to realize their adopted son is the antichrist as a series of inexplicable tragedies befall the family and those around them. Real life began to mirror the film early on. Terrible deaths and near-misses touched practically every level of production. There are so many strange incidents linked to “The Omen” and its creative team during and after filming that it’s actually kind of impossible to list them all here. Among them were animal attacks, plane crashes, and a grisly accident that mirrored one of the movie’s most unforgettable deaths.

A sensation when it was released, the blockbusting masterpiece set the standard for demonic horror. But stories from its production have since become just as legendary. Director William Friedkin’s unconventional methods were unhinged enough. On top of several injuries, the entire set burned down, with only the bedroom where the exorcism takes place left standing. Actor Jack MacGowran[c] died after finishing his scenes, while people related to other actors and crew fell ill or died during production. Friedkin even brought in a real priest to bless the production. Whether or not the film was cursed or it was just a long shoot with a demanding director, “The Exorcist” remains a case study in how behind-the-scenes drama can add to a movie’s myth.

[a]anna-LEE-zuh MICHH-ull https://forvo.com/search/Anneliese%20Michel/
[b]yan mickay-LEE-nee
[c]muh-GAO-run https://youtu.be/dmF9tRWSMxI?si=S_vk73SgohekM1dn&t=455