15 Crazy Scandals Behind Your Favorite Movies

When you sit down to watch a movie, all you see is the action captured on camera. But do you ever wonder what happens when the cameras aren't rolling? What if the events that unfold behind the scenes are even juicier than the plot of the film? There are tons of crazy secrets behind the production of your favorite films. From legends of curses to totally unscripted drama between actors, there's a lot of Hollywood trivia behind every movie that you would never know just by watching. No matter what genre you prefer, there are probably a few secrets behind your favorite movies. Maybe you love movie trivia, maybe you're a huge movie buff, or maybe you're just curious about everything that doesn't make it into the final cut, either way, you're bound to be surprised by what really goes on in Hollywood. Here are 15 crazy scandals behind your favorite movies.

15 Suicide Squad

Suicide Squad was one of this summer's most anticipated blockbuster films. Although it didn't perform as well at the box office as some had expected, it was still a hit for many fans. There was a ton of juicy behind the scenes gossip floating around before the film even made it to theaters. Jared Leto, who played The Joker, revealed some of his twisted, controversial “method acting” tricks. To really get into his role, Leto wanted to fully immerse himself in the character of the Joker. He wouldn't let anyone call him by his real name on set, he sent his co-star Margot Robbie a live rat, and he even sent the cast a dead pig at the first table read. Is that going overboard? Probably. Leto's unorthodox method acting choices were hotly debated by those in the entertainment business. Working with him must have been a pretty wild ride.

14 Titanic

Titanic is one of the most beloved and successful films of all time, so you're probably familiar with the story of star-crossed lovers Jack and Rose on the ship's ill-fated maiden voyage. Filming Titanic was a long, expensive, grueling ordeal, and things rarely went smoothly on set. One night after filming, many cast and crew members started coming down with food poisoning or so they thought. Eventually, it became clear that someone had slipped PCP into their soup, and about fifty people had ingested the drug. They had to be rushed to the hospital, but thankfully, no one suffered any long term effects. None of the film's major stars were affected, but the director, James Cameron, did eat some of the spiked chowder. Two chefs were fired, but it was never actually proven that they were responsible. Despite setbacks like this, Titanic went on to become an extremely popular and lucrative film.

13 The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz is a classic film that is loved by millions. It is quotable, it's heartwarming, and it has entertained generations of children and adults. But the making of the film was one series of obstacles after another, and there were many hazards on set that made the project difficult for the actors. In fact, the makeup that was essential for each unique costume was actually toxic and caused problems for certain actors. An actor named Buddy Ebsen had originally signed on to play the Tin Man, but he had no choice but to drop out when the silver makeup used to paint his skin landed him in the hospital for two weeks. He was replaced by Jack Haley, who also developed an infection from the makeup. Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West, also had to wear toxic, copper-based makeup for her green hue.

12 Django Unchained

It seems like every movie that Quentin Tarantino directs is more intense than the last. He never holds back, and his signature style comes through in Django Unchained. This film's graphic nature can make it tough to stomach at times, but that's part of what makes it so great. Leonardo DiCaprio pulls off an incredible performance as Calvin Candie, a ruthless slave owner. Although he doesn't appear in the film for long, his scenes are powerful and bloody. At one point, he slams his hand down on a table and cuts it on a glass. Audiences assumed it was fake blood, but the scene was completely improvised. He accidentally smashed the glass, and although he was bleeding, he continued acting without missing a beat. The horrified looks on the other actors' faces were completely genuine! This take made it into the film. The gash was so deep, he required stitches. Now that's dedication!

11 The Shining

The Shining is one of the scariest horror movies of all time. It's based on a classic Stephen King story, and the director, Stanley Kubrick, created a haunting film that will stay with you for days after it's creepy ending. Can you imagine how scary it would be to act in a film like that? Well, neither can Danny Lloyd, the boy who played Danny Torrance. That's right, Danny had absolutely no idea that he was acting in a horror movie the entire time that they were filming. It might sound impossible, but the crew managed to keep the film's true plot from him the entire time because it could easily be too disturbing for him. Since this was his first acting job, and he was quite young, the cast and crew thought it would be best for him to believe they were shooting a drama film rather than a horror flick.

10 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is another classic childhood film. As a kid, absolutely nothing sounded better than spending a day touring a giant chocolate factory and hopefully getting to try lots of goodies and we were all a little bit jealous of the kids with golden tickets. But there was more to this factory than meets the eye. In fact, some parts were pretty freaky. Do you remember that crazy tunnel scene that seemed to come out of nowhere? It was unexpectedly scary, especially for young audiences. Well, it might be good to know that the young actors were probably just as freaked out as you were. In fact, they weren't told about the tunnel scene until it happened it wasn't in their original scripts. The looks of shock and fear on their faces are totally real, and if you ever had nightmares about that tunnel, rest assured that you probably weren't alone!

9 The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone is best known as a creepy TV show, but there was also a Twilight Zone movie made in 1983. It was never as popular as the TV show, which ran for many years and scared generations of viewers. However, the real-life story behind the film is just as frightening as some of the episodes that might have given you nightmares. Three of the actors hired to appear in the film, Vic Morrow, Myca Dinh Le, and Renee Shin-Yi Chen were killed in a tragic helicopter crash that occurred on set. Le and Chen were child actors that had been hired illegally, making the incident even more controversial. An investigation into the incident found no specific person to be responsible for their deaths, but some of the crew members who had been working with the children did face legal action. This tragic series of events tainted the film before it was even released.

8 Casablanca

Casablanca is often regarded as one of the best movies of all time. It tells the story of two lovers separated and later reunited in the midst of World War II. One reason that Casablanca made such a huge impact when it was released was because of a scene in which the film takes a stand against the Nazis. The characters are gathered at Rick's American Café, where a group of Nazis are singing a patriotic German song. Victor Laszlo, who is secretly fighting against the Nazis, begins singing the French national anthem and gets others to join in to drown out the Nazis. Since this film was released in 1942, during the war, this was a controversial, political move. Some of the actors singing the French anthem had actually been displaced by the war, making this scene even more powerful and emotional for both the cast and the audience.

7 The Exorcist

The Exorcist might just be one of the scariest horror films of all time. It has many controversial and classic scenes, and it had a huge influence on the horror genre. What could be scarier than this film? Well, the fact that it is based on a true story! Yup, that's right the events depicted in this film were actually inspired by some frightening paranormal activity that occurred in real life. A young boy with the pseudonym “Roland Doe” experienced similar symptoms to the young girl depicted in the film. His parents feared that he was possessed, and they brought in a priest to perform an exorcism. During the exorcism, he reacted violently and had to be restrained. The accounts of Roland's ordeal are hotly debated-perhaps something supernatural occurred, or perhaps he was suffering from a physical or mental illness. Either way, it's definitely quite scary to think about the possibilities!

6 Poltergeist

Poltergeist is another well-known horror film that has frightened audiences for decades. And just like The Exorcist, the only thing scarier than the plot of this film is the story behind it. In fact, many people think that the set of Poltergeist was actually cursed due to all of the unfortunate events that befell those who worked on the film. Dominique Dunne, who played the character Dana, was murdered a few months after the film was released. Two more cast members died after the sequel was released: Julian Beck and Will Sampson. But the string of scary coincidences does not end there. Heather O'Rourke, who played Carol Anne, was only 12 when she died of cardiac arrest. Perhaps there is no such thing as curses and these tragic deaths were random, or perhaps there was something paranormal going on that can't be explained away by special effects and creepy movie magic.

5 Apocalypse Now

Poltergeist isn't the only film out there that might be cursed-Apocalypse Now, widely regarded as the best film ever made about the Vietnam War, faced so many pitfalls during production that many people also suspected that it was cursed. At its core, the film was about the characters' descent into madness in the midst of the war. But during the process of filming, it seemed that many of the cast members were struggling with their own inner demons. The lead role had to be recast, Charlie Sheen suffered a heart attack, the script went through extensive rewrites during filming, and at one point, the helicopters that the crew was using, which were a gift from the Philippine government, had to be repurposed… for use in an actual war. Pulling off a film like Apocalypse Now was never going to be an easy task, but the end result was definitely worth it.

4 Alien

Alien is a classic sci-fi film that had everyone staring up at the sky wondering if we were really alone in the universe. There are lots of great moments, but if you've ever seen the film, you know that you can never forget the iconic “chest-burster” scene. Pretty gross, right? Well, the actors thought so too and they were just as surprised as you were. In this particular scene, the alien is revealed for the first time by literally bursting out of someone's chest. It would be nasty enough to watch it go down if you knew what to expect, so imagine having to experience that out of nowhere! The director wanted the actors to actually be terrified, a faked expression wasn't good enough for this scene. For the audience to really feel that terror, the actors had to feel it too. This scene has gone down as one of the best in sci-fi history.

3 Pirates of the Caribbean

Jack Sparrow is everyone's favorite pirate, and Pirates of the Caribbean was popular among audiences of all ages. What began as a Disney ride spawned a franchise that has been entertaining viewers for well over ten years now, and with another film coming out, Pirates will be capturing new fans for years to come. The characters face peril on the high seas in each film, but did you know that one of the actors was actually shipwrecked during filming? When she was returning from a night shoot, Keira Knightley's boat struck a reef. Sailing through the Caribbean at night can be risky because of underwater obstacles that are difficult to see, and Knightley's boat went down. Thankfully, she and the other crew members on board were not harmed, and they were rescued within a few hours. Perhaps this experience made the rest of the filming process feel a little more realistic.

2 The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight isn't just considered one of the best superhero movies of all time it's said to be one of the best movies of all time, period. One of the best performances in the entire film was Heath Ledger as the Joker. After his tragic death, he was awarded an Oscar posthumously, and he will forever be remembered for his incredible performance in this role. Ledger took preparing for this role extremely seriously. He isolated himself in a hotel room for a few weeks and worked on getting all of the character's mannerisms down to a science. He even kept a creepy diary. He wrote entries from the Joker's point of view as a way to get into the character's head. These methods served him well and built up to an absolutely stellar performance of this cold-blooded, sociopathic character. This role was iconic, and Ledger's take on the character was legendary.

1 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a unique, imaginative take on that relationship that you just keep going back to, even though you know you're all wrong for each other. Joel and Clementine meet, fall in love, and fall out then go on to erase each other from their memories, again and again in a twisted cycle. They never seem to learn. The company in the film that handles the erasure process is called Laucuna. Obviously, nothing like this exists in real life, but the filmmakers did create a fake website for Laucuna before the movie was released as a sneaky promotional tactic. They presented it as a totally real company, and visitors could explore what services Laucuna would offer if it actually existed. It's one of those movies that really gets you to think if a company like Laucuna could erase your unpleasant memories, would you actually go ahead and do it?