Random Production Of Event Horizon Was Its Own Level Of Hell (12 items)

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  (#1) The Problems With 'Event Horizon' Began Because Of Delays In The Production Of 'Titanic'

  Event Horizon faced an uphill battle from the outset, and it was all because of another film entirely. Titanic was originally supposed to be released on July 4, 1997, one of the most lucrative release dates of the year. But in the spring of 1997, it was clear that Titanic director James Cameron would be unable to complete his film in time for the Fourth of July. It was also one of the most expensive productions in movie history at that point, with its budget ballooning past $200 million. 

  Paramount delayed Titanic's release until November of that year, which left a gap in its summer production schedule that needed to be filled. 
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  (#2) Due To A Gap In The Summer Schedule, Production On 'Event Horizon' Was Ramped Up Significantly

  Prior to directing Event Horizon, Paul W.S. Anderson had just completed a successful movie adaptation of the Mortal Kombat arcade game in 1995. Coming into 1997, Anderson was also juggling several other commitments, including an Alien sequel and an adaptation of the X-Men comics. He also had the opportunity to direct his own project, and he fell in love with Event Horizon and its "haunted house in space" premise.

  Paramount offered him a budget of $60 million to direct, but it came with a catch - Anderson had to agree to the rushed production schedule in order to complete the film in time for a summer release. 
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  (#3) The Tight Production Schedule Meant Filmmakers Had To Hire An Inexperienced Production Designer

  The role of production designer is particularly important on a science fiction film, because they are responsible for bringing its futuristic world to life. Sci-fi movie production designers often wind up becoming legendary within the film community, like Star Wars' John Barry or Bladerunner's Lawrence Paull. 

  Since Event Horizon was greenlit just 10 weeks before the start of production, most established production designers turned down the job. Instead, Anderson and his producers took a risk and hired newcomer Joseph Bennett. "The reason we hired Joseph is that he was incredibly young and enthusiastic, and what he lacked in experience, I thought he would make up in sheer flair," Anderson said. "He hasn't disappointed."

  Hiring Bennett would end up being one of the few production decisions that went right. His blend of near-future technology and oppressive gothic architecture gave the film a unique look that even contemporary critics appreciated. Bennett's designs remain one of the highest-praised aspects of the film today. 
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  (#4) To Hit The New Deadlines, Paul W.S. Anderson Worked Seven Days A Week, Filming And Editing At The Same Time

  Due to the new deadline, Anderson had only four weeks to film, forcing him to work seven days a week. He was given only six weeks to edit the film, but at the start of editing, he still had two weeks of filming with the second unit, which effectively reduced his editing time to just four weeks. By comparison, a film typically gets 10 weeks of editing time, per Directors Guild guidelines. 

  Anderson also had to contend with adverse weather. Many scenes were originally planned to be filmed on location, but severe conditions caused by El Niño forced the production to rely on sound stages. Anderson later felt that this compromised his film's overall look. 
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  (#5) The Script Was Confusing To The Cast, And Production Was Grueling And Stressful

  From the cast's perspective, making Event Horizon was especially difficult. For starters, the actors had difficulty following the story. "None of us really understood the script," co-star Joely Richardson said later. "It was something to do with the other dimension or the fourth wall, [but] none of us knew what it was. The script was pretty incomprehensible but there was such a good team of actors that we all signed on regardless."

  Filming a science fiction or horror movie can add an extra degree of difficulty because of the special effects. Event Horizon drew upon elements from both genres, which, combined with an already compressed schedule, made for an especially grueling production. 

  The spacesuits weighed 65 pounds - star Laurence Fishburne nicknamed his "Doris," somewhat affectionately - and required cast members to be suspended on an enormous steel fishing pole. Richardson had to be doused with several gallons of blood for one scene, which ended up on the cutting room floor. 
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  (#6) Production Was Considered 'Cursed' By The Cast As Explosions Caused Frequent Accidents

  Making Event Horizon would have been a challenge under ideal circumstances, but the set was repeatedly plagued by accidents. Joely Richardson describes the production as "cursed." 

  For example, Richardson and co-star Sam Neill were supposed to experience an explosion that was a little too real: 

  There was one scene with Sam Neill and me at the console. We were meant to be typing away and then on a count of three, there’d be a fake explosion and we’d throw ourselves back off our chairs. When Sam and I did the scene for real, there was the count of three and then neither of us remember what happened next. The explosion went off and we woke up a few moments later on the floor. That happened every single time!

  Another time, heavy smoke on set nearly caused serious harm to Richardson: 

  There was a scene where Laurence Fishburne and I were crawling down a tunnel and make it through a heavy door just before it slams shut. So, again, we rehearsed the stunt a million times because they were big steel doors but I asked what would happen if the timing is wrong? The stuntman was up on the ceiling cueing the door to slam the minute I got through, but when we finally got to the stunt there was so much smoke, he couldn’t see me. He pulled [the lever] and my foot got jammed in the door. It was jinxed! But we all managed to have a laugh regardless.
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  (#7) The First Test Audiences Freaked Out Because Of The Gore, Causing The Director To Cut A Significant Chunk Out Of The Film

  Test audiences didn't like Anderson's first cut of the film. After hastily assembling it in just four weeks, it was overly long at 130 minutes and many of the special effects hadn't been completed. 

  But the test audiences' main problem was the extreme gore - especially the so-called "blood orgy" scene. At one point, the crew of the Lewis and Clark discovers a video of the Event Horizon's crew violently dismembering themselves. The scene reportedly caused test audience members to faint. 

  Paramount wanted Event Horizon to be more of a fun summer movie, so the studio ordered Anderson to remove most of the gore. The blood orgy scene remained in the theatrical version, but heavily edited down. 
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  (#8) Anderson Also Had To Cut Many Key Storylines

  In addition to removing the gore, Paramount ordered Anderson to severely trim down the film. After returning to the editing room, Anderson reduced the film's running time from 130 minutes to around 90. 

  To do this, Anderson had to remove several moments that either built tension or provided more insight into the motivations of the characters. In one cut scene, it's revealed that rescue technician Cooper (Richard T. Jones) is terrified of losing a loved one, which explains why he freaks out when crew member Justin (Jack Noseworthy) later tries to take his own life. In another cut scene, it's revealed that medical doctor D.J. (Jason Isaacs) experienced a botched childhood surgery, and now is most afraid of being dissected alive - which is ultimately his fate. 

  Anderson felt that these cuts removed too much important information from his story. And considering that critics later described the film's characters as too one-dimensional, he's probably right. 
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  (#9) Once It Was Released, Critics Despised The Movie

  Movie critics weren't impressed with Event Horizon. Roger Ebert gave it two out of four stars, and it currently has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of just 27%. 

  Critics did acknowledge the film's impressive visual effects and set design. They were much less forgiving about the film's characters, who were deemed unoriginal and dumb.

  Critics also considered Event Horizon to be too derivative. One review from The Baltimore Sun compared Event Horizon unfavorably with movies like Alien, Hellraiser, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. 

  But the difference between "derivative knockoff" and "deliberate homage" often depends on whom you ask. For his part, Anderson admitted that Event Horizon is directly inspired by classics like Solaris and The Shining.

  The critical perception didn't help, and Event Horizon slumped to $26 million at the box office. 
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  (#10) The Film Has Received A Recent Resurgence In Popularity, Thanks To A New Appreciation For World-Building, Story, And Set Design

  Despite its status as a box office flop, Event Horizon sold well on the home video market and eventually found its audience. Joseph Bennett's set design is well-remembered in particular. His mixture of futuristic technology with gloomy gothic aesthetics is unlike anything else seen in science fiction then or since. The film's combination of science-fiction horror with spiritual elements is also unique. 

  Kurt Russell, of all people, predicted that Event Horizon would eventually become a cult classic. After the film was screened on the set of his 1998 film Soldier, Russell told Anderson, “Forget about what this movie’s doing now. In fifteen years time, this is going to be the movie you’re glad you made.”
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  (#11) The Cut Scenes Are Said To Be Lost Forever, So There Can Never Be A Director's Cut

  When Event Horizon's DVD sales were unexpectedly robust, Paramount approached Anderson and asked him to assemble a director's cut. Unfortunately, that proved to be impossible. 

  After the end of production, all unused footage was discarded in a Transylvanian salt mine. When Anderson relocated the footage, it proved too damaged to be usable. 

  Anderson regrets that the footage wasn't better preserved, but the film was made in a much different time. He explained:

  You’ll never see the messed up version because we made Event before the kind of DVD revolution. You know, DVD ushered in this era when you had to have additional footage, deleted scenes, things like that. There was no call for that back when we were just doing VHS cassettes and LaserDiscs. So the material just wasn’t archived very well. 

  In 2012 at Comic-Con, Anderson said that the film's producer, Lloyd Levin, had rediscovered a VHS copy of the 130-minute cut, but has not since followed up. 
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  (#12) 'Event Horizon' Is Getting A New Lease On Life As A TV Series

  For fans who fell in love with Event Horizon and its distinct world and tone, Amazon recently announced some good news. In partnership with Paramount TV, the streaming service is planning an upcoming Event Horizon TV series. 

  While the series will return to the world of the film, details about the plot and story haven't been confirmed yet. Original producers Lloyd Levin and Larry Gordon will be returning, and Adam Wingard is set to executive produce. Wingard previously worked on Godzilla vs. King Kong, so his track record with reboots should be encouraging. 

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