The Island of Doctor Moreau is considered one of the most unfortunate film productions in history. The movie was plagued by problems, including a rivalry between Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer, who were the main stars.
Val Kilmer was initially hesitant to take the role and only agreed if he could work 40% less. Bruce Willis was initially cast as the protagonist but dropped out due to his divorce. The script was rewritten to accommodate Kilmer's reduced role, and David Thewlis was cast as the new protagonist.
The filming was also affected by a hurricane that destroyed part of the set, and the director, Richard Stanley, was fired due to creative differences. John Frankenheimer took over as director but also faced challenges, including Kilmer's unprofessional behavior and Brando's refusal to memorize his lines.
The movie was a commercial failure and received negative reviews from critics. The original book by H.G. Wells is a horror and science fiction novel that explores the theme of a scientist playing God, but the movie adaptation failed to capture the essence of the book.
The behind-the-scenes drama was extensively documented in a 2014 documentary called "Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau" which provides a detailed account of the production's struggles.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Bruce Willis was initially hired as the protagonist but had to resign due to his divorce.
2. Val Kilmer was hired as a replacement, but with conditions, including working 40% less.
3. The script had to be rewritten to accommodate Val Kilmer's reduced role.
4. David Thewlis accepted the role of the protagonist, Edward, and worked with his idol, Marlon Brando.
5. Val Kilmer asked to retire from filming, but was not allowed to leave the set.
6. The director was fired due to creative differences, and a new director, John Frankenheimer, was hired.
7. Frankenheimer modified the script without giving the actors time to memorize their new lines.
8. Marlon Brando used an earpiece to receive his lines, as he did not want to memorize them.
9. Brando and Val Kilmer had a rivalry, with both trying to be the last to arrive on set.
10. Marlon Brando insulted Val Kilmer, saying he confused his pay with his talent.
11. A hurricane destroyed part of the set, costing millions of dollars.
12. No one was hurt in the hurricane, but some animals were caged and almost drowned.
13. The film was an adaptation of the science fiction and horror book "The Island of Doctor Moreau".
14. The story follows a castaway, Edward, who is rescued by Montgomery and taken to a mysterious island ruled by Doctor Moreau.
15. Doctor Moreau is a god-like figure who mixes animals with humans, creating hybrids.
16. The hybrids need a serum to maintain their human form, and Montgomery is in charge of injecting them.
17. The hyena reveals himself by freeing some of his companions and killing Doctor Moreau.
18. Edward realizes he was brought to the island to use his DNA in the experiments.
19. The cat girl needs the serum to maintain her human form, and Edward helps her find it.
20. Montgomery destroys the antidote, causing chaos and leading to his own death.
21. The film's premiere was a commercial failure, and critics destroyed it for being a poor adaptation of the book.
22. The original story is a horror and science fiction novel about a cruel doctor who creates abominations by mixing animal parts.
23. The book's message is that when civilization is taken away from humans, the only thing left is an animal.
24. The director, Richard Stanley, made a documentary about the behind-the-scenes of the film.
25. Stanley suffered psychological problems due to the stress caused by the production.
26. Val Kilmer apologized to Richard Stanley for his behavior during filming.
27. Frankenheimer considered Marlon Brando the most difficult actor he worked with in his entire career.
28. Brando's son had recently died, and he may have accepted the role to distract himself from his personal tragedy.