Making the MCU is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Iron Man, from getting the film rights to The Avengers, to the casting of Robert Downey Jr, and filming a movie without a script.
Making the DCEU is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Justice League, from Zack Snyder leaving the film and Joss Whedon reshooting 90% of it, to removing Henry Cavill’s mustache.
Making a movie with 70 lions is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Roar, from taking 5 years to film to getting dozens of people mauled by giant cats.
Making a movie with your enemy is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Star Wars, Batman Forever, Terms of Endearment, Castle, The Notebook, and many more.
Making Superman sequels are hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, from stunt casting Richard Pryor to slashing a budget in half, days before filming.
Making puppets act is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Team America: World Police, from getting marionettes to drink scotch to removing a NC-17 rating.
Making a movie twice is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make The Good Dinosaur, from recasting every voice actor to changing directors mid production.
Talking in movies is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to talk in Superman, Hercules in New York, Singin’ in the Rain, Star Wars, most musicals and so many Bond movies.
Making one movie over a decade is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Mad Max: Fury Road, from its numerous delays that started in 1998 with Mel Gibson, to the risking life in limb stunts in the unruly deserts of Africa that caused Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy to nearly kill each other.
Making dogs and cats live together is mass hysteria. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Ghostbusters, from the incredibly short deadline to the hope-it-works attitude of making fake ghosts.
Making movies with Kemo Sabe is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make two different Lone Ranger movies, from the failed franchise starter with the stubborn actor in 1981 to the failed franchise starter with the stubborn budget from 2013.
Replacing an actor is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was on Lord of the Rings, V for Vendetta, Life of Pi, X-Men and many more.
Releasing a movie with a creep is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make All the Money in the World, from reshooting every scene Kevin Spacey was in, to kickstarting the debate about the gender pay gap in Hollywood.
Traveling through time is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Back to the Future, from the years it took convincing a studio to make it to replacing an overly serious actor weeks into filming.
Making sequels to a pop culture classic is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make the Back to the Future sequels, from Universal forcing them to be made, to the tense negotiations with Crispin Glover.
Making a sequel decades later is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to finally make sequels to Dumb and Dumber, Blade Runner, Crocodile Dundee, The Wizard of Oz, and more.
Making Batman sell Happy Meals is hard. Join us for our first live show (via Utah Remote-Con, with moderator Steph Lisman from Cutscenes & Cupcakes), as we talk about how difficult it was to make Batman Forever, from the backlash against the overly kinky Batman Returns to the egotistical actor troubles of Val Kilmer and Tommy Lee Jones.
Exorcising a little girl is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make The Exorcist, from William Friedkin’s manic directing style to the endless rumors about how cursed the movie was.
Exorcising someone multiple times is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make the sequels to the Exorcist, from the nonsense that is Exorcist II: The Heretic, to the studio forced changes of The Exorcist III.
Exorcising someone in the past is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make the prequels to The Exorcist, from the unfinished DVD release of Dominion, to the completely reshot version of Exorcist: The Beginning.
Keeping a Mogwai from eating after midnight is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Gremlins, from the insanely difficult puppetry to how it changed movie ratings for the future.
Making a good female led superhero movie is (apparently) hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Wonder Woman, from the decades of trying to bring her to the big screen, to the constant juggling of writers and directors it took to finally get made.
Making high fantasy television is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make the pilot of Game of Thrones, from the showrunners producing a terrible first episode, to recasting the iconic Daenerys Targaryen.
Making the first episode is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it is to make TV Show Pilots, from the recastings in 30 Rock, Gilmore Girls, and Full House, to the more serious versions of Big Bang Theory, and Saved by the Bell.
Being the master of your domain is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Seinfeld, from Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David’s rocky first episode, to battling the network about being a show about nothing.
Making a dark version of The Jungle Book is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, from competing with Disney’s massive Jungle Book in 2016, to Warner Bros. selling the film to Netflix.
Making a superhero film universe is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe; from Avi Arad leaving Marvel, and Edward Norton fighting for a final edit, to firing Terrence Howard and forcing script changes on Jon Favreau, or casting troubles with Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans, and overlooking Favreau for Joss Whedon.
Making a monster universe is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make the sequels to Cloverfield, from making 10 Cloverfield Lane fit the franchise after the movie was finished, to forcing reshoots into The Cloverfield Paradox and selling it to Netflix.
Restoring your original vision is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Zack Snyder's Justice League, from Ray Fisher’s revelations about Joss Whedon’s cruel treatment, to Warner Bros reviving and completing a film they buried in 2017.
Throwing off someone's groove is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make The Emperor's New Groove, from throwing away four years of work by director Roger Allers, to the film ending Disney’s Renaissance by becoming their first bomb in over a decade.
Making fairytale creatures leave your swamp is hard. Let’s talk (LIVE via Utah Remote-Con) about how difficult it was to make Shrek, from Jeffery Katzenberg making it a revenge film against Disney, to the sudden loss of original voice actor Chris Farley.
Fighting trolls is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign was, from critics receiving death threats for not liking DCEU movies, to rewarding toxic fandom with Zack Snyder's Justice League.
Making a family is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make The Fast and the Furious Saga, from Vin Diesel walking away from the franchise (2 Fast 2 Furious), to Justin Lin fighting for a diverse cast (Tokyo Drift), or James Wan overcoming the death of Paul Walker (Furious 7), and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s feuds with Vin Diesel and Tyrese Gibson (The Fate of the Furious).
Invading Earth is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Independence Day, from fighting 20th Century Fox to cast Will Smith, to reshooting most of Randy Quaid’s scenes.
Breaking the fourth wall is hard (except for you, Wade). Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Deadpool, from the 13 years Ryan Reynolds took to get it made, and that detour through X-Men Origins: Wolverine, to 20th Century Fox cutting Director Tim Miller’s budget before production.
Fighting a virus is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Osmosis Jones, from the difficulty hiring The Farrelly Brothers and Bill Murray, to how the film helped bring an end to Warner Bros. Feature Animation.
Being on a Mission from God is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make The Blues Brothers, from Director John Landis not able to describe the movie he was making, to the constant and costly delays caused by John Belushi’s cocaine addiction.
Backseat-driver-rebooting James Bond is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make two different Casino Royale films, from Peter Sellers fighting Orson Welles in Charles Feldman’s 1967 version, to the 50 year journey to properly making Ian Fleming’s novel in 2006 with Daniel Craig.
Making a movie with two directors is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Poltergeist, from the endless rumors of Steven Spielberg overtaking Tobe Hooper to shadow-direct the film, to its legend of being truly cursed. Join us and our first guest, Sequoia Simone from the podcasts Fanatical Fics (and Where to Find Them) and But Make It Scary.
Making James Bond films is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Quantum of Solace (from starting the film with a barebones script, to the multiple injuries and accidents that occurred on set), and discuss the decades old Curse of Bond.
Busting ghosts is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make sequels to GhostBusters, from the decades of Dan Aykroyd attempting a follow-up to the disappointing second one, to the rise of online hate groups and toxic fandom that harassed Paul Feig’s female-led reboot.
Making a third movie as a video game is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make GhostBusters: The Video Game, from the troubles getting Bill Murray to record his part, to the Vivendi-Activision merger that put the game into limbo.
Romancing a second stone is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make The Jewel of the Nile, from suing Kathleen Turner $25 million to star, to Michael Douglas' endless problems in the Moroccan desert.
Making a video game into a movie is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Super Mario Bros., from the dozen attempts to adapt a video game for the first time, to the on-set chaos caused by a directing duo.
Rebooting the Batman is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins, from picking up after the disaster of Batman & Robin, to the multiple failed projects of Batman Unchained (Joel Schumacher), Batman Beyond (Boaz Yakin), Batman: Year One (Darren Aronofsky), and the original Batman vs. Superman (Wolfgang Petersen).
Being removed from a movie is hard. Let’s talk about famous actors removed from the movies they had already filmed, from Eugene Levy in GhostBusters 2, and Ana de Armas in Yesterday, to Harrison Ford in E.T., and Shailene Woodley in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Plus: how Twitter took over the Oscars!
Designing the Blue Blur is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it was to make Sonic the Hedgehog—from the early attempts to make a film in the '90s, to the fallout of the CGI Sonic that no one liked.
Writing a Batman is hard. Let’s interview screenwriters Lee Shapiro and Stephen Wise about how difficult it was to write and sell Batman: DarKnight, the unproduced script that attempted to revive the Caped Crusader, before Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins.
Finding your son on an island full of dinosaurs is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it was to make Jurassic Park III, from the multiple script revisions that remained unfinished during filming, to a production that director Joe Johnston called "a living hell." Recorded live with Reddit Talks.
Making a model home is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Arrested Development, from a studio head who didn't understand the TV series, to the failed marketing that doomed it to cancellation.
Making a film after 18 years of television is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make The Simpsons Movie, from finding an idea after 400 episodes, to the endless last-minute changes to the final movie.
Pretending you’re a pod person is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to adapt The Body Snatchers, from the 1956’s Invasions of the Body Snatchers, to 2007’s The Invasion, where both films changed titles, suffered reshoots, and altered endings.
Making a vanity project for a Chinese billionaire is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Empires of the Deep, from the musical chairs of frustrated directors, to the harrowing journey of one actor attempting to leave the production.
Rebuilding a model home is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make the revival of Arrested Development, from the scheduling conflicts of Season 4, to the actor fights during Season 5.
Paying someone to be your family is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Surviving Christmas, from the production ruining a suburb, to releasing the film a week before Halloween.
Finding the Death Star plans is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, from the multiple script revisions during filming, to the enormous amount of reshoots.
Making an underwater movie is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make The Abyss, from the logistical nightmare of all involved during filming, to dealing with James Cameron’s perfectionism.
Animating Patrick Warburton is hard. In this edition of Creators Talk, let’s interview director and animator Tony Bancroft about his time on The Emperor’s New Groove, from why he thought Roger Allers' Kingdom of the Sun wasn’t finished, to the joys of animating Kronk.
Making a movie trailer is hard. Let’s talk about how some trailers can actively mislead their audience, from removing main characters in Frozen and Inglorious Basterds, to changing the film’s genre in Bridge to Terabithia and In Bruges.
Making John Wayne Asian is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make The Conqueror (with guest host Ryan Uytdewilligen), from Howard Hughes forcing animals, actors, and sand into production, to the cast and crew inadvertently becoming nuclear fallout downwinders.
Remembering who you are is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make The Bourne Identity, from dealing with Director Doug Liman’s erratic behavior, to the endless amount of reshooting to get the film right.
Avoiding paparazzi is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Mr. & Mrs. Smith, from the constant tabloid rumors of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s relationship, to dealing with director Doug Liman’s annoying eccentricities.
Fighting for brand name products is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Foodfight!, from the movie starting over after the hard-drives were "stolen", to an insurance company forcing the film to completion.
Cruising Modesto is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make American Graffiti, from the drunken chaotic set (thanks Harrison Ford!), to Universal refusing to release a film they didn’t understand.
Finding a MacGuffin is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to write Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, from George Lucas trying to convince Steven Spielberg to use aliens, to Frank Darabont getting zero credit for the final film.
Making humans look like cats is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Cats, from the visual effects studios not being given enough time to finish the film, to the way director Tom Hooper treated the artists involved.
Making public domain characters relevant again is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, from a flood that destroyed millions worth of sets, to Sean Connery nearly getting into a fight with Director Stephen Norrington.
Life in plastic is not fantastic. Let's talk about how difficult it was to make Barbie, from Diablo Cody not finding the perfect idea, to Amy Schumer unable to make the feminist version that Greta Gerwig did.
Chasing Harrison Ford without a script is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it was to make The Fugitive, from nearly every actor making up all their lines to VFX artists barred from talking about their effects work.
Making the origins of fairy tales is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it was to make The Brothers Grimm; from Director Terry Gilliam not wanting to make it, to the year long battle with the Weinsteins over the edit.
Making a Holocaust clown movie is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it was to make The Day the Clown Cried, from a producer not paying the cast and crew, to Jerry Lewis choosing to never release the film. But surprise! Ian told Clint and Rae the episode would be about the original The Nutty Professor….
Making a holiday slasher flick is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it was to make the 2006 Black Christmas remake, from the Weinsteins forcing excessive reshoots, to inserting fake trailer moments.
Making movies for toys is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it was to make Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from Iron Man 3 changing scripts to sell more toys, to Thor: The Dark World changing scripts to sell more toys, or choosing to make Guardians of the Galaxy… to sell toys.
Making Frank Herbert's classic in 1984 is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it was to make Dune, from discovering that David Lynch was not the next Spielberg or Lucas, to the truncated post production that led to multiple versions of the film.
Making a rat a chef is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Ratatouille, from director Jan Pinkava being replaced by Brad Bird, to finishing the movie in only 18 months.
Making a movie against your will is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it is when an actor is contractually obligated to a movie, from Emily Blunt missing out on being Black Widow, to Mike Myers being a pain in The Cat in the Hat.
Following up after The Simpsons is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Futurama, from Fox questioning every aspect of the show, to dooming it with a terrible timeslot.
Making a podcast is… fun. For our 4 Year Anniversary, let's re-listen to fan favorite moments from It Was a Sh*t Show's first 3 seasons, from learning how a director uses a 2×4, to losing our minds over Daniel Craig injuries. Special thanks to super fan John Carrigan for offering to edit this episode!
Making a star act with a T-Rex is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it was to make Theodore Rex, from the court case that forced Whoopi Goldberg to be in it, to a writer/director ill-equipped to handle the situation.
Making apes talk is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it was to make the 2001 version of Planet of the Apes, from the likes of James Cameron, Oliver Stone, and Peter Jackson all trying to remake it, to Tim Burton struggling with the time constraints.
Being canceled three times is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it was to revive Futurama, from the evolution of television over three decades, to Fox (then Disney) undercutting voice actors' salaries.
Making the Western Godfather is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it was to make Tombstone, from writer/director Kevin Jarre getting fired four weeks in, to Kurt Russell possibly ghost directing to finish the movie on time.
Motor-mouthing your way into places is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it was to make the Beverly Hills Cop movies—from the first one originally starring Sylvester Stallone, to the third film shutting down a month before production.
Making a sequel to The Avengers is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it was to make Avengers: Age of Ultron—from writer/director Joss Whedon caving to his own ambitions, to the Marvel Creative Committee forcing him to make changes.
Making a sequel when there can be only one is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it was to make Highlander II: The Quickening, from the financial troubles ending production before finishing, to the multiple versions of the final film. Special Guest: Alan Seawright from Cinema Therapy
Making tornados is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it was to make Twister, from rewriting scenes as they filmed, to director Jan de Bont possibly abusing his crew.
Losing your star is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it was to make The Crow—from the crew fighting rumors about a cursed film, to Brandon Lee's tragic on-set shooting.
Making the perfect organism is hard. Let's talk about how difficult it was to make the Alien trilogy, from James Cameron feuding with his British crew on Aliens, to David Fincher being micromanaged by Fox on Alien 3.
Recorded Live at FanX, Salt Lake City, September 27, 2024. **Apologies for the poor audio quality!** For two decades, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger were locked into one of the most heated rivalries in Hollywood. Being the two biggest action stars of all time, they traded insults, started rumors, and tried one-upping each other in all their movies. Join Cinema Therapy (@CinemaTherapyShow) and It Was a Sh*t Show, as they discuss the egos at play, how ugly it got, and the eventual lifelong friendship that came out of it.