Films often feature heart-pounding action scenes, which often blur the lines between movie magic and real danger. But sometimes, these incredible stunts come dangerously close to becoming real-world disasters. Here, we will revisit 17 movie stunts that almost went completely wrong:
The Call (2013)
While shooting a fight scene in The Call, Halle Berry accidentally hit her head on the ground, landing her in the emergency room in real life. Though Halle didn’t perform a lot of stunts in the movie, that one scene almost went bad.
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
This stunt even got the movie producers sued! On the set of Back to the Future Part II, Cheryl Wheeler-Dixon was supposed to break through a glass door made out of candy. Things went south when she couldn’t get through the glass and accidentally hit a pillar.
Back to the Future Part III (1990)
In this third installment of the iconic Back to the Future franchise, Marty McFly almost loses his life. In a scene where an assailant tries to hang him in the movie, Fox opted to do the stunt, but things almost went terribly wrong when Fox couldn’t prevent himself from choking.
Now You See Me (2013)
Now You See Me featured some intriguing magic tricks. In the water tank scene, Isla Fisher was actually drowning. The chain around her ankles had gotten wedged under a slat, trapping her. Fortunately, she managed to survive this situation.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
Tom Cruise is famous for doing his own stunts in films, but things could have easily turned disastrous in Mission: Impossible – Fallout. In the 2018 movie, Tom Cruise attempted to jump from one building to another. Despite his calculations, Tom fell and crashed into the side of the building, breaking his ankle.
Troy (2004)
Did you know Brad Pitt tore his Achilles tendon in Troy? The 2004 adaptation of Homer’s Iliad saw Pitt’s character die after being wounded by an arrow through the tendon at the back of his ankle, his Achilles heel. Ironically, the actor also injured his Achilles heel doing stunts for the movie.
Sharky’s Machine (1981)
Dar Robinson was known for performing very crazy stunts in the 80s. So it was no surprise that on the set of Sharky’s Machine, he jumped from a 16th-story building onto an inflatable pad below. Although the stunt was successfully performed, Robinson could have been injured if he landed badly.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2010)
If you didn’t know, I’m telling you now that Harry Potter had a stunt double. David Holmes was Harry’s stunt double until he had an accident on this set. Holmes was to do a “flying stunt,” but an explosion happened. Though the stunt passed, Holmes was left with a fracture.
The Exorcist (1973)
This almost-gone-wrong stunt can be seen in the actual movie. Linda Blair, who played tormented Regan MacNeil, suffered a back injury during one of her stunts. In a scene where she was tormented by a demon, Regan suffered a fall that fractured her lower back.
Police Story (1985)
We all know Jackie Chan is the king of stunts! However, in Police Story, Chan performed stunts that almost took his life due to a lack of proper safety protocols. While he did perform the stunts, he suffered spinal injuries and second-degree burns on the palms.
Django Unchained (2012)
In one of the popular scenes in Django Unchained, Leonardo DiCaprio accidentally cut his hands. He was supposed to slam his hand on the table to make a point but ended up breaking the glass. Even with a bleeding hand, Leonardo DiCaprio still kept his character.
The Last Samurai (2003)
While filming a fight scene in The Last Samurai, Tom Cruise’s mechanical horse failed to stop at the right time. His stunt partner was able to stop swinging his sword just in time, half an inch before it would have reached Cruise’s neck.
The River Wild (1994)
Meryl Steep almost drowned in The River Wild. On set, the actress told director Curtis Hanson that she didn’t want to go back into the water, but he convinced her to do a take. However, during the take, the boat rose and flipped over, sending Streep into the freezing water. Thankfully, she was promptly rescued.
Ben-Hur (1959)
William Wyler and great stunts are buddies. For the chariot scene in Ben-Hur, William employed stunt performer Joe Canutt to handle chariots drawn by the enormous horsepower of four galloping steeds. Unfortunately, an accident occurred, launching Joe, resulting in a deep cut on his chin.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
One witch in The Wizard of Oz almost got hexed in the 1939 movie. The Wicked Witch, played by Margaret Hamilton, was meant to do a disappearing stunt with fire. However, her release door was delayed, and the flames engulfed Margaret, causing her to suffer second and third-degree burns.
Syriana (2005)
A movie interrogation scene can go just as wrong as a real-life one. In Syriana, George Clooney played the character of a CIA agent tackling bad guys. In one of the stunts for the movie, Clooney fell and injured his head and back.
Shotgun Wedding (2022)
In Jennifer Lopez’s action rom-com Shotgun Wedding, there’s a scene where Darcy gets her wedding dress pulled into the wheel of a car on the edge of a cliff. On set, the dress was actually pulled under for real. Lopez cried out for help and got pulled back.
