Despite being an Academy Award-winning actress, Kate Winslet has never been engulfed by the diva effect that usually comes with fame. It turns out her unique approach to navigating the entertainment industry is due to how she was treated after being cast as Rose opposite Leonardo DiCaprio‘s Jack Dawson in the 1997 blockbuster hit Titanic.

During an appearance on 60 Minutes, Winslet explained how the size and shape of her body became the focus of press coverage. “It was absolutely appalling,” she recalled after looking at an old clip of herself on the red carpet in which reporters can be heard commenting about the size of her dress. “What kind of a person must they be to do something like that to a young actress who’s just trying to figure it out">Harper’s Bazaar UK. “And one of the crew came up between takes and said: ‘You might want to sit up straighter.’ So you can’t see my belly rolls? Not on your life!”

Although Hollywood slapped a plus-sized label on Winslet, the actress has not let the unnecessary cruelty get her down. Instead, she has become somewhat of an activist for body positivity and doesn’t care about looking perfect in front of the cameras. “I take pride in [my imperfections] because it is my life on my face, and that matters. It wouldn’t occur to me to cover that up,” she said.

Every time the two are together, someone ends up crying. 27 years ago, it was the whole world, and now, it’s Kate Winslet herself.

Years or decades may , but Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet will be one of the best pairings on-screen forever. What the two did in 1997 (credits to James Cameron, too) is enough to make grown men cry even today. But can such undeniable on-screen chemistry exist without an equally profound friendship behind the scenes? Well, the two have proved that their friendship is no less heartwarming than the love story of Jack and Rose — minus their doomed fates.

At a recent screening of Winslet’s film Lee at the Harmony Gold Theater in Los Angeles, DiCaprio reunited with the actress and gave fans a reminiscence of those “aw” moments we had during Titanic. And despite 27 years of their partnership and counting, their sparks haven’t dimmed a bit. While speaking at the screening, DiCaprio did not hold back on expressing his iration for Winslet, introducing her as “one of the great talents of [his] generation.” (via Variety)

DiCaprio also highlighted to the audience how Winslet “dedicated herself to the film and to honoring Lee’s legacy for over the course of nine years” before the film turned into the beautiful masterpiece it is today. For the unversed, Lee is a biographical drama film about Lee Miller, who began her career as a model before ing Vogue magazine as a war correspondent and photographer to document World War II.

“I her speaking about this to me personally. This has been a massive ion project for her, and it’s a journey that speaks to the depth of Kate’s ion and her dedication to telling stories that need to be ed.”

Though the film is yet to have a release date in the U.S., it made its way to the U.K. theaters on Sept. 13, 2024. But even without a nationwide release, the magic of Kate Winslet’s performance has clearly cast a spell on Leonardo DiCaprio. During the screening, DiCaprio couldn’t help but gush over her, calling her work in the film “nothing short of transformative.” Oh, and he didn’t stop there:

“I continue to be awestruck. I continue to ire your strength, your integrity, your talent, and your ion to every single project that you create.”

After DiCaprio left the stage for Winslet to take over, she was clearly touched by his words so much that she found herself fighting back tears. “I can’t even look at Leo now or else I’ll cry,” she confessed to the audience, and honestly, who could blame her? If DiCaprio ever spoke about me with such ion for even a second, I’d be a running fountain before the end of it. I’d be in a Titanic wave of emotions, if you may.

When Variety posted about the heartfelt event on X, s were quick to demand the iconic duo “in another movie with a happy ending.” One also boldly asserted how DiCaprio and Winslet’s friendship is the “only Hollywood friendship that many would like to see end in romance.” Others soon followed the same lead, leaving comments like “Just date already” and “Jack and Rose forever.” While we’re on board with the Jack and Rose nostalgia, Winslet is already happily married so the dating part is off the table. But a Titanic reboot or sequel? One can dream.

The sinking of the Titanic remains one of history’s worst shipping tragedies, but the event also inspired James Cameron to create a heartwrenching romance that remains one of cinema’s greatest masterpieces. The 1997 film Titanic focused on characters Rose Dewitt Bukater and Jack Dawson, played by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, respectively, and how their tragic love story plays out amid, well, more tragedy.

It is their final scene together that is the most traumatic and emotional. Rose can be seen lying on a floating wooden door, part of the ship’s wreckage, while Jack holds on gently, before succumbing to his fate in the freezing water. Fans desperate for a happy ending have taken it upon themselves to question whether Jack could have fit on the door with Rose. The debate rages on.

We are fully aware that the film was created on a secure set, but Winslet’s recent comments have ruined some of the drama for us. She was questioned about this scene yet again while participating in a Q&A to promote her new film, Lee.

Kate Winslet shares new information about Titanic‘s door scene

“Well, that was quite an awkward tank … because to burst the bubble, it was waist height at that time,” Winslet told the crowd in New York City, as reported by People. This means that despite DiCaprio’s brilliant and compelling performance, he could have stood up at any time, and for some reason, this knowledge spoils the scene (but only a little).

“Anyway, yeah. So it was waist-high. Leo, I’m afraid to say, was kneeling down. I shouldn’t be saying anyways, Jimmy Cameron’s gonna be ringing me,” she said. “Actually, the thing that was amazing about the edges of the tank was that it was an infinity tank. So there was constant water rushing, and you could hear the constant sound of water.”

At the event, Winslet also recalled having to use the bathroom multiple times, but getting off the door and climbing out of the tank was arduous, and she referred to it as “terrible.”

The stars of Titanic have been asked the question about Jack’s possible survival more times than they care to count. But can we get one final answer as to why Rose didn’t just make room for the love of her life on that door? In 2023, for a National Geographic special, Titanic: 25 Years Later With James Cameron, the director worked with a team to recreate several scenarios involving the characters on the door. The goal was to see whether it was plausible for Jack to have lived.

They tested four theories, and while some of the results showed that both characters could have survived, the findings also indicated that Rose’s chances of survival would have decreased.

“He got into a place where if we projected that out, he just might’ve made it until the lifeboat got there,” Cameron said, as reported by Entertainment Weekly. “Jack might’ve lived, but there’s a lot of variables. I think his thought process was, ‘I’m not going to do one thing that jeopardized her,’ and that’s 100 percent in character.”

With the election cycle in full swing, Vice President Harris has overtaken Donald Trump in the polls, effectively wiping out his lead following President Joe Biden’s exit from the 2024 race.

This dramatic turnaround comes as Trump’s campaign strategy appears to be taking on water — literally. At a Friday rally in Bozeman, Montana, Trump’s team decided to set the mood with Canadian singer Celine Dion‘s “My Heart Will Go On,” famously from the movie Titanic. Yes, the song from that Titanic — the one about the unsinkable ship that sank.

“My Heart Will Go On,” composed by James Horner with lyrics by Will Jennings, became an instant classic when it was released as part of the Titanic soundtrack in 1997. The song’s powerful vocals, courtesy of Celine Dion, and its sweeping orchestral arrangement helped it become a global hit. The song’s association with the Titanic, however, has also made it an unlikely choice for a political campaign rally — especially one that seems to be navigating troubled waters.

Celine Dion herself, through a perplexed statement on platform X, highlighted the absurdity of its usage: “…And really, THAT song?” It’s like Trump is honestly itting that his campaign is headed for disaster and embracing its sinking future with her song as the backdrop. The statement goes on to clarify that the use of the song was not authorized and that Dion does not endorse Trump or his campaign.

The unauthorized use of Dion’s song might just add to the typhoon of troubles he faces: Looming bankruptcy, multiple other lawsuits, and now a potential copyright clash. It’s a well-known fact in entertainment circles that no self-respecting artist wants their work to become the anthem for controversy, especially within the polarizing atmosphere of a MAGA rally.

U.S. copyright law, specifically, allows politicians to use popular songs at their events through blanket licenses obtained by venues or their campaigns from performance rights organizations (PROs) such as ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) or BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.). These organizations collect royalties on behalf of artists and distribute them accordingly. Despite these blanket licenses, artists still maintain a certain degree of control. They can expressly request their PRO to exclude their songs from being used in contexts they find objectionable.

Over the years, a veritable “who’s who” of the music industry has objected to Donald Trump’s use of their songs. The Rolling Stones famously threatened legal action against Trump for using their songs without permission. Artists like Rihanna, Axl Rose, and the estates of Prince, Sinead O’Connor, and Tom Petty have all said “thanks, but no thanks” to having their creative works associated with Trump’s divisive rhetoric.

If Dion decides to pursue legal action, she may have a strong case. And if Trump insists on sticking with the nautical theme, maybe “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” would be a safer bet.

Romance is well and truly alive and thriving in the animal kingdom as demonstrated by what seems to be a wholesome TikTok of a seagull giving another seagull a lift.

The video, posted by @big_fat_rave, shows two seagulls, one flying and the other sitting on his back, just enjoying the ride. It’s certainly not something you’d expect to see everyday, and furthermore, you have to wonder how something like that is even possible. Like, how is that seagull standing on the other one like that without falling off?

It’s nice to see Scuttle from The Little Mermaid living life to the fullest. The whole thing is very reminiscent of that scene in Titanic when Jack and Rose are standing at the front of the ship; all you need is a bit of Céline Dion playing over the video and you’ve got a short love story with gulls instead of humans. Of course, the drum ‘n bass music chosen by the original poster works just as well.

It’s only a short 6 second clip, but it tells so many stories in such a short amount of time. Are these seagulls lovers? Is the bottom one carrying their lover like some cheesy rom-com? Is the one on top just being cheeky? Who knows, it’s up to the viewer to decide the story here. Regardless, it could make a great animated Pixar film; I know I’d definitely watch it. 

One commenter chose to believe, that it was definitely a bet: “i bet you a tenner I can fly with you on my back.” Others compared the scene to other movies like Toy Story: “Uhh Buzz we missed the truck.” One commenter even took a jab at Boeing, a company whose reputation has dropped like bird poo in recent months. So maybe this isn’t the romantic scene it initially appeared to be, maybe they aren’t lovebirds, but instead just two mates getting up to mischief. Well, whatever, they’re doing it looks fun, and I want in.

Is this normal behavior for seagulls?

The video has actually done the rounds on the internet before, being shared on platforms like Reddit a few years ago. But this isn’t exactly a common activity for Seagulls. In fact, it seems to be a one off freak occurrence, which makes it all the more interesting. 

Seagull expert (yes, those exist) Peter Rock offered a few theories when speaking to The Dodo back in 2021. While he itted he’d never seen footage like it before, he claimed that: “This is the exact position the gulls adopt for mating.” So there you have it, not only were they lovebirds all along, but apparently these gulls are exhibitionists too. Maybe it really is Jack and Rose reincarnated as birds re-living scenes from the movie. If that’s the case, I really hope they don’t try to recreate the car scene.

The King of Rohan has gone to his fathers, in whose mighty company he shall not feel ashamed. Fantasy icon Bernard Hill, most notable for playing Théoden in Lord of the Rings, died yesterday at age 79.

After his death, heartfelt responses to the news flooded media outlets. Hill had a long and storied career in the entertainment industry, starting with his breakout role in BBC’s Boys From the Blackstuff, to his ing role in James Cameron’s epic, Titanic. But Lord of the Rings is arguably the most beloved addition to his credits. Appearing in The Two Towers and The Return of the King, Hill’s characters represent one of the few strongholds of Men to stand up to Sauron in the war for Middle-earth.

His heroism at Helm’s Deep and love for Éowyn (Miranda Otto) contrasts with Denethor’s (John Noble) cowardice and abuse of Faramir (David Wenham). Hill’s legacy lives on through these films, something that his costars are readily aware of. Karl Urban, who played Théoden’s nephew, Éomer posted a touching photo of the actor after his ing on Instagram. And he wasn’t the only one to the actor fondly. 

Elijah Wood’s touching tribute to Lord of the Rings’ Bernard Hill

The outpouring of appreciation for the actor came from all corners, including the Ring Bearer himself, Elijah Wood. Wood gained household stardom for appearing in Lord of the Rings as the humble Hobbit, Frodo Baggins. And though he never shared any scenes with the actor, the set of the film was something close to a family. The four Hobbits, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Sam Astin, and Wood regularly get together for reunions. Per Entertainment Weekly, Orlando Bloom even ed in on the fun recently. 

Wood’s reaction to Hill’s death, however, was much more somber. As the defacto face of the franchise, his words carry a lot of weight. The actor posted on X (formerly Twitter) his public sentiments. 

Wood honored the late actor with a photo credited to Viggo Mortensen, otherwise known as Aragorn son of Arathorn, rightful heir to Gondor. The beautiful photo against the backdrop of the mountains is the perfect way to send off the performer. As Gandalf says:

“Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain curtain of this world rolls back and all turns to silver glass… And then you see it… White shores and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.”

Hill was a timeless actor who will be ed in his long career of significant roles. For nostalgic fans keen on revisiting the franchise, Lord of the Rings is currently streaming on Max.

With credits in blockbusters such as Titanic and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Bernard Hill has always been a bankable actor capable of making a role memorable. Sadly, the actor ed away on May 5, 2024.

Born Dec. 17, 1944, Hill began pursuing an actor career in the 1970s. After several small parts, the actor got his first breakthrough role in the 1979 television play The Black Stuff, where he played a working man pushed to the brink by the cruelties of Great Britain’s welfare state. Hill would reprise the role in the limited series Boys from the Blackstuff in 1982. Hill was also part of Clint Eastwood’s True Crime and shared the silver screen with Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas in The Ghost and the Darkness, both movies that helped cement his status as a rising Hollywood star.

While Hill has given many memorable performances, his two most well-known roles are Captain Edward Smith in Titanic and King Théoden in The Lord of the Rings. In Titanic, the actor gave surprising depth to a side character, exploring the agony of a captain who goes down with his ship during on what was supposed to be his last trip before retirement.

King Théoden, on the other hand, is a fan-favorite character in The Lord of the Rings films, ed for his inspiring speech before the battle for Gondor that still gives the audience goosebumps every single time. Hill’s dedication to Théoden was so enormous that he even sustained multiple injuries on set, first fracturing his sternum and then slashing his ear with a sword while shooting – but people only Viggo Mortensen’s broken toe. 

How did Bernard Hill die?

Hill’s agent, Lou Coulson, confirmed the actor ed away in the early hours of the morning. However, no cause of death has been revealed so far. The Titanic star was 79 years old and led a quiet life in Manchester.

Tragically, Hill’s death was announced a few hours before the premiere of Season 2 of The Responder on BBC One. Marking one of his last roles, the police drama will see the legendary actor working alongside Martin Freeman. Hill was also scheduled to show up at Liverpool’s Comic-Con this week. The event published a heartfelt note mourning the ing of the legendary Rohan King.

Hill marked the lives of millions of fans, and his work will keep echoing throughout eternity. One look at his glowing resume is enough to deduce his prowess as an actor, but here is another bit of trivia — Hill is the only actor to appear in two movies that won 11 Academy Awards: Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Beyond impressive, right?

I don’t know about you, but Hill’s King Théoden makes this writer, right here, return to Middle Earth quite often. Rewatching the trilogy will be a rather bittersweet trip down nostalgia lane from now on.

More than 90 years after the very first Oscars ceremony launched a time-honored tradition, the Academy Awards remain one of the biggest events of the year.

The celebrated awards program has paid tribute to the vast array of talent scattered across the film landscape via not in 94, or 95, but now nearly 96 separate ceremonies. In each, fresh films, directors, actors, and cinematographers are recognized for their contributions to cinema, as adoring fans look on from a distance. The greatest films of the last 90-some years are commemorated via the numerous Oscars they snatched up over the decades, with a few rising far beyond others in of recognition.

That’s not to say that an overabundance of movies haven’t been successful in their own right, but a select handful of unforgettable films have etched their name into history as ones with the most wins, and that’s definitely a feat to brag about.

Which movies have the most Oscar wins?

Three separate films are tied for the title of “most Oscar wins.” Each of the Academy’s most awarded films comes from a completely different category, which may well serve as an example of the organization’s attempts to keep things on even ground.

Each of the top winners, in addition to coming from different genres, were released in different decades. The first film to win 11 Oscars swept the ceremony in 1960, the second matched it more than 30 years later, and the final won every single award it was nominated for a few years later, in 2004.

Ben-Hur (1959)

The first film to cinch more than a dozen Oscars was Ben-Hur, a religious epic released all the way back in 1959. The William Wyler-directed film starred Charlton Heston — a massive celebrity at the time — alongside Jack Hawkins and Haya Harareet. The film details the trials and tribulations of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince, after he is betrayed and sold into slavery by a close friend.

It was celebrated at the 32nd Academy Awards for its sound design and the gripping chariot race, taking home an unprecedented 11 awards. It was nominated for 12 — winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a ing Role, Best Art Direction/Set Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Recording, Best Music, and Best Special Effects.

Titanic (1997)

Nearly four decades later, Titanic matched Ben-Hur in Oscars recognition. The hugely popular disaster film, based on the true story about a ship of the same name, earned the cast and crew high praise from the Academy and viewers alike. James Cameron directed, wrote, co-edited, and produced the film, and clearly poured all the ion he could muster into its every moment. It certainly paid off for the film, which snatched up awards left and right at the 70th Academy Awards.

The film was nominated in 14 categories, and won in all but three. The movie took home the awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Original Dramatic Score, and Best Original Song.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

2003’s Return of the King absolutely dazzled everyone who laid eyes on it, despite its separation from the typical award-heavy genres. A fantasy powerhouse that helped redefine how audiences — and filmmakers — approach the genre, Return of the King received high praise for its stunning action sequences, touching ending, and stellar pacing. As the final entry in Peter Jackson‘s Lord of the Rings trilogy, it managed to maintain the momentum of the first two, delivering a satisfying and moving resolution.

All of this was recognized at the 76th Academy Awards, which saw the film win in every single category it was nominated for. It earned 11 wins from 11 nominations, taking home the awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects. It swept nearly every other awards ceremony of the year as well, but none quite so thoroughly as the Oscars.

To say that singling out the most influential and popular works of a medium that’s over a century old is a nightmare would be an understatement. But we’re going to attempt to do it anyway.

How does one even go about picking the most popular movies of all time? Is it a matter of consistent popularity over a long span of time? Is it a matter of ticket sales and box office gross? Would you adjust that for inflation if you were to pick the most-watched movies in history? And does high-grossing necessarily correlate to popularity?

You see, the very thought raises an impossible conundrum. But if we decide that we’re not going to be particularly nitpicky, and try to include franchises as well as single features, then the list can be narrowed down considerably. That being said, even a trimmed-down list of the most popular movies is still quite extensive, so let’s first get some honorable mentions out of the way.

Honorable mentions

There are plenty of extremely popular movies that may not necessarily make a top 10 list based on one preference or another (and that is more often than not completely subjective) so here are the flicks that would’ve otherwise been included here: Fight Club, The Lion King, The Matrix, Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, The Dark Knight trilogy, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Citizen Kane, Saving Private Ryan, Braveheart, Interstellar, the Fast & Furious franchise, Casablanca, the James Bond series, Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park, Seven Samurai, and Ben-Hur.

Now, let’s get into the list proper. Note that these movies are ranked in no particular order, as that would’ve constituted an unfeasible dissection process.

Gone with the Wind (1939)

Gone With the Wind is undoubtedly among the most popular movies in history. Sure, a lot of people from younger generations may have missed out on it, but this 1939 Victor Fleming pic is not only one of the most influential works of art in history, but remains to this day the highest-grossing movie of all time when adjusted for inflation.

Pirates of the Caribbean (2003–2017)

The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) remains the best pirate movie I’ve seen to date. Having grossed more than $4.5 billion, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is definitely up there with some of the big blockbusters, but that’s not the only reason we’re including it in our list.

Toy Story (1995–2019)

There are a lot of successful animation franchises from Disney and even other competitors like Dreamworks, but let’s face it; Toy Story just hits differently, whether it’s because of the nostalgic factor or its host of incredibly iconic and memorable characters.

Harry Potter (2001–2011)

The Harry Potter series consists of eight movies that have grossed $7.7 billion at the box office. It also goes without saying that the Wizarding World is one of the most popular and prized IPs currently out there, so the story of the Boy Who Lived deserves a spot on this list.

The Godfather (1972–1990)

Few stories in history have managed to give us the perfect trilogy, and The Godfather is one of them. Words can’t quite capture what the three Godfather movies mean to cinema. In a lot of ways, they are cinema itself, bearing a legacy that had been decades in the making and pushing it forward by showing just how potent films can truly be.

Avatar (2009–)

Avatar and its sequel The Way of Water are currently the first and third highest-grossing movies of all time, respectively. There’s something incredibly magnetic about James Cameron’s cinema, even when he’s delivering one of the most tired, cliche action stories a writer could come up with. Avatar has been watched by hundreds of millions, if not billions, of people all around the globe, so it’s safe to say that it’s one of the most popular movies in history.

The Avengers (2012–)

The Avengers offshoot should be the only testament to the true power Disney holds over the box office. The MCU is not just a popular movie franchise, but one of the most trendy things in the entire world right now. At one brief point, Avengers: Endgame even sured Avatar to become the highest-grossing movie in history, and together, the four movies have grossed a whopping $7.7 billion in theaters.

The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003)

Going down as one of the most acclaimed movie trilogies in history, The Lord of the Rings has managed to retain its relevance to this day, constantly attracting new audiences and new generations of audiences to share in J.R.R. Tolkien’s timeless story, adapted in all of its intricate grandeur by director Peter Jackson. So far as adaptations go, I think most of us would agree that it simply doesn’t get any better than this.

Titanic (1997)

Can you even find someone who hasn’t watched Titanic? That might be the best compliment with which to describe the movie’s implacable popularity even after all these years. It also goes to prove that James Cameron is the absolute no. 1 powerhouse of cinema so far as popularity and reach are concerned. As a cinephile, my biggest fear is that there’ll never be a movie again that can quite capture the magic of Titanic.

Star Wars (1977)

There’s a case to be made that Star Wars essentially kickstarted the genre, blockbuster filmmaking craze of the ’80s, and then went beyond that to influence other artistic mediums as well. Some works are ground zeroes of explosions that ripple across time and define human history, and no film or franchise is more worthy of such an acknowledgment than the galaxy far, far away.

“It’s never too early to start taking swim lessons.” That’s the moral that audiences can learn from Jack and Rose in Titanic. Also, “Some people just never get over their high school exes.”

Consider Rose DeWitt Bukater, as portrayed by Kate Winslet in the blockbuster motion picture. We can easily ascertain that the more buoyant of the film’s protagonists was a scant 17 years of age during the events of the movie – the researchers say as much when they’re calling her a liar in the setup for the story. Old Lady Rose, played by the late Gloria Stuart, was just shy of 101 years old in 1996, putting her date of birth somewhere in 1895, and making her just shy of old enough to gamble when her sweet ride sank to the depths in 1912. Meanwhile, Winslet shot the part when she was 21 and 22 years old. 

Then there’s Jack Dawson, the hoodlum and nogoodnik who helped stink up a perfectly nice stranger’s car in the bowels of the RMS Titanic’s cargo hold. Jack’s age is less specific. The film’s script lists Jack as “about 20,” and that’s the last official word on the subject. Jack never states outright when he was born, but even if he had, he’s not the kind of guy that you can trust with dates and times.

He specifically states that he ice fished with his father on Lake Wissota, a reservoir created during the construction of the Wissota Hydroelectric Dam, which didn’t exist until five years after the Titanic sank. That either makes him a liar, or a time traveler who singled out the doomed ship as a great place to meet women who he’d never have to call again. Either way, he got what he deserved.

Making movies is hard. Pulling together a multi-million dollar Hollywood blockbuster requires organizing hundreds of people, managing a budget, and dealing with some very big egos.

Major productions generally lean on the experience of their crew to keep things running smoothly. But sometimes shoots have to deal with situations so extreme they threaten to stop the entire project dead in its tracks.

So, here are seven times major movies stared disaster in the face, but somehow pulled it back and ended up with a hit.

Jaws – “I was naive about the ocean”

The 26-year-old Steven Spielberg knew Jaws was a chance to make his name in Hollywood. Wanting to make the action as realistic as possible he chose to shoot much of the movie on the open ocean rather than in a studio tank.

This decision resulted in a nightmare production, with the cast and crew having to deal with the prop sharks repeatedly malfunctioning, the Orca boat almost sinking with the cast inside, the screenwriter nearly being decapitated by a propellor, and Richard Dreyfuss getting trapped underwater in a shark cage.

Principal photography was first planned for 55 days but eventually took 159, with Spielberg suffering panic attacks and later saying “I thought my career as a filmmaker was over.”

But Jaws was an instant hit and (adjusted for inflation) has made $1.3 billion dollars. That said, when it came time to shoot Jaws 2 Spielberg couldn’t face returning to the ocean. In a 2016 interview with EW, he said he would return to the Orca boat used in the movie:

“I used to come out [onto the water] for a couple of years after I made the movie to get over my PTSD. I … would just sit in that boat alone for hours. I would shake, My hands would shake.”

Toy Story 2 – “Oh my god. Unplug the machine”

A movie realized entirely in computers may not have to deal with extreme environments, but that doesn’t mean that calamity isn’t far away. In 1998 an unnamed Pixar employee was doing some routine file clearance and entered the command “/bin/rm -r -f *” on Toy Story 2‘s root folder.

This promptly began scrubbing every single file related to the project from the Pixar computers, with animators and artists quickly realizing their work was being deleted. By the time they yanked the cable out 90% of the last two years of work was gone, and to rub salt into the wound they then discovered the backups weren’t working. The movie was saved thanks to maternity leave, with technical director Galyn Susman working from home in order to take care of her new baby. She had a backup copy on her computer, and this was very carefully transported to Pixar HQ where 90% of the movie was restored.

Ultimately the film was reworked from that point, but even so, it stands as a sobering reminder to be sure anything important is backed up!

Waterworld – “It was starting to balloon into a disaster”

When director Kevin Reynolds began planning Waterworld, Steven Spielberg advised him:

“Do not shoot on water! ”

They decided to shoot on water. After all, what would the guy who made Jaws know about it? Work began in the Pacific Ocean off Hawaii, with sets being constructed at sea. It was all going to plan, right up until a hurricane sent the expensive scenery to the ocean floor.

The trimaran used by Kevin Costner’s character proved especially dangerous and nearly killed the three lead actors, a stunt coordinator suffered near-deadly decompression sickness, Costner’s stunt double almost drowned, and (after three more hurricanes) the budget ballooned.

Waterworld wasn’t a flop and isn’t necessarily a bad movie, but was it worth all that danger? Probably not.

The ion of the Christ – “People started screaming”

When making a religious movie like ion of the Christ you probably want to keep an eye out for bad omens, so it’s a little eyebrow-raising that during production star Jim Caveziel was struck by lightning while shooting the “Sermon on the Mount” scene and suffered major injuries.

In an interview, Caveziel said:

“About four seconds before it happened it was quiet, and then it was like someone slapped my ears. I had seven or eight seconds of, like, a pink, fuzzy colour, and people started screaming. They said I had fire on the left side of my head and light around my body.”

He later revealed this incident “nearly killed me”:

“Not many people get struck by lightning; I did. Five and a half months of cold. I had to have two heart surgeries, including open-heart surgery, because of that film.”

This wasn’t even the first time this happened to someone working on the film, with assistant director Jan Michelini being struck by lightning while holding an umbrella, though walked away with light burns to his fingers.

ion of the Christ 2 is apparently coming. Maybe Mel Gibson should take the hints being sent down from above that this isn’t such a great idea.

Titanic – “You haven’t lived until you’ve been high on P”

During production, future megahit Titanic was regularly reported on as an impending cinematic disaster. But for once the most eye-catching disaster didn’t involve the ocean, but a delicious pot of seafood chowder.

Unfortunately for everyone that ate it, someone had spiked it with P. Actor Lewis Abernethy reported that soon after eating it “there were people just rolling around, completely out of it. Some of them said they were seeing streaks and psychedelics” and Bill Paxton said “some people were laughing, some people were crying, some people were throwing up.”

Cameron himself rushed to his hotel room and forced himself to throw up, but still suffered the effects. Abernethy said:

“Jim was being loaded into the back of this van. One eye was completely red, like the Terminator eye – a pupil, no iris, beet red. The other eye looked like he’d been sniffing glue since he was four.”

The culprit was never identified, though Cameron later said “we have a pretty strong suspicion who it was” and added “you haven’t lived until you’ve been high on P, which by the way, I do not recommend to anyone.”

The Crow – “Nobody ever gets hurt doin’ that stuff”

The Crow was already considered to be a cursed shoot by the cast and crew before that fateful scene was shot. A carpenter had nearly been electrocuted, a crew member pierced his hand with a screwdriver and an angry sculptor drove his car through the studio backlot.

But all that pales in comparison next to the nightmare of March 31, 1993. Star Brandon Lee had almost completed the shoot, with one late scene having him shot by Michael Massie’s character with a .44 caliber revolver. The scene appeared to go as planned, save for Lee falling forward rather than backward. He didn’t get up, and it soon became apparent something was very wrong. Lee was rushed to hospital, but later died after massive blood loss.

It transpired that a dummy bullet had lodged in the chamber and been propelled at Lee, hitting him in the stomach and severing two arteries. After a break to process the incident, the film was completed, with Lee’s stunt double Chad Stahelski (who would later direct the John Wick movies) used as a stand-in for him.

During production one of Lee’s friends had asked him if being shot at on film was dangerous. Lee replied:

“No, man. Nobody ever gets hurt doin’ that stuff. They’ve worked it out.”

Apocalypse Now – “Wait till he hears about the dead bodies”

The stories about the chaotic making of Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam War epic Apocalypse Now in the Philippines are legendary, involving heavy drug use, mental breakdowns, colossal egos and tropical illnesses. But perhaps the most bizarre moment almost saw the crew hauled off to prison.

A temple scene was strewn with garbage and smelt terrible, with complaints about dead rats stinking up the place. One prop guy heard this complaint and quietly muttered “wait till he hears about the dead bodies”. Co-producer Gray Frederickson overheard the comment and yelled “What?!”.

He was promptly led to a tent at the prop store in which a row of corpses was laid out, ready to be hung upside-down in trees as props. A shocked Frederickson said: “You guys are nuts, where did these come from?! We’ve got to get rid of this immediately!” 

The truth was even more bizarre. They were sourced from a man who claimed to supply bodies to medical schools, but who was actually a grave robber. The police arrived and confiscated ports suspecting the shoot may have killed people for the movie. Fortunately, the cops soon arrested the grave robber. And as for the bodies? Soldiers arrived to load them into a truck and said “We’ll dump them somewhere.” Oh, okay.

It’s Barbie‘s world, we’re just living in it. Since its release on July 21, it’s become a genuine cultural phenomenon, far exceeding box office projections to become the film of the summer and has officially ed the billion-dollar club.

Along the way, Greta Gerwig has become the highest-grossing female director of all time and sequels now seem inevitable. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. After all, Margot Robbie promised studio executives that Barbie would make a billion, though later reconsidered, saying “maybe I was overselling it…“

You don’t have to look too far for people piling accolades onto the movie, though one in particular from New Yorker writer and film critic Richard Brody has rankled film fans. Is Barbie really the best movie ever to make a billion dollars?

So let’s take a glance over at the list of billion-dollar movies and see how it stacks up. There are a lot of frothy blockbusters on there that are merely fun and entertaining, but what’s got some substance? We’d name Jurassic Park, Toy Story 3, Joker, The Dark Knight, The Return of the King and Skyfall as genuinely good movies that are at least Barbie‘s equal. Fans of all those movies have taken to the battlements to defend them against the Barbie onslaught, though Brody will not concede an inch.

There’s also Titanic, though Brody clearly thinks that’s overrated:

Most replies conclude that Brody is trolling fans and that Barbie being the best billion-dollar movie isn’t so much praising it as pointing out the poor competition it faces for that honour, or as one put it: “being the best of a list of terrible films means what to you?”

Hyperbole aside Barbie really is a fun ride and if there’s anyone out there who hasn’t seen it (can’t be many by now) put aside your preconceptions and check it out before it leaves theaters.