Outrageous Facts About The Twilight Zone Disaster, Hollywood's Wake-Up Call
A Completely Avoidable Disaster
There have been many on-set accidents in Hollywood history—but none as horrifying as the tragedy that unfolded during the filming of 1983’s Twilight Zone: The Movie.
1. Where It Came From
From 1959 to 1964, The Twilight Zone became one of history’s most iconic shows. Presented by Rod Serling, this anthology series told strange and otherworldly stories, often twisted into a life lesson. Nearly 20 years later, a disastrous follow-up took the franchise from beloved to infamous.
2. It Became A Movie
In 1983, Warner Bros Pictures released Twilight Zone: The Movie. The initial concept was to turn one of the original show’s episodes into a feature-length film before one of the higher-ups decided to change the format.
Of course, it wasn’t just anyone at the helm.
3. The Producers Were Experienced
Both movie producers were already big names in Hollywood. John Landis already had The Blues Brothers and Trading Places under his directorial belt. Then Steven Spielberg joined as a producer since he and Landis had loved the series since childhood.
With Spielberg’s addition, the whole layout of the film changed.
4. The Movie Was In Parts
Rather than focus on adapting just one episode from the original series, Steven Spielberg introduced the idea of extending the narrative into multiple stories. Specifically, the film was split into four segments, but it wasn’t just one director overseeing all of them.
