In filmmaking, there are times when everything comes together without a hitch; the stars get along; everybody is working together to make sure the project is everything it’s supposed to be (and more), and the conditions on set are amicable despite the long work hours. The set and production for The Island of Dr. Moreau was not one of those projects. In fact, the entire process of making the film was so contentious that a 2014 documentary entitled Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau was created to show us how the production veered off-track, resulting in the train wreck we saw in 1996.
So what happened? We have great actors, amazing set design, and some of the best source material from H.G. Wells to work with. What went so wrong during production of this film to have it turn out the way it did? There were many factors that derailed the production of The Island of Dr. Moreau, and we’re going to get into some of the bigger items that keep the cast and crew at odds.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Marlon Brando Recovering from His Daughter’s Suicide
New Line Cinema
Marlon Brando was supposed to have a larger role in this film, being that he was the titular character, but he was not at his personal best during this time in his life. His daughter’s recent suicide kept him detached, and almost completely unwilling to learn his lines. In fact, he requested to have an earpiece feed him his lines. He also improvised his lines when the earpiece wasn’t feasible. On set, he was withdrawn (and rightfully so), and his countenance definitely had a negative effect on the production of the film.
Val Kilmer Was Served Divorce Papers On-Set
If tensions weren’t running high enough, it was reported that Kilmer had anger issues on set after being served divorce papers. In fact, before the papers were physically served to him, he found out his marriage was coming to an end when he put on CNN when he was getting ready to film. At the end of the day, this is show business, and to have to deal with such a personal matter for all to see is a tough setback to take in stride. Throw in long days on the set, weather issues, budget issues, and an already distraught supporting actor (Brando in this case), and it’s the perfect storm for a lousy production.
Most of the Cast in Animal Costumes were Intoxicated Most of the Time
When emotions are running high, and the weather conditions are less than favorable, and you’re cast for a part where you’re dressed up in uncomfortable prosthetics for hours on end, it’s safe to say that you’re going to want something to take the edge off. Unfortunately for The Island of Dr. Moreau, this meant that intoxication and substance abuse were rampant on the set. Given the nature and plot of the film, life started to imitate art, and it was reported that during the drawn out production process, crew members and cast extras would party well into the morning hours and even engage in orgies while they were waiting on changes in weather, and script rewrites that turned a six-week job into an arduous six-to-eight-month process.
Director Richard Stanley was Fired by New Line Cinema 3 Days After Shooting Began
Original director Richard Stanley was fired by the studio and replaced by John Frankenheimer early into production over disagreements on the direction of the film. While this kind of changing of the guard isn’t uncommon in filmmaking nothing changed for the better in the case of The Island of Dr. Moreau. Brando, Kilmer, and Frankenheimer clashed with not only each other, but also with the higher-ups involved with the production.
To make things even more strange, production assistants were able to sneak Stanley back onto the set disguised as an extra character in dog makeup. So not only was Stanley fired from his own project, he stayed on set and watched his vision unravel day after day, and even got some screen time due to these shenanigans.
Val Kilmer was Recast Last Minute as the Antagonist, Rather Than the Sympathetic Character
A different timeline would have had Kilmer portraying Edward Prendrick, the protagonist. Through a series of contractual stipulations, and rewrites, Kilmer was recast as Montgomery, the antagonist, who has considerably less screen time, and is a much less sympathetic character. Maybe Kilmer’s personal issues at the time helped him out in his delivery as Montgomery, or maybe the film would have benefited with Kilmer playing a more sympathetic role in The island of Dr. Moreau, but the production happened the way it happened, and we’ll never know how differently this film could have turned out if the original concept was brought to fruition. After all, Kilmer’s portrayal of Montgomery was kind of badass, but it did seem out of character for even an actor of Kilmer’s caliber.
Sometimes projects are doomed from the start. While The Island of Dr. Moreau is one of these projects, it functions as a great case study on what not to do during film production. We are thankful that we can learn something from the razzie award-winning film despite its troubled production.
