Why ROAR Is Called The Most Dangerous Movie Ever Made

Released in 1981, Roar has become infamous as one of the most dangerous productions in film history, and once you hear what happened behind the scenes, it’s easy to see why.

The project was created by Noel Marshall, a producer on The Exorcist, who became fascinated with big cats after visiting Africa with actress Tippi Hedren. Instead of using trained animals or visual effects, Marshall decided to make a film starring real lions, tigers, and other exotic animals—more than 130 of them.

Marshall even moved these animals onto a California ranch where the cast and crew lived and filmed together. Unsurprisingly, things quickly spiraled out of control.

Over the course of the production, dozens of people were attacked by the animals. Melanie Griffith suffered a severe mauling that required 50 stitches and reconstructive surgery. Cinematographer Jan de Bont needed 220 stitches after losing part of his scalp to a lion attack. And Marshall himself was hospitalized multiple times during filming.

After 11 years of production delays, injuries, floods, and fires, Roar was finally released—but its legend only grew decades later.

Here’s the unbelievable true story behind Roar and how it became the most dangerous movie ever made.

0:00 The Truth About Roar
0:32 A Movie Made With Real Lions
1:23 The Inspiration Behind the Film
2:06 Living With 130 Big Cats
3:50 The Plot of Roar
5:22 The Brutal On-Set Injuries
7:22 Floods, Fires, and Production Chaos
8:55 Why Roar Failed at the Box Office
9:17 The Film’s Legacy and Re-Release

Subscribe | Enable ALL push notifications 🔔
https://www.youtube.com/@ScreenRant?sub_confirmation=1

Follow Screen Rant:
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@screenrant
Twitter: https://twitter.com/screenrant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScreenRant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/screen-rant/

Official Screen Rant Website:
http://screenrant.com/

Video by: Michael Keene & Ilgaz Erel

For copyright matters please contact us at: legal@valnetinc.com

#roar #filmhistory #movietrivia #behindthescenes #screenrant #hollywoodhistory