Real-life deaths and freak accidents on horror movie sets

Accidents on horror movie sets are real-life horror stories. There are so many myths associated with freak accidents, so we’ve tried to collect some of the true stories about deaths and freak accidents on horror movie sets in this feature.

Accidents on horror movie sets almost feel common. However, this would be taking it a bit too far. Sure, there are stories about weird occurrences and strange accidents, but it’s not something that happens every other day.

And yet, several horror movie sets have actually been the sites of strange, tragic, or freak accidents over the years. Some of these accidents have even added to the mystique or fear surrounding the films themselves.

Below, you can read more about a few of the most notorious examples of accidents on horror movie sets.

1. The Exorcist (1973)

This iconic horror movie is one of the best examples. Or worst, if you will, as several people have been involved. Associated with The Exorcist are a series of eerie incidents.

The accidents on The Exorcist horror movie set included:

• On-set fires: A fire broke out on the set of the McNeil house, completely destroying it—except for Regan’s (the possessed girl) room, which was left untouched. This event delayed production significantly.
• Deaths: Several people associated with the film died before the movie’s release. Including actors Jack MacGowran (Burke Dennings) and Vasiliki Maliaros (Karras’ mother), both of whom died shortly after their characters’ deaths in the film.
• Injuries: Linda Blair (Regan) and Ellen Burstyn (Chris MacNeil) were both injured during filming. Ellen Burstyn’s injury came from being yanked too hard in a harness. This happened during a scene where her character is thrown to the floor.

It’ll be interesting to see if the new The Exorcist production – with Mike Flanagan at the helm – will suffer some of the same issues. We sure hope not!

2. The Omen (1976)

The Omen is another notorious of a supposed curse that plagued its production. Among the true stories of accidents involving the production of that movie are:

• Plane crashes and lightning strikes: Several members of the crew had close brushes with death. For instance, star Gregory Peck and screenwriter David Seltzer were on separate planes struck by lightning during filming. Additionally, a small plane hired for aerial photography crashed, killing everyone on board.
• Animal attacks: The animal handler on the set was killed by a tiger, and during the baboon attack scene in the movie, the animals reportedly became unexpectedly violent.
• Decapitation accident: Special effects director John Richardson was involved in a car accident after filming ended, which resulted in his assistant being decapitated in a manner eerily similar to a decapitation scene in the film.

The movie recently had a prequel come out titled The First Omen (2024). This horror movie set was not plagued by the same freak incidents.

3. Poltergeist Trilogy

The “Poltergeist Curse” is one of the most famous (or rather, infamous) urban legends in Hollywood. For the Poltergeist movies, the accidents and freak events included:

• Multiple deaths: Four cast members from the trilogy died prematurely, leading to speculation of a curse. The most well-known are Heather O’Rourke (Carol Anne), who died at age 12 from septic shock, and Dominique Dunne (Dana), who was strangled by her boyfriend 5 months after the first film’s release.
• Real skeletons: During a famous scene in which JoBeth Williams (Diane) falls into a pool of water filled with skeletons, it was later revealed that the skeletons were real, as they were cheaper to use than plastic ones at the time. Many believe this led to the “curse” associated with Poltergeist movies.

4. The Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

This film had one of the most tragic and well-known accidents in Hollywood history:

• Helicopter crash: During the filming of a Vietnam War segment directed by John Landis, a helicopter crashed due to special effects explosions going off at the wrong time.

  Actor Vic Morrow and the two child actors, Myca Dinh Le and Renee Chen, were killed when the helicopter’s rotor blades struck them. This incident led to massive lawsuits and changes in safety protocols on movie sets.

5. The Crow (1994)

The tragic death of actor Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee, is one of the most famous on-set accidents:

• Fatal shooting: During a scene in which his character was shot, a gun that was supposed to be loaded with blanks fired a live round. The bullet had lodged in the barrel after a previous mishandling of the gun, leading to Lee’s fatal injury.

  Brandon Lee died on set, and his death was ruled accidental.

6. The Conjuring (2013)

While no deaths occurred on the set of The Conjuring, some bizarre incidents were reported. Among the incidents and accidents on this set were:

• Mysterious fires: The cast and crew frequently reported eerie occurrences during the production. Vera Farmiga, who played paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren, said that she refused to take the script home because it made her uncomfortable and that she later found claw marks on her laptop screen.
• Unexplained sounds: The director, James Wan, and others reported hearing strange noises on set, and the hotel where the cast and crew were staying experienced random power outages and strange occurrences.

These stories contribute to the chilling atmosphere surrounding these films and add an extra layer of fear for audiences who learn about them.