History Trivia / TheGhostAndTheDarkness

--> '''Stephen Hopkins, director:''' We had snake bites, scorpion bites, tick bite fever, people getting hit by lightning, floods, torrential rains and lightning storms, hippos chasing people through the water, cars getting swept into the water, and several deaths of crew members, including two drownings.... Val came to the set under the worst conditions imaginable. He was completely exhausted from doing ''Film/TheIslandOfDrMoreau1996; he was dealing with the unfavorable publicity from that set; he was going through a divorce; he barely had time to get his teeth into this role before we started; and he is in nearly every scene in this movie. But I worked him six or seven days a week for four months under really adverse conditions, and he really came through. He had a passion for this film.

* MisplacedWildlife: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qpsyjmda5Q A common nighthawk]] can be heard during several nighttime scenes (and at other points, a Swainson's hawk and a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIDEuKQNJfQ poor-will]] for good measure--all of them New World species).
** The [[HellIsThatNoise barn owl call]] in one scene is accurate for the location, but naturally the species shown is something in the eagle-owl department.

--> '''Stephen Hopkins, director:''' We had snake bites, scorpion bites, tick bite fever, people getting hit by lightning, floods, torrential rains and lightning storms, hippos chasing people through the water, cars getting swept into the water, and several deaths of crew members, including two drownings.... Val came to the set under the worst conditions imaginable. He was completely exhausted from doing The Island of Dr. Moreau; he was dealing with the unfavorable publicity from that set; he was going through a divorce; he barely had time to get his teeth into this role before we started; and he is in nearly every scene in this movie. But I worked him six or seven days a week for four months under really adverse conditions, and he really came through. He had a passion for this film.

** In the early '90s, when Creator/BrianDePalma was chosen to direct the film, Creator/KevinCostner was going to star as Patterson. However when ''Literature/TheBonfireOfTheVanities'' proved to be a box office disaster the studio withdrew their offer to De Palma and Costner went on to do ''Film/TheBodyguard''.
** Creator/KennethBranagh was approached to direct after the success of ''Theatre/HenryV''.

** The part of Remington was originally offered to Creator/SeanConnery and Creator/AnthonyHopkins but both declined; the producers were considering asking Creator/GerardDepardieu when Creator/MichaelDouglas, initially hired as a producer, decided to play the role himself.

* TroubledProduction: The film had its share of issues, due in no small part to shooting on location in South Africa, specifically in the Songimvelo Game Reserve. There was also considerable concern as to whether Val Kilmer could deliver on his performance due to the plethora of problems he was undergoing at the time.

* TroubledProduction: The film had its share of issues, due in no small part to shooting on location in South Africa, specifically in the Songimvelo Game Reserve. There was also considerable concern as to whether Val Kilmer could deliver on his performance due to the plethora of issues he was undergoing at the time.

* MisplacedWildlife: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qpsyjmda5Q A common nighthawk]] can be heard during several nighttime scenes. The [[HellIsThatNoise barn owl call]] in one scene is accurate for the location, but naturally the species shown is something in the eagle-owl department.

* ExecutiveMeddling / WagTheDirector:

** In the early '90s, when Creator/BrianDePalma was chosen to direct the film, Creator/KevinCostner was going to star as Patterson. However when ''Film/TheBonfireOfTheVanities'' proved to be a box office disaster the studio withdrew their offer to De Palma and Costner went on to do ''Film/TheBodyguard''.

** Paramount wanted Creator/TomCruise to star as Patterson but he turned it down.

** Paramount wanted Creator/TomCruise to star as Remington, but he turned it down.

* BoxOfficeBomb:

* BillingDisplacement: Michael Douglas has top billing despite not appearing until about halfway through the movie and Val Kilmer being in the lead role. Douglas taking over as producer had a lot to do with that.
* ExecutiveMeddling: According to script writer William Goldman, Remington was originally going to be a small and enigmatic character simply known as "[[NoNameGiven Red Beard]]", but after Michael Douglas took over as producer the role was given to him and received more importance at Patterson's expense. The final insult came when Val Kilmer was nominated to the Razzie for Worst ''Supporting'' Actor.
* FakeIrish: Val Kilmer as Col. John Henry Patterson.

* FakeIrish: Val Kilmer as Col. John Henry Patterson.
* HeyItsThatGuy:
** TheCaptain of the ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}'' is the Railway Doctor! You also wonder why he doesn't call [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Gondor]] for aid, with all the fire being lit in this film...
** Also an early role for Tom Wilkinson as Sir Robert Beaumont, years before he became a ubiquitous character actor.

* HeyItsThatGuy: TheCaptain of the Film/{{Titanic}} is the Railway Doctor! You also wonder why he doesn't call [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Gondor]] for aid, with all the fire being lit in this film...

** Also an early role for Tom Wilkinson as Sir Thomas Beaumont, years before he became a ubiquitous character actor.