Trivia / Jacob's Ladder

• Deleted Scene: In original script, there was a scene where Jacob burns down some army headquarters building in fit of rage. This scene was filmed but deleted and was never released, although a picture of Jacob holding the torch and gasoline can from this deleted scene was shown in Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments where the film is discussed.
• Missing Trailer Scene: The teaser, theatrical and TV trailers show several scenes deleted from original cut:
  • A disfigured man attacks Jacob with a knife. This scene was originally in the beginning where, after he's almost run over by the subway train, Jacob goes into the men's room where he finds one man raping another. Jacob manages to escape from the subway only after one of the men pulls a knife on him.
  • Jacob is sitting in his mail van and reads a book when suddenly he sees bag of mail starting to move. Originally in this scene some homeless man was sleeping inside the van and when Jacob finds him he takes him out of the van and gives him some money.
  • Jacob's and Jezzie's sex scene.
  • An extra line from Frank when he is talking with Jacob on the phone; "Maybe the demons are real."
  • A longer version of "Hospital From Hell" scene. While he is on gurney pushed through some hallway Jacob asks; "Where are you taking me? Where am I?"
  • A deleted antidote scene which is available on special edition DVD/Bluray. In this scene Michael gives Jacob antidote which causes Jacob to start hallucinate the blood dripping on him and monster crashing through the ceiling.
  • While the theatrical trailer shows shot of Jacob screaming "Who are you" from deleted Jezzie's transformation scene (available on special edition), the teaser trailer shows alternate version of the scene with Jezzie's face getting disfigured and her turning into different looking demon then in the deleted scene.
• Saved from Development Hell: Bruce Joel Rubin's script was considered "unfilmable" for 15 years, while Sight & Sound Magazine called it the best unproduced script in Hollywood. Adrian Lyne bravely tackled the confusing, crazy story and managed to distill it and ground it in reality.
• Throw It In!: According to Adrian Lyne, most of the dialogue in the opening scene between the soldiers was improvised on set by the actors themselves, especially the conversation between George and Jacob about masturbation.
• Uncredited Role: Macaulay Culkin appears as Jacob's son Gabriel, but despite him being a fairly important character he was not credited. This may have been due to difficulties with his father and manager Kit Culkin.
• What Could Have Been:
  • According to Adrian Lyne, the original screenplay contained a much more traditional, Bosch-esque depiction of hell. However, Lyne thought audiences would find such imagery silly.
  • Michael Apted, Sidney Lumet and Ridley Scott all tried to get the project green-lit during its several year period of non-production.
  • Candidates for Jacob Singer included Alec Baldwin, Richard Gere, Tom Hanks^note  He turned it down in order to star in The Bonfire of the Vanities , Dustin Hoffman, Don Johnson, Al Pacino and Mickey Rourke.
  • Jennifer Lopez, Andie MacDowell, Madonna, Demi Moore and Julia Roberts were considered for Jezzie.

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