History Trivia / TheCabinInTheWoods

* TheWikiRule: [[https://thecabininthewoods.fandom.com/wiki/The_Cabin_in_the_Woods_Wiki The Cabin in the Woods Wiki.]]

** The scenes in the RV on the way to the cabin were some of the last shot with all the cast together - allowing them to build up natural chemistry and camaraderie with each other.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The studio initially ordered the majority of the office party scene cut down, and Drew Goddard sadly went along with it to begin with. Joss Whedon however then turned around and told the studio they wouldn't cut anything.

* RealLifeRelative: None other than Creator/HeatherLangenkamp was part of the makeup crew, and her husband David Leroy Anderson was the movie's SFX makeup artist (also playing the Floating Head monster). She however is credited under the pseudonym 'Heather L Anderson'.

* ReferencedBy: ''Website/SCPFoundation'': [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-2786 SCP-2786]] is a metaphysical entity that can insert itself into horror narratives, where it attempts to portray itself as a brave hero and alter the story itself. One of these is listed as the film ''Cabin In The Woods''.

* StarMakingRole: Creator/ChrisHemsworth. According to Creator/JossWhedon and Drew Goddard the dailies from the scene where [[spoiler:Curt reveals Jules has been killed]] were so well-received by the studios that it actually locked him in for lead in the remake of ''Film/RedDawn2012'' and got him a callback for ''Film/{{Thor}}'' which he would come to star in.
* ThrowItIn: [[spoiler: The blood spewing out of the merman's blowhole]] was an idea thought of very late in production, and thrown in. They filmed for nine minutes, but only the last ten seconds are used in the final cut.
* TrollingCreator: The opening was deliberately conceived to make audiences worry they might have walked into the wrong movie.
* {{Typecasting}}:
** Creator/JodelleFerland as [[CreepyChild Patience Buckner]].

** In both this film and ''{{Film/Paul}}'', [[spoiler: Sigourney Weaver plays the head of an evil organization hiding an otherworldly secret from humanity. She appears only by voice until the very end of the movie, when she presents herself and tries to kill the protagonists, only to be killed herself. What's more, both serve as a CastingGag, inverting [[Film/{{Alien}} her most famous role]] of someone who gets screwed by a MegaCorp's questionable decisions.]]
* UnbuiltCastingType: Before getting typecast as somewhat comedic men of action, Chris Hemsworth appeared here as a sociology major who's more brainy than brawny...and then gets brainwashed into becoming the DumbMuscle of the group.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:

** The studio wanted the office celebration scene cut down. Drew Goddard was so upset by this and couldn't bring himself to do it, that Joss Whedon phoned the studio to inform them they would not.
** The first designs of the Merman had him be an {{Expy}} of Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon. They only decided later to give him a fish tail. The original concept art can be still looked at in the visual companion.
** On the board of bets, in the list of monsters, one line says merely "Kevin". As it turns out, Kevin was supposed to be an homage to ''Film/WeNeedToTalkAboutKevin'', and to embody the concept of HumansAreTheRealMonsters. A scene in the scrip that was not included in the movie (but made it in the novelization) had Kevin appear as a perfectly normal and random human during the Purge, but exsanguinating mercilessly a wounded man asking him for help. Outside of that, all we know is that the film strip Marty has in his hands when exploring the cellar would have invoked Kevin.

** The DVD bonuses reveal many more monsters that you actually can barely see in the movie, such as an axe-wielding lawn gnome, a floating disembodied genie head, one of the cow skull-headed creatures out of ''Film/TimeBandits'', a BlobMonster, a giant and even ''members of the KKK''...
** The visual companion reveals concept art for other monsters that weren't used. They include a monster made of seaweed, a ThreateningShark, a humanoid horned demon, an undead pirate and many more bizarre creatures. The novelization mentions creatures representing real-world fears - such as a vagina-toothed woman, an alligator-headed dog, a Minotaur, a giant [[HairRaisingHare rabbit]], a three-headed baby, a group of [[MagmaMan lava people]] and the freakiest of all - a woman with snakes for pubic hair.

** The novelization also mentions the Dragonbat ''breathing fire'', which would've made its name make a lot more sense.
* TheWikiRule: [[https://thecabininthewoods.fandom.com/wiki/The_Cabin_in_the_Woods_Wiki The Cabin in the Woods Wiki]].
* WordOfGod: 'Kevin' listed on the board is described by Drew Goddard as [[TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse a seemingly nice guy "who looks like he might work at Best Buy" - who then dismembers people.]]

* NamesTheSame: Just the fact that [[spoiler:Creator/SigourneyWeaver]] [[Film/Ghostbusters1984 famously played another Dana.]]

* ReferencedBy: ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'': [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-2786 SCP-2786]] is a metaphysical entity that can insert itself into horror narratives, where it attempts to portray itself as a brave hero and alter the story itself. One of these is listed as the film ''Cabin In The Woods''.

* DyeingForYourArt: Actually averted by Anna Hutchinson, who is a natural blonde, playing a character who has just dyed her hair blonde.

** Creator/JamieLeeCurtis was considered for the director.

* FanNickname: The Sugarplum Fairy monster is often referred to by fans as "Ballerina Dentata."

** The DVD bonuses reveal many more monsters that you actually can barely see in the movie, such as an axe-wielding lawn gnome, a floating disembodied genie head, a creature out of ''Film/TimeBandits'', a BlobMonster, a giant and even ''members of the KKK''...

** On the board of bets, in the list of monsters, one line says merely "Kevin". As it turns out, Kevin was supposed to be an homage to ''Film/WeNeedToTalkAboutKevin'', and to embody the concept of HumansAreTheRealMonsters. A scene in the scrip that was not included in the movie (but made it in the novelization) had Kevin appear as a perfectly normal and random human during the Purge, but exsanguinating mercilessly a wounded man asking him for help.
** The FaceHugger alien was supposed to be one of the monsters Dana and Marty first meet when going down the elevator. The scene of them being startled by the creature was filmed, but never included in the movie. Behind-the-scenes pictures and videos can be found in the visual companion and in the DVD bonuses.
** A tie-in book reveals concept art for other monsters that weren't used. They include a monster made of seaweed, a ThreateningShark, a zombie Native American hunter, a pirate and several alien monsters. The novelization mentions creatures representing real-world fears - such as a vagina-toothed woman, an alligator-headed dog, a Minotaur, a giant [[HairRaisingHare rabbit]], a three-headed baby, a group of [[MagmaMan lava people]] and the freakiest of all - a woman with snakes for pubic hair.

** The first designs of the Merman had him be an {{Expy}} of Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon. They only decided later to give him a fish tail.
** On the board of bets, in the list of monsters, one line says merely "Kevin". As it turns out, Kevin was supposed to be an homage to Film/WeNeedToTalkAboutKevin, and to embody the concept of HumansAreTheRealMonster. A scene in the scrip that was not included in the movie had Kevin appear as a perfectly normal and random human during the Purge, but exsanguinating mercilessly a wounded man asking him for help.

** A tie-in book reveals concept art for other monsters that weren't used. They include an {{Expy}} of Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon, a monster made of seaweed, a ThreateningShark, a zombie Native American hunter, a pirate and several alien monsters. The novelization mentions creatures representing real-world fears - such as a vagina-toothed woman, an alligator-headed dog, a Minotaur, a giant [[HairRaisingHare rabbit]], a three-headed baby, a group of [[MagmaMan lava people]] and the freakiest of all - a woman with snakes for pubic hair.

* DevelopmentHell: The film was stuck on release since 2010 after MGM's bankruptcy and was almost released in 3D in 2011. Finally, Creator/LionsGate [[SavedFromDevelopmentHell acquired the distribution rights to the film]] and released it in 2012.

* NamesTheSame:
** Just the fact that [[spoiler:Creator/SigourneyWeaver]] [[Film/Ghostbusters1984 famously played another Dana.]]
** There's one plausible guess for what "[[Film/WeNeedToTalkAboutKevin Kevin]]" is.
*** ...That is, unless it's ''this'' [[Film/SinCity Kevin]].
*** So I'm the only one who thought it was this [[Film/HomeAlone Kevin?]]

* SerendipityWritesThePlot: Minor example. Note how when the kids go swimming, Marty is wearing a baggy t-shirt and everyone else is in swimsuits. This is because Fran Kranz was actually in [[ClarkKentOutfit great shape underneath]] and they felt his physique wasn't believable for the character.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Filmed in 2009 and released in 2012, the film was a satire of the horror genre as it existed in the late '00s, when it was seen by many fans as having fallen into a DorkAge. By the end of the 2010s, the horror genre had undergone a radical transformation, with a slew of more artistic, boundary-pushing films being released to critical acclaim and [[CultClassic cult success]] to the point that the 2010s came to be seen as a GoldenAge for the genre, and many of the tropes that this film lampooned having being {{discredited|Trope}} in the years after it came out.

** In both this film and ''{{Film/Paul}}'', [[spoiler: Sigourney Weaver plays the head of an evil organization hiding an otherworldly secret from humanity; she appears only by voice until the very end of the movie, when she presents herself and tries to kill the protagonists, only to be killed herself. (then again, both serve as a CastingGag, inverting [[Film/{{Alien}} her most famous role]] of someone who gets screwed by a MegaCorp's questionable decisions)]]

*** So I'm the only one who thought it was [[Film/HomeAlone this Kevin?]]

* ActorAllusion:
** [[{{Series/Dollhouse}} Topher]] knows a thing or two about "chips in kids heads".
** [[spoiler: Sigourney Weaver]] explains the FinalGirl trope.
** Amy Acker has previously dealt with [[spoiler: "giant evil Gods"]] in ''{{Series/Angel}}''.

* AwesomeDearBoy: [[spoiler: Sigourney Weaver's]] main reason for her cameo? She wanted to be in a scene with a werewolf.
* CastingGag: This is the third time Creator/AmyAcker has [[Series/{{Angel}} played]] a [[Series/{{Dollhouse}} scientist]] in a Joss Whedon production.
* CreatorInJoke: A Reaver from ''{{Series/Firefly}}'' is [[spoiler: among the monsters downstairs]].

* DirectorDisplacement: Poor, poor Drew Goddard. No recognition for writing ''Film/{{Cloverfield}}'' due to it being produced by J.J. Abrams, then no recognition for co-writing and directing this due to Whedon being a co-writer...it was his first directing gig too!

* FakeAmerican: Curt is played by Australian actor Chris Hemsworth, while Jules is New Zealand actress Anna Hutchinson.

* StevenUlyssesPerhero: The greensperson (crew member in charge of acquiring plants and trees for a film set) on the film is named "Glenn Foerster". Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon mention on the commentary how thrilled they were at his name.
* TypeCasting:

* EnforcedMethodActing: The scenes in the RV on the way to the cabin were some of the last shot with all the cast together - allowing them to build up natural chemistry and camaraderie with each other.