History Trivia / Hereditary

* CreatorBreakdown: Aster has stated that the inspiration for the film came from a three-year period where he and his family went through a series of hardships so intense that "the feeling prevailed that we basically must be cursed." From there, he started to envision what story could be told if [[spoiler:a family went through a similar period of tragedy because they actually ''were'' cursed]]. He has stayed steadfast in refraining from publicly discussing that time in his life and its connection to the film in any further detail, noting that he was "more pulling from feelings than experiences."

* EnforcedMethodActing: [[spoiler:Alex Wolff offered to break his nose for real in the scene where Peter slams his head into a desk, but Aster respectfully declined and told him they would be using a soft, cushioned foam desk. When he arrived on set to shoot the scene, Wolff realized that the desk he'd be using was in between both of their ideas -- only the top half was foam, and the bottom was ''very much'' hard. For added pressure, there were only two desks made, so he had only two takes to get it right. The extent of Wolff's injuries reportedly included his nose getting damaged, blood gushing down his knee from hitting the desk, losing his voice, being unable to move his arm, and his ankle swelling, so all things considered, the extreme pain you see Peter in afterwards is coming from a ''very'' real place.]]

* ThoseTwoActors: This wasn't the first time that Creator/GabrielByrne and Alex Wolff had played father and son in a project. 10 years prior, Wolf played Byrne's child in ''Series/InTreatment''.

** The rough cut of the film ran over three hours. According to director Ari Aster, most of the deleted footage was dialogue exchanges between the family.
** [[https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/8pg2ma/official_discussion_hereditary_spoilers/e0azxgn/ According to early test screenings]], an early version of the ending was slightly more on the graphic side. [[spoiler:After the crowning is complete with Peter, he would then [[EyeScream rip his eyes out]] to finish his transformation into Charlie/Paimon.]] This would also act as a payoff to all of the [[spoiler:pictures we see of Peter and eyes sketched out]].

** Latvia: ''Reincarnation''

** Russia: ''Reincarnation''

* CreatorBreakdown: Aster has stated that the inspiration for the film came from a three-year period where he and his family went through a series of hardships so intense that "the feeling prevailed that we basically must be cursed." From there, he started to envision what story could be told if [[spoiler:a family went through a similar period of tragedy because they actually ''were'' cursed]].

* AwesomeDearBoy: Shortly before receiving ''Hereditary''[='=]s script, Creator/ToniCollette had told her agent that she didn't want to do any more heavy, dark films and only wanted to do comedies. Upon receiving the script, she loved it so much that she was mildly infuriated that she couldn't turn it down.

* AwesomeDearBoy: Creator/ToniCollette had told her agent that she didn't want to do any more heavy, dark films and only wanted to do comedies, but upon receiving ''Hereditary''[='=]s script, she loved it so much that she was mildly infuriated that she couldn't turn it down.

** [[https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/8pg2ma/official_discussion_hereditary_spoilers/e0azxgn/ According to early test screenings]], the ending was slightly more on the graphic side. [[spoiler:After the crowning is complete with Peter, he then [[EyeScream rips his eyes out]] to finish his transformation into Charlie/Paimon.]] This would also act as a payoff to all of the [[spoiler:pictures we see of Peter and eyes sketched out]].

* FanNickname: The movie itself has been referred to by many people as "[[spoiler:[[OffWithHerHead Her head]]-[[IncrediblyLamePun itary]]]]".

* MethodActing: Aster requested that Alex Wolff and Milly Shapiro go out to eat in character a few times, and they would sit for up to three hours in silence while Milly wouldn't speak and Alex would try to get her to talk.

** [[https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/8pg2ma/official_discussion_hereditary_spoilers/e0azxgn/ According to early test screenings]], the ending was slightly more on the graphic side. [[spoiler:After the crowning is complete with Peter, he then [[EyeScream rips his eyes out]] to finish his transformation into Charlie/Paimon]]. This would also act as a payoff to all of the [[spoiler:pictures we see of Peter and eyes sketched out]].

* AwesomeDearBoy: Creator/ToniCollette had told her agent that she didn't want to do any more heavy, dark films and only wanted to do comedies, but she loved the script so much she couldn't turn it down.

* EnforcedMethodActing: [[spoiler:Alex Wolff offered to break his nose for real in the scene where Peter slams his head into a desk, but Aster respectfully declined and told him they would be using a soft, cushioned foam desk. When he arrived on set to shoot the scene, Wolff realized that the desk he'd be using was in between both of their ideas -- only the top half was foam, and the bottom was ''very much'' hard. For added pressure, there were only two desks made, so he had only two takes to get it right. The extent of Wolff's injuries included his nose getting damaged, blood gushing down his knee from hitting the desk, losing his voice, being unable to move his arm, and his ankle swelling, so all things considered, the extreme pain you see Peter in afterwards is coming from a ''very'' real place.]]

* BigNameFan: If you could have one fellow director praising your film, you could [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aQ2Sr03Fu0 certainly do worse than]] Creator/MartinScorsese.

** According to early test screenings, the ending was slightly more on the graphic side. [[spoiler:After the crowning is complete with Peter, he then [[EyeScream rips his eyes out]] to finish his transformation into Charlie/Paimon]]. This would also act as a payoff to all of the [[spoiler:pictures we see of Peter and eyes sketched out]].

* DawsonCasting: 16-Year-Old Milly Shapiro portrays 13-Year-Old Charlie Graham.

* EnforcedMethodActing: Alex Wolff offered to break his nose for real in the scene where he slams his head into a desk, but director Ari Aster respectfully declined and told him they would be using a soft, cushioned foam desk. When it came time to shoot the scene, Wolff slammed his head into it, only to realize that it was a real desk after all when blood start gushing out of his nose down to his knees.

* MethodActing: Creator/AriAster requested that Alex Wolff and Milly Shapiro go out to eat in character a few times, and they would sit for up to three hours in silence while Milly wouldn't speak and Alex would try to get her to talk.

** According to early test screenings, the ending was slightly more on the graphic side when [[spoiler:the crowning is complete with Peter, he then [[EyeScream rips his eyes out]] to finish his transformation into Charlie/Paimon]]. This would also act as a payoff to all of the [[spoiler:pictures we see of Peter and eyes sketched out]].

* ThoseTwoActors: This wasn't the first time that Creator/GabrielByrne and Alex Wolff had played father and son in a project. 10 years prior, Wolf played Byrne's child in the HBO series ''Series/InTreatment''.

* BilingualBonus: The [[spoiler:invocation read aloud by Annie is a mix of Hebrew and Enochian.]]
* CastingGag: Annie, played by Creator/ToniCollette, dealt with a mother who had dissociative identity disorder. It wasn't long before that she was playing a mother with dissociative identity disorder on ''Series/UnitedStatesOfTara''.
* CreatorCameo: Ari Aster provides the voice of Patrick, the gallery owner who calls Annie over the phone.

* ShoutOut: In Peter's first scene at school, the teacher writes the words "Escaping Fate" on the board, doubling as both {{Foreshadowing}} and a nod to ''[[Film/Halloween1978 Halloween]]''.

* WordOfGod: [[https://variety.com/2018/film/awards/hereditary-ari-aster-answers-burning-questions-1202841448/ According to]] director Ari Aster, [[spoiler:Charlie has in a sense been DeadAllAlong, the "real" Charlie having essentially been displaced since birth and her body used as a vessel for Paimon the entire time.]] The film hints at this, including [[spoiler:how out-of-character and bewildered she seems to be when Annie channels her during the seance]].

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The rough cut of the film ran over three hours. According to director Ari Aster, most of the deleted footage was dialogue exchanges between the family.

* ShoutOut: In Peter's first scene at school, the teacher writes the words "Escaping Fate" on the board, doubling as both {{Foreshadowing}} and a nod to ''[[Halloween1978 Halloween]]''.

* ThoseTwoActors: This wasn't the first time that Creator/GabrielByrne and Alex Wolff had played father and son in a project. 10 years prior, Wolf played Byrne's child in the HBO series ''Series/InTreatment''.

* CastingGag: Annie, played by Creator/ToniCollette, dealt with a mother who had dissociative identity disorder. It wasn't long before that she was playing a mother with dissociative identity disorder on ''Series/TheUnitedStatesOfTara''.

* ThoseTwoActors: This wasn't the first time that Creator/GabrielByrne and Alex Wolff had played father and son in a project. 10 years prior, Wolff had played Byrne's child in the HBO series ''Series/InTreatment''.