History Trivia / TheBFG

* DeletedScene: A tie-in book based on the film showed still images of a scene that didn't appear in the final cut. It has Sophie getting separated from the BFG on the way back from Dream Country - getting dropped amongst the rest of the giants by a dragonfly. The BFG rescues her before the other giants wake up, although they do sense a human's scent. The shot of the giants leaving is used in the Queen's nightmare.

!!The 1987 animated movie:

* AuthorExistenceFailure: In November 2015, Melissa Mathison died of cancer, making this film her last work as a screenwriter.

* BoxOfficeBomb: Like many a Creator/RoaldDahl adaptation before it sadly, including Disney's other Dahl adaptation from Spielberg's contemporary Creator/TimBurton 20 years prior, which was ''Film/JamesAndTheGiantPeach''. The film was made on a $140 million budget, yet only made $23.4 million on its opening weekend, making it perhaps the biggest bomb of Steven Spielberg's entire career, after ''Film/NineteenFortyOne''. What couldn't have helped was not only it opening in the midst of ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory''[='=]s red-hot winning streak (something Disney was '''far''' more focused on than ''The BFG''), but also Spielberg's studio having a falling out with Disney executives during production [[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steven-spielbergs-dreamworks-split-disney-819594 over their increased focus on tentpole films]], and paddling back to Creator/{{Universal}} after having snubbed them for Disney six years before. The box office failure of this movie may have more or less vindicated his decision.[[note]]Perhaps the most tragic part about the movie is that before this film, Spielberg had never actually directed a movie Disney helped produce. This may end up being his only effort with them aside from ''Franchise/IndianaJones 5'' for the foreseeable future, though his adaptation of ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' wound up under their ownership due to their purchase of [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios Fox]].[[/note]]

* AcclaimedFlop: Was well-received by critics but was a box office failure. This movie was directed by ''Creator/StevenSpielberg'', whose name is almost guaranteed to draw audiences to the theaters. It's generally agreed that a lack of a viable star (Oscar winner Creator/MarkRylance and Creator/PenelopeWilton aren't Hollywood A-Listers despite being very talented character actors) and it being released just weeks after ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' played a key factor with dismal numbers. To Spielberg's credit, he's not alone; this is one of at [[Film/{{Matilda}} least]] [[Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory six]] [[WesternAnimation/FantasticMrFox films]] [[Film/JamesAndTheGiantPeach based on a Roald Dahl]] [[Film/TheWitches1990 story]] to become an AcclaimedFlop.

* BoxOfficeBomb: Like many a Creator/RoaldDahl adaptation before it sadly, including Disney's other Dahl adaptation from Spielberg's contemporary Creator/TimBurton 20 years prior, which was ''Film/JamesAndTheGiantPeach''. The film was made on a $140 million budget, yet only made $23.4 million on its opening weekend, making it perhaps the biggest bomb of Steven Spielberg's entire career, after ''Film/NineteenFortyOne''. What couldn't have helped was not only it opening in the midst of ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory''[='=]s red-hot winning streak (something Disney was '''far''' more focused on than ''The BFG''), but also Spielberg's studio having a falling out with Disney executives during production [[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steven-spielbergs-dreamworks-split-disney-819594 over their increased focus on tentpole films]], and paddling back to Creator/{{Universal}} after having snubbed them for Disney six years before. The box office failure of this movie may have more or less vindicated his decision.[[note]]Perhaps the most tragic part about the movie is that before this film, Spielberg had never actually directed a movie Disney helped produce. This may end up being his only effort with them aside from ''Franchise/IndianaJones 5'' for the foreseeable future.[[/note]]

* AcclaimedFlop: Was well-received by critics but was a box office failure. This movie was directed by ''Creator/StevenSpielberg'', whose name is almost guaranteed to draw audiences to the theaters. It's generally agreed that a lack of a viable star (Oscar winner Creator/MarkRylance and Creator/PenelopeWilton aren't Hollywood A-Listers despite being very talented character actors) and it being released just weeks after ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' played a key factor with dismal numbers. To Spielberg's credit, he's not alone; this is one of at [[Film/{{Matilda}} least]] [[Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory six]] [[WesternAnimation/FantasticMrFox films]] [[Film/JamesAndTheGiantPeach based on a Roald Dahl]] [[Film/TheWitches story]] to become an AcclaimedFlop.

* ActorAllusion: The boy who dreams that he becomes invisible has a ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'' poster in his room. Creator/DavidJason, who voices the BFG, had provided the voice of Danger Mouse.

* AcclaimedFlop: Was well-received by critics but was a box office failure. This movie was directed by ''Creator/StevenSpielberg'', whose name is almost guaranteed to draw audiences to the theaters. It's generally agreed that a lack of a viable star (Oscar winner Creator/MarkRylance and Creator/PenelopeWilton aren't Hollywood A-Listers despite being very talented character actors) and it being released just weeks after ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' played a key factor with dismal numbers. To Spielberg's credit, he's not alone; this is one of at [[Film/{{Matilda}} least]] [[Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory five]] [[WesternAnimation/FantasticMrFox films]] [[Film/JamesAndTheGiantPeach based on a Roald Dahl story]] to become an AcclaimedFlop.

* AcclaimedFlop: Was well-received by critics but was a box office failure. This movie was directed by ''Creator/StevenSpielberg'', whose name is almost guaranteed to draw audiences to the theaters. It's generally agreed that a lack of a viable star (Oscar winner Creator/MarkRylance and Penelope Wilton aren't Hollywood A-Listers despite being very talented character actors) and it being released just weeks after ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' played a key factor with dismal numbers. To Spielberg's credit, he's not alone; this is one of at [[Film/{{Matilda}} least]] [[Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory five]] [[WesternAnimation/FantasticMrFox films]] [[Film/JamesAndTheGiantPeach based on a Roald Dahl story]] to become an AcclaimedFlop.

* ActorAllusion: The boy who dreams that he becomes invisible has a ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'' poster in his room. David Jason, who voices the BFG, had provided the voice of Danger Mouse.

* CreatorPreferredAdaptation: Roald Dahl reportedly stood up and clapped at the end when he first saw it.

* AcclaimedFlop: Was well-received by critics but was a box office failure. This movie was directed by ''Creator/StevenSpielberg'', whose name is almost guaranteed to draw audiences to the theaters. It's generally agreed that a lack of a viable star (Oscar winner Mark Rylance and Penelope Wilton aren't Hollywood A-Listers despite being very talented character actors) and it being released just weeks after ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' played a key factor with dismal numbers. To Spielberg's credit, he's not alone; this is one of at [[Film/{{Matilda}} least]] [[Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory five]] [[WesternAnimation/FantasticMrFox films]] [[Film/JamesAndTheGiantPeach based on a Roald Dahl story]] to become an AcclaimedFlop.

** When the film was first greenlit, Robin Williams was considered to play the titular character.

!!The 1989 animated movie:

* AcclaimedFlop: Was well-received by critics but was a box office failure. This movie was directed by ''Creator/StevenSpielberg'', whose name is almost guaranteed to draw audiences to the theaters. It's generally agreed that a lack of a viable star (Oscar winner Mark Rylance and Penelope Wilton aren't Hollywood A-Listers despite being very talented character actors) played a key factor with dismal numbers. To Spielberg's credit, he's not alone; this is one of at [[Film/{{Matilda}} least]] [[Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory five]] [[WesternAnimation/FantasticMrFox films]] [[Film/JamesAndTheGiantPeach based on a Roald Dahl story]] to become an AcclaimedFlop.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The film had to be released under the Creator/AmblinEntertainment name instead of the Creator/DreamWorks name due to a mandate from Creator/DreamWorksAnimation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg that was set up where the name [=DreamWorks=] could not be used on a live-action family film, possibly to avoid confusion.

* AcclaimedFlop: Was well-received by critics but was a box office failure. Did we forget to mention that this movie was directed by ''Creator/StevenSpielberg'', whose name is almost guaranteed to draw audiences to the theaters? It's generally agreed that a lack of a viable star (Oscar winner Mark Rylance and Penelope Wilton aren't Hollywood A-Listers despite being very talented character actors) played a key factor with dismal numbers. To Spielberg's credit, he's not alone; this is one of at [[Film/{{Matilda}} least]] [[Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory five]] [[WesternAnimation/FantasticMrFox films]] [[Film/JamesAndTheGiantPeach based on a Roald Dahl story]] to become an AcclaimedFlop.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The film had to be released under the Creator/AmblinEntertainment name instead of the Creator/DreamWorks name due to a mandate from Creator/DreamWorksAnimation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg that was set up where the name DreamWorks could not be used on a live-action family film, possibly to avoid confusion.

** Spielberg offered Gene Wilder a cameo, as he had played Willy Wonka in ''Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory''. He declined.

* AcclaimedFlop: Was well-received by critics but was a box office failure. Did we forget to mention that this movie was directed by ''Creator/StevenSpielberg'', whose name is almost guaranteed to draw audiences to the theaters? It's generally agreed that a lack of a viable star (Oscar winner Mark Rylance and Penelope Wilton aren't Hollywood A-Listers despite being very talented character actors) played a key factor with dismal numbers. To Spielberg's credit, he's not alone; this is one of as least [[Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory three]] [[WesternAnimation/FantasticMrFox other]] [[Film/JamesAndTheGiantPeach films]] based on a Roald Dahl story to become an AcclaimedFlop.

* AcclaimedFlop: Was well-received by critics but was a box office failure. Did we forget to mention that this movie was directed by ''Creator/StevenSpielberg'', whose name is almost guaranteed to draw audiences to the theaters? It's generally agreed that a lack of a viable star (Oscar winner Mark Rylance and Penelope Wilton aren't Hollywood A-Listers despite being very talented character actors) played a key factor with dismal numbers. To Spielberg's credit, he's not alone; this is one of as least [[Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory three]] [[Film/JamesAndTheGiantPeach films]] based on a Roald Dahl story to become an AcclaimedFlop.

* AcclaimedFlop: Was well-received by critics but was a box office failure. Did we forget to mention that this movie was directed by ''Creator/StevenSpielberg'', whose name is almost guaranteed to draw audiences to the theaters? It's generally agreed that a lack of a viable star (Mark Rylance and Penelope Wilton aren't Hollywood A-Listers despite being very talented character actors) played a key factor with dismal numbers. To Spielberg's credit, he's not alone; this is one of as least [[Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory three]] [[Film/JamesAndTheGiantPeach films]] based on a Roald Dahl story to become an AcclaimedFlop.

* AcclaimedFlop: Was well-received by critics but was a box office failure. Did we forget to mention that this movie was directed by ''Creator/StevenSpielberg'', whose name is almost guaranteed to draw audiences to the theaters? It's generally agreed that a lack of a viable star (Mark Rylance and Penelope Wilton aren't Hollywood A-Listers despite being very talented character actors) played a key factor with dismal numbers.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: In early drafts of the story, the BFG abducted a boy called Joy. It was later changed to a girl, named Sophie after Roald Dahl's granddaughter.

* WriteWhatYouKnow: Dahl said the BFG's made-up words are collected from his wife Patricia Neal's damaged vocabulary after a surgery, in fact they are left in for the parents to understand.
** A television is called a Bunkum Box, which come from the American political term Buncombe.

!!The movie