The 1990s were an era of cultural and artistic boom that ushered in a new wave of films, setting the stage for some of the most iconic movies of all time. While some of these films have remained popular over the years, there are several events and happenings surrounding these movies that have been all but forgotten with time. From on-set drama to behind-the-scenes shenanigans, here are 15 juicy events that took place in ’90s movie history that most people might not even remember happened.
The ’90s were a decade of fascinating movie events that still captivate audiences to this day. From surprising casting choices to behind-the-scenes drama, here are some of the most eyebrow-raising movie moments from the era.
1. Tom Cruise’s controversial casting as Lestat in Interview with the Vampire
Tom Cruise may have famously played the lead role of Lestat in the 1994 film adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, but both Rice and co-star Brad Pitt “hated him,” and neither wanted Cruise in the film. In fact, Pitt only signed on to the project because he thought he’d be acting opposite Daniel Day-Lewis as Lestat.
2. Sharon Stone’s Basic Instinct scene
The 1992 erotic thriller Basic Instinct became a massive hit in part because of the buzz surrounding the interrogation scene where star Sharon Stone — who was not wearing any underwear — briefly uncrossed her legs. But according to Stone, she was tricked into the nudity by director Paul Verhoeven.
3. Drew Barrymore’s role in Poison Ivy
Drew Barrymore was just 16 years old when she filmed the erotic thriller Poison Ivy, which can only be described as a remake of Fatal Attraction, but with a teenage girl destroying the middle-aged man’s life instead of, you know, Glenn Close.
4. Leonardo DiCaprio’s debut in Poison Ivy
Speaking of Poison Ivy, Leonardo DiCaprio made his theatrical film debut in it, but only appeared for five seconds — just walking out of a classroom — because the future Academy Award-winning actor kept blowing his lines.
5. Chris Farley’s involvement in Shrek
Hardcore movie fans know that before Mike Myers was hired to voice Shrek, Myers’ Saturday Night Live co-star Chris Farley first had the job, and worked on the film for over a year — completing 80-90% of Shrek’s lines — before his death of a drug overdose at age 33 on December 18, 1997. But what’s less known is that even after Farley’s death, the studio tried to finish and release the film using Farley’s voice…plus the voice of his brother John.
6. John Hughes’ inspiration for Home Alone
Writer/director John Hughes wrote the screenplay for 1990’s Home Alone in just nine days — and the last 44 pages in just eight hours — after a stressful family trip to Europe that left him thinking: What if one of my kids has been accidentally left behind at home?
7. Alec Baldwin’s exit from the Jack Ryan franchise
Alec Baldwin originated the role of Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October but was replaced by Harrison Ford in the next Jack Ryan film, Patriot Games. If you ask Baldwin why, he’ll say it’s because Ford totally screwed him.
8. The first online movie premiere
In 2023, movies premiere online all the time, but that wasn’t the case in the ’90s when Party Girl starring Parker Posey became the first ever movie to premiere over the computer — all the way back on June 3, 1995.
9. The success of Toy Story 2
Toy Story 2 was a massive hit in 1999 — grossing $511 million worldwide and easily topping the first film’s $394 million total. The sequel was better reviewed than the first film, too! But if Disney had its way, the classic movie would have been released direct-to-video.
10. Kevin Costner’s failed Bodyguard sequel
Kevin Costner tried to make a sequel to The Bodyguard — but this time around, instead of protecting Whitney Houston, he would’ve been guarding Princess Diana!
11. The Crow and Brandon Lee’s tragic death
The Crow — about a rock musician brought back from the dead to avenge his and his fiancé’s murder — was one of the biggest hits in the summer of 1994 and made a star of its lead actor Brandon Lee. Tragically, though, Lee didn’t live to see any of it because he was killed on set while filming the scene where his character was to be shot and killed.
12. The messy production of Super Mario Bros.
This year’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie with Chris Pratt isn’t the first big screen adaptation of the classic game. Super Mario Bros. — starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as the brothers — was one of the biggest critical and commercial bombs of 1993, and the production was every bit as messy.
13. Ben Affleck and Michael Bay’s disagreement on Armageddon
1998’s Michael Bay directed sci-fi film Armageddon — about a team of blue-collar deep-core drillers sent by NASA to stop an asteroid on a collision course with Earth — was one of the decade’s biggest hits, grossing $534 million worldwide. It also had a reputation of being a bit silly, and on the film’s DVD commentary, star Ben Affleck riled up Bay by asking, “Why was it easier to train oil drillers to become astronauts than it was to train astronauts to become oil drillers?” Bay responded by saying, “Shut the fuck up.”
14. Nicolas Cage’s real-life drinking during Leaving Las Vegas
Nicolas Cage won Best Actor for his towering performance as a deeply troubled alcoholic in Leaving Las Vegas, and got drunk for real when filming some of his scenes.
15. Edward Furlong’s unexpected rise to fame
Lastly, Edward Furlong — who burst on to the scene playing John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgement Day — became one of the biggest teen actors of the ’90s simply because he went to hang with his buddies at The Boys’ Club.
These movie moments of the ’90s truly offer something for everyone. From the highs of Toy Story 2’s success and Nicolas Cage’s award-winning performance in Leaving Las Vegas to the lows of Super Mario Bros.’s disastrous production, these events certainly keep us entertained and engaged even today. With so much fascinating history behind these films, it’s no wonder they continue to have an impact on pop culture and film buffs alike.
As we reflect on the vibrant and audacious movie events of the ’90s, it becomes clear that this was a transformative period in cinematic history. The industry was marked by bold experimentation and a passion for pushing boundaries, resulting in some of the most outrageous and unforgettable moments ever captured on camera. From messy celebrity scandals to genre-defining classics, the ’90s left an indelible mark on cinema that remains undeniable to this day. Though some of these iconic events may have faded from our memories, they are no less influential in shaping what we see on the big screen today. Let’s raise a glass to the ’90s and its wild and juicy legacy in movie history.
