How The Island of Dr. Moreau Became Hollywood’s Most Chaotic Movie Disaster

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1996’s “The Island of Dr. Moreau” was initially anticipated as a major film for New Line Cinema, but it turned out to be a significant challenge for “The House That Freddy Built.” This was due to several reasons. Firstly, Val Kilmer, who would later have a stellar year in 1997, was slightly past his best career period, having starred in the highest-grossing film of 1995 (“Batman Forever”) and one of the greatest crime epics ever made (“Heat”). Secondly, Marlon Brando was set to play the title role. Lastly, a promising director named Richard Stanley was involved. However, it was not just these three individuals that caused the production to become a nightmare; instead, it was due to their involvement and other factors as well. The filming process was marked by escalating tensions and an ever-growing budget.

Similar to the legendary productions of “Apocalypse Now”, “Jaws”, and Werner Herzog’s “Fitzcarraldo”, its creation echoes tales of Hollywood lore. However, unlike those three masterpieces, the end product failed to achieve classic status, though it remains worth a single viewing.

Pre-Production

Although Kilmer and Brando may grab attention with their billing on the movie poster, they assume supporting roles in the film. Instead, the main characters are David Thewlis, who portrays Edward Douglas (originally known as Edward Prendick in H. G. Wells), and Fairuza Balk, who plays Aissa, a unique creation part human, part cat, favored by Moreau. Interestingly, Thewlis wasn’t the initial choice; Bruce Willis was initially cast, but he withdrew from the project following his divorce with Demi Moore.

As a dedicated follower of filmmaking passion, I, Richard Stanley, had long cherished the dream of adapting H.G. Wells’ enchanting novel for the silver screen. Yet, New Line Cinema, in their judgment, perceived me as an unproven director. Consequently, they extended the opportunity to Roman Polanski, bypassing me entirely, despite my tireless efforts over four consecutive years in developing and presenting this project to them.

The outcome of this situation led to the selection of Marlon Brando for the role. It wasn’t Director Stanley Kubrick’s initial plan to cast Brando in “Apocalypse Now” and “The Godfather”, it was New Line’s decision. When Kubrick discovered he was being deceived, he approached Brando directly, who then backed the young director. This backing from Brando is what ultimately led Bruce Willis to become involved. As for the character of Montgomery (played by Val Kilmer in the end), the original choice was James Woods.

Upon Willis’ departure, it was Kilmer who stepped in, yet from the get-go, he presented some rather extravagant requests. He requested a 40% reduction in his on-set days, which eventually sparked the notion of assigning him the role of Montgomery instead of Douglas. This decision ultimately resulted in Woods parting ways with the project, paving the way for Rob Morrow, renowned from the hit series “Northern Exposure,” to join the cast.

The situation seemed ready for execution: Stanley was in charge, Morrow played Douglas, Brando portrayed Dr. Moreau, and Kilmer was assigned Montgomery. However, tragedy struck when Brando’s daughter, Cheyenne, tragically passed away. This event sent Brando into seclusion on his private island, leaving everyone uncertain if he would appear on set at all. As a result, the character of Dr. Moreau was gradually reduced in importance.

The Production Itself

In the North Queensland, Australia rainforest, things didn’t improve once the cameras began rolling. Director Stanley had already grown wary of New Line after their failed attempt to recruit Polanski. However, this apprehension was mutual. Stanley was an enigmatic figure, quite unlike someone who would conform to studio norms. He had a clear vision and preferred executing it in his own unique manner, but studios typically dislike such methods.

According to everyone involved and the accounts given, Stanley demonstrated signs of being a novice on set due to it being his debut major film. Considering this, it’s only natural that some inexperience would be shown. However, Marlon Brando was off his island during filming, leaving Stanley without any experienced support.

The primary reason for his dismissal, occurring merely a few days into production, was his failure to control Kilmer’s actions. As detailed in the captivating documentary Lost Soul: The Troubled Filming of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau, the late actor didn’t report to set until two days behind schedule and, upon arrival, he caused distress to Stanley, the crew, and his fellow actors. This misconduct included Kilmer allegedly burning a crew member’s face with a lit cigarette, as claimed by the film’s executive producer, Tim Zinnemann.

Kilmer displayed this kind of conduct because, as he stated, the situation was similar to why Willis departed from the project – they both went through a divorce (with his co-star from “Willow” and “Kill Me Again,” Joanne Whalley) at that time.

In a rather unceremonious manner, New Line chose to dismiss Stanley via fax. The events that transpired afterward were equally abrupt. To be specific, Stanley vanished without a trace following his destruction of numerous documents intended for continued production. New Line found themselves in a state of anxiety, fearing that Stanley might attempt to sabotage the production once a new director was appointed.

At this moment, Balk and Morrow were becoming increasingly alarmed, eagerly wanting to abandon the ship that was sinking. In Balk’s case, she actually walked off the set in a rented limousine. However, following a discussion with her agent who warned her about New Line potentially damaging her career, she returned. On the other hand, Morrow managed to leave the production after pleading with his agent to extract him from the predicament.

John Frankenheimer, famed director of “Birdman of Alcatraz”, “The Manchurian Candidate”, and the Elmore Leonard adaptation “52 Pick-Up”, steps onto the scene. Over the years, Kilmer’s challenging nature on set grew, though it was his behavior during this production that truly solidified this reputation. Conversely, Frankenheimer’s volatile, boisterous persona had been notorious for decades among those who worked with him. In essence, these two were an unlikely pair, far from a heavenly match.

One reason New Line brought him on board was his reputation for being hard-nosed and capable of steering challenging projects back on course. On the other hand, Frankenheimer took up the offer since he shared Kilmer’s desire to collaborate with Brando, and his high asking price was a deciding factor too. Eventually, Frankenheimer made changes to the script and brought in Thewlis as a replacement for Morrow.

Following a fortnight’s hiatus, production resumed, yet so did the challenges. Despite reaching the set, Brando appeared disheartened, frequently spending lengthy hours within his trailer instead of filming scenes as scheduled. Meanwhile, Kilmer was drawn to the prospect of collaborating with Brando, but their robust personalities repeatedly collided. At a certain point, both actors refused to step out of their trailers, causing all the extras in heavy, sweltering animal costumes to stand idle, edging towards heat exhaustion.

It’s worth noting that Kilmer wasn’t the only larger-than-life character on set. Brando also gave Frankenheimer a tough time, frequently asking for script changes and adding unique elements to the movie. For example, the white makeup Brando sported in many scenes was his idea, as was the scene involving him carrying a large water jug on his head. The iconic Hollywood actor was renowned for his reluctance to memorize lines, which often led him to deviate from the revised script. Instead, he used a small radio earpiece to hear his lines and delivered them in his unique style.

Clashing Castmates

From my perspective, the majority of the tension arose between Kilmer and Brando. At one point, Brando shared with me, “Your issue is that you mix the magnitude of your paycheck with the magnitude of your skill.” Contrary to popular belief, as depicted in his documentary Val, we never had a dispute. In fact, according to Kilmer’s autobiography, I’m Your Huckleberry, this conflict was instigated by Frankenheimer and the director’s attempts to attribute the film’s failure to the veteran of Top Gun.

It was discovered that the director of the previous film had been on set throughout this period, although for a few days at least. Interestingly, he was in costume as an animal-human hybrid during his time on set. He removed the costume and makeup for the wrap party, and surprisingly, Kilmer, who held a strong dislike for Frankenheimer, extended an apology to him at this event. Thus, it seems there wasn’t irreparable bad blood between them in the end.

The Aftermath

After all the confusion, what we have is a movie that can be puzzling at times, yet if viewed lightly, offers some enjoyment. It may not entirely make sense, but its creation story is far more intriguing than the finished product itself. Despite its flaws, it’s a notable addition to the filmographies of everyone involved, particularly Brando and Kilmer.

In this movie, Brando’s star power was so strong that failure for this particular production was highly unlikely. Given his iconic roles in some of the greatest films ever made, a single flop wouldn’t have been enough to sink his career. Unfortunately, Kilmer’s career trajectory took a downward turn following this project.

In the early ’90s, I was regarded as a highly marketable actor, primarily due to films like Top Gun, Willow, The Doors, Tombstone, Batman Forever, and Heat. However, my reputation took a drastic turn for the worse afterwards. Studio productions such as The Ghost and the Darkness, The Saint, The Prince of Egypt, At First Sight, and Red Planet were part of my repertoire for the rest of that decade. But it was all a steady decline from Dr. Moreau that led to my downfall as an A-list actor.

Stream The Island of Dr. Moreau for free on Plex.

Stream Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau on Prime Video.

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2025-05-03 21:11