Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut was ahead of its time, just like many other of his projects. This tense thriller, featuring real-life couple Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, initially confused viewers despite high expectations. However, it eventually won over the hearts of millions of fans over the past two decades and emerged as Kubrick’s Magnum Opus.
Despite being one of the most controversial and thought-provoking movies of the past two decades, the film’s production was a rough journey. Here are some lesser-known facts about Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut!
1. The Actors Signed Open-Ended Contracts
Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman jumped into Eyes Wide Shut without a set end date in their contracts, making the filming drag on. These contracts bound them to be at Kubrick’s beck and call for as long as he wanted. To deal with Kubrick’s irregular schedule, Vincent D’Onofrio suggested to Cruise and Kidman that they set up shop in the UK, where all the action was happening.
2. Guinness World Record Holder
Kubrick’s crazy perfectionism and attention to detail meant that Eyes Wide Shut took 400 days to shoot, which earned it a Guinness Record for the Longest Constant Movie Shoot. This production from hell almost ruined Cruise and Kidman’s filming schedules for Mission: Impossible 2 and Practical Magic. But wait, if those 400 days were just the shooting phase, how long did it take them to edit it? The answer is almost another whole year. Talk about commitment!
3. Unique Masks
Remember that Venetian mask the main character gets from Rainbow Fashions? It’s a big deal in the movie, and as it turns out, it’s modeled after Ryan O’Neal’s face from an old Kubrick flick. If there’s one thing he loves doing, it’s referencing his own stuff. And guess who personally handpicked every single mask for the orgy scene? Of course, it was Kubrick. And he got to pick who wore them, where they’d stand, and even how long they’d be in the shot.
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