James Cameron's Titanic is arguably one of the most iconic movies ever created. Even to this day, it has remained a pop culture gem, with numerous references, memes, and genuine admiration for the movie emerging all the time.
But despite its obvious achievements at the box office (which would only be beaten by Cameron's Avatar later on) and praise from critics, the price of such success wasn't all that cheap. Cameron and his team had to go through many trials to make Titanic the great movie it is.
Cameron's Reputation Was Cemented
Before getting into the finer details, it's first worth mentioning that Titanic was THE movie that cemented Cameron's reputation as "the scariest man in Hollywood," in part because of his supposed need for perfectionism and in part because of his allegedly demanding and uncompromising nature.
Just looking at pre-production (when he actually went underwater to film the real "Titanic" wreck and then had an almost identical model of the ship built for filming) already shows just how much detail Cameron wanted to put into the movie, no matter the cost.
They Were Poisoned By Soup
The movie features some underwater footage of the real "Titanic" wreck that Cameron filmed himself while being aboard the "Akademik Mstislav Keldysh." Interestingly, when he was filming these scenes, he and the crew were poisoned while in Canada.
An angry crew member put the dissociative drug PCP into soup, which was eaten by Cameron and the other crew members in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Over 50 people were taken to the hospital, while Cameron managed to vomit before the drug had a full effect on him. The person responsible was never caught.
Critics Found Anachronisms
With a movie set during a particular historical period, it's important for the characters to behave appropriately. That's why the cast - even the extras - were trained by a full-time etiquette coach so they knew the manners of the upper-class gentility in 1912.
And yet, attentive critics still managed to find anachronisms - even those from Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet themselves.
Kate Winslet Suffered ... A Lot
When watching Titanic, it's not hard to imagine just how difficult the shoot was, judging by all the complicated shots in the movie. But there was one person in particular who suffered a lot - lead actress Kate Winslet.
Winslet chipped a bone in her elbow and was worried that she would drown when they were filming the sinking of the ship in a 17m-gallon tank. As she later admitted, she was scared of Cameron. Could it be that she was more afraid of him than of drowning?
Leonardo DiCaprio Needed A Stunt Hand
In one of the most iconic scenes from the movie, DiCaprio's character Jack draws Winslet's character Rose entirely nude safe for the Heart of the Ocean diamond she is wearing.
DiCaprio, however, isn't a very good artist and needed a stunt hand for the shot. The sketch itself was created by Cameron, who is an accomplished illustrator. His hand is also the one in the shot. That being said, because DiCaprio is right-handed and Cameron is left-handed, the shot had to be mirrored in post-production.
Everyone Got Ill
Winslet was not the only one whose health was in danger (though she definitely was the one who suffered the most).
Filming itself was extended from 138 days to 160 days and during the shoot, many cast members fell ill with colds, the flu, and kidney infections because they were spending hours in the cold water. Winslet was no exception and got sick as well.
Crew Members Started Quitting
While cast members were falling ill, crew members had it no better. In fact, many of them started quitting along the way. Several people left the production, which was probably, at least in part, because of the filming conditions and Cameron's alleged controlling nature. Three stuntmen even broke bones.
"My Heart Will Go On" Was Almost Not In The Movie
Composer James Horner definitely did a great job with the score. For the vocals heard throughout the movie, he hired the Norwegian singer Sissel. But the most iconic song of all, "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion, was almost not in the movie.
Cameron didn't want any songs with singing to be in the movie, so Horner wrote the song with Will Jennings in secret. Celine Dion was then persuaded by her husband to record a demo and Horner waited for the right moment to present it to Cameron. The director listened to it several times and agreed to use it.
Producers Started Panicking
Though it was relatively easy for Cameron to get the movie through development and start production, things turned more difficult for the director.
The budget for the movie was already big, but it eventually grew to $200 million, making Titanic the most expensive movie ever made at the time. Fox executives then started panicking and suggested an hour of specific cuts from the movie that was three hours long at the time. Producers thought that a lengthy movie would mean fewer showings and less revenue, but Cameron refused to make it shorter.
People Assumed The Movie Would Be A Disaster
Before the movie was delayed, it fueled speculation that Titanic was not just a disaster movie - but a literal disaster of a movie. Luckily, after initial previews, word-of-mouth spread across the internet, which positively impacted expectations about the movie.