James Cameron’s Titanic is widely considered one of the best and most popular movies ever made. As a testament to its place in cinema history and its longevity, Cameron decided to honor the movie’s 25th anniversary in 2023 and bring it back to cinemas. As true Titanic fans and hardcore “Jack could have fit on the door” believers, we decided to honor this spectacular movie as well by bringing you some facts about it that will probably surprise you.
The Cast Could Have Been a Lot Different
Obviously, we couldn’t imagine anyone else in the roles of Jack and Rose now. However, this was a real possibility. Before landing on Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, Cameron considered Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt for Jack and Madonna for Rose.
Leonardo DiCaprio Hated Being Wet
Despite the film requiring him to spend a lot of time in the water or at least in soaked clothes, Leonardo DiCaprio absolutely hated it. He would constantly complain, and the crew had to pour buckets of warm water on him during shootings in order to make him feel more comfortable.
“My Heart Will Go On” Almost Wasn’t Recorded
Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” is, of course, one of the most memorable movie soundtracks of all time. But the truth is that the song almost wasn’t recorded. Cameron wanted to only use instrumental tracks, not wanting his movie to be too commercial. However, composer James Horner went behind his back, teaming up with Will Jenning and writing “My Heart Will Go On” for Dion to sing. Once Cameron heard the song, he knew it needed to make the movie.
Filming Titanic Was Pricier Than Making the Ship
As it turns out, it cost Cameron more to film Titanic than it cost to make the ship the movie was based on. RM Titanic cost $7.5 million to build, which, adjusted for inflation, came at around $180 million in the ‘90s. On the other hand, Cameron spent $200 million during filming.
The second Ending Was Filmed
Titanic ends with the elderly Rose throwing her precious necklace into the ocean and then returning peacefully to her cabin. However, there was another ending that was filmed but wasn’t used. In that ending, Brock Lovett sees Rose wanting to throw the necklace, and the two have an eye-opening conversation. The necklace still finishes on the ocean floor, however.
