Culture & entertainment
Discover facts about culture & entertainment. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Culture & entertainment
The Lion King was almost called King of the Jungle
Disney developed the project under the title King of the Jungle before settling on The Lion King. The final name puts the royal family at the center instead…
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Paul Bettany voiced JARVIS without watching Iron Man
He’d spend about two hours in a recording booth reading techno-babble, then leave without seeing the film. He didn’t learn the movies’ plots until he was cast…
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Why Shrek is named after fear
The name comes from the German word “Schreck” and the Yiddish word “shrek,” both meaning “fear” or “terror”—a fitting name for an ogre.
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Eminem's label wanted one more song—and got his biggest hook
The Marshall Mathers LP was nearly finished when the label pushed for a stronger lead single. The Real Slim Shady emerged from that late pressure and studio…
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Hannah Montana nearly had a very different name
Disney initially considered Alexis Texas as the name for the show, then settled on Hannah Montana.
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The Sound of Music's sweeping opening kept knocking Julie Andrews over.
The Sound of Music's sweeping opening kept knocking Julie Andrews over. The camera approached by helicopter as she performed on a hillside. Andrews recalled…
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The Twilight Zone almost had a different voice.
The Twilight Zone almost had a different voice. The pilot used veteran narrator Westbrook Van Voorhis, but the team felt his delivery sounded too grand. Rod…
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Chewbacca's voice was an animal ensemble.
Chewbacca's voice was an animal ensemble. Ben Burtt described combining mostly bear sounds with walrus, dog, and lion. Editing their calls into expressive…
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Harry Potter's owl post needed a lighter kind of letter.
Harry Potter's owl post needed a lighter kind of letter. The prop designers made lightweight versions for the birds to carry, alongside the detailed letters…
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Oasis turned down the opportunity to write and perform the theme song for the iconic film Trainspotting because Noel Gallagher literally thought the movie was about actual train spotters hanging out at railway stations.
Oasis turned down the opportunity to write and perform the theme song for the iconic film Trainspotting because Noel Gallagher literally thought the movie was…
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Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B.
Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss famously rushed the final season of the wildly popular fantasy series because they were incredibly…
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Burt Reynolds said he turned down Bond because he was American.
Burt Reynolds said he turned down Bond because he was American. In a 2015 interview, Reynolds recalled thinking James Bond should be played by an Englishman…
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Paramount Pictures spent five million dollars digitally removing Henry Cavill's mustache for the Justice League reshoots because the actor was contractually obligated to keep his…
Paramount Pictures spent five million dollars digitally removing Henry Cavill's mustache for the Justice League reshoots because the actor was contractually…
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Seinfeld survived a weak pilot test thanks to money meant for television specials.
Seinfeld survived a weak pilot test thanks to money meant for television specials. NBC executive Rick Ludwin believed in the show and used his specials budget…
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Netflix originally launched a feature called Max in 2013, which was a virtual assistant designed to ask users a few questions and then recommend a movie so they would stop endlessly scrolling through the catalog.
Netflix originally launched a feature called Max in 2013, which was a virtual assistant designed to ask users a few questions and then recommend a movie so…
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Cocaine Bear started with a real bear and a dropped drug shipment.
Cocaine Bear started with a real bear and a dropped drug shipment. In 1985, a black bear in Georgia died after encountering cocaine dropped from a smuggling…
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Sony initially rejected the idea of producing the first Venom movie because executives fundamentally believed that a superhero film focusing entirely on a villain without…
Sony initially rejected the idea of producing the first Venom movie because executives fundamentally believed that a superhero film focusing entirely on a…
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Babe earned seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Babe earned seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. Chris Noonan directed the 1995 film, while Mad Max creator George Miller…
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SpongeBob began with a marine biology teacher's comic.
SpongeBob began with a marine biology teacher's comic. Before creating Bikini Bottom, Stephen Hillenburg taught at California's Ocean Institute and drew a…
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The Beatles' early merchandise deal left them a tiny share.
The Beatles' early merchandise deal left them a tiny share. Brian Epstein's Seltaeb arrangement initially gave the Beatles' side only 10% of the relevant…
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Ringo Starr is the only member of the Beatles who actually legally changed his name, as his real birth name was the remarkably less rock-and-roll sounding Richard Starkey;…
Ringo Starr is the only member of the Beatles who actually legally changed his name, as his real birth name was the remarkably less rock-and-roll sounding…
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Seinfeld was famously pitched as a show about absolutely nothing, yet it somehow managed to establish a complex, iron-clad internal logic over nine massively successful seasons.
Seinfeld was famously pitched as a show about absolutely nothing, yet it somehow managed to establish a complex, iron-clad internal logic over nine massively…
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Paramount Pictures initially hated the design of the Starship Enterprise when Gene Roddenberry pitched the original Star Trek television series.
Paramount Pictures initially hated the design of the Starship Enterprise when Gene Roddenberry pitched the original Star Trek television series. Executives…
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Sylvester Stallone was so desperately broke before making Rocky that he actually had to sell his beloved dog for fifty dollars just to buy food.
Sylvester Stallone was so desperately broke before making Rocky that he actually had to sell his beloved dog for fifty dollars just to buy food. After selling…
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