Top 10 Insane Things Movie Studios Have Done To Keep Secrets

“Shazam!” (2019)
When “Shazam!” first came out in April of 2019, fans weren’t expecting to be introduced to five new superheroes in addition to the film’s titular hero, and that was no accident. Director David F. Sandberg didn’t want any information getting leaked about the film’s final showdown featuring grown up superhero versions of Billy Batson’s foster siblings, which made casting these adult alter egos a challenge. Actors auditioning for the roles weren’t given scenes from the script to read, but instead read entirely new lines written to give the actors just an idea of their character’s personality without revealing any top secret plot information. The plan worked, as the actors they cast fit their roles perfectly and the film’s finale remained a secret.

“Cloverfield” (2008)
During the making of Cloverfield, J.J. Abrams and Paramount wanted to be entirely in control of how much information about the film was made public, and everything released was extremely calculated. The first teaser was created using entirely unique footage specifically to inspire speculation about the film, instead of using clips from the film itself. It was a risky move limiting the information available about the movie, but it definitely paid off. The internet went crazy over speculation about the film, specifically about what the mysterious monster would look like. This led to packed theaters for opening weekend as fans eagerly waited to see if their theories were correct.

“The Dark Knight Rises” (2012)
With audience anticipation at an all time high, all eyes were on Christopher Nolan and the production of this Batman trilogy’s third installment, which made avoiding spoilers pretty tricky. In particular, the funeral scene for Bruce Wayne toward the end had to be handled with great care so that anyone who happened to see the filming process would not leak information about the film’s plot. Nolan had the art department create a fake gravestone with the name of another character, Miranda Tate, written on it to be digitally replaced with “Bruce Wayne” later in post-production. Additionally, Christian Bale was called to set that day so no one would suspect that the funeral was for his character.

“Avengers: Endgame” (2019)
With over ten years of cinematic build up leading to this blockbuster film, keeping plot secrets under wraps was a high stakes task not everyone was trusted with handling. The film’s most closely guarded secret was the filming of Tony Stark’s funeral scene. It was such an important secret that some of the cast, including known blabbermouths Mark Ruffalo and Tom Holland, were told that they were filming a wedding, not a funeral. Rewatching that scene with this knowledge is a testament to the incredible filmmaking that went into this production, as the somber funeral is so tragic and moving one would never think it could be mistaken for a wedding.

“Scream” (1996)
Scream was a slasher flick unlike any that came before it, thanks to some carefully thought out and clever subversions of the horror genre itself. The first example of this was early on in the film, but had months of build up behind it. Drew Barrymore was easily the film’s biggest star, and, being in all the trailers and posters leading up to the film’s release, it seemed like a guarantee she would be the movie’s “last girl” who would eventually survive in the end. This seemed so inevitable that when Barrymore’s character was killed off in the first scene, audiences were completely blindsided. Her death proved that no one was safe from the killer, not even a major celebrity.

“The Sixth Sense” (1999)
Bruce Willis’ left handedness almost gave away one of the biggest plot twists in film history, but luckily he was willing to go the extra mile to keep the ending a surprise. In order to film a close up shot of Willis circling a passage in a book, the actor had to learn to write with his right hand instead of his dominant left, so that viewers wouldn’t notice his wedding ring was missing. The audience wasn’t supposed to notice the missing ring until the character himself notices at the end of the film, leading him to realize he’s actually dead. Such a small detail could have easily been overlooked, but shows how much care was taken to keep the twist a surprise.

“The Blair Witch Project” (1999)
Everything about this film was meant to blur the line between fictional horror movie and real-life documentary wherever possible, including its downright scary marketing. The movie, though fictional, presents itself as a completely true account of the disappearance of three student filmmakers who were searching for the legendary Blair Witch. The urban legend was made up for the movie, but its promotional website filled with fabricated police reports and interviews about the missing students certainly felt very real. Missing person flyers with images of the three main actors were passed out at screenings, and the IMDB page listed the actors as “missing, presumed dead” for a year following the film’s release. The mystery captivated audiences, and the film was a huge success.

“The Usual Suspects” (1995)
Criminal mastermind Keyser Söze is as elusive as he is notorious, so much so that the mystery of his true identity even perplexed the cast members of “The Usual Suspects.” To protect the secret at the heart of the film, director Bryan Singer managed to convince multiple actors that their character was secretly Soze. Gabriel Byrne, who played Dean Keaton, was so convinced he was playing Soze that it led to an argument in the parking lot during filming. This misdirection ensured that even if information about Keyser Soze’s real identity were to be leaked to the public, it would probably be incorrect or misleading information, and audiences could keep guessing up until the film’s final reveal.

“Psycho” (1960)
Decades before movie enthusiasts had to dodge spoilers online, Alfred Hitchcock was doing the most he could to keep information about “Psycho” from spreading to people who hadn’t yet seen it. Critics weren’t allowed any private screenings before the film premiered, and Hitchcock bought as many copies of the book as he could so no one would know the plot in advance. After Psycho was released in theaters, Hitchcock encouraged theaters to lock their doors so no one would be able to come in late, and recorded a message to audiences imploring them to not share what they had seen with anyone else. To this day “Psycho’s” unbelievable twists continue to shock and terrify viewers.


Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Marvel “Leaks” Photos of Yondu in “Infinity War”, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” (2017)
Michael Rooker Was Brought to Infinity War Set to Dispel Rumors of His Character’s Death

J. J. Abrams’ Khan Cover-Up, “Star Trek Into Darkness” (2013)
Abrams Denied Speculation That Legendary Star Trek Villain Khan Would Be in the Movie

Capturing True Amazement, “The Goonies” (1985)
The Actors Weren't Allowed to See the Massive Cavern Set Before They Started Filming Inside

“Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back” (1980)
It may be one of the most well known movie plot twists of all time, but there was a time when only three people in the entire world knew who Luke Skywalker’s father was. The day this unforgettable scene was filmed, Darth Vader’s actor delivered an alternate line, “Obi-Wan destroyed your father”, which was dubbed over with the original line during the editing process. At the time of filming, director Irvin Kershner, Mark Hamill, and George Lucas were the only ones who knew the film’s big twist, so it would have been easy to determine the source of any potential leaks. Thankfully, the big secret was safe, and this much anticipated sequel was able to live up to the hype surrounding it.