Where to watch 12 Monkeys (1995)

Trivia & production notes

• Executive producer Robert Kosberg pitched 12 Monkeys to Universal as a feature-length adaptation of the 1962 French short film La Jetée after convincing director Chris Marker to allow the project.
• Terry Gilliam initially had reservations about taking on the role because he found David and Janet Peoples' screenplay too complex, though he was ultimately captivated by its exploration of time, madness, and reality.
• Universal delayed approving 12 Monkeys despite having two established stars and a firm budget of $29.5 million, partly due to cost overruns from the production of Waterworld.
• To secure Universal's approval, Terry Gilliam convinced Bruce Willis to accept a lower salary than his standard asking price.
• Terry Gilliam was initially hesitant about casting Bruce Willis because of the actor's mouth, despite having met him years earlier while casting The Fisher King.
• Brad Pitt was cast in a supporting role at a relatively low salary because he was still unknown; his star power increased dramatically after Interview with the Vampire, Legends of the Fall, and Se7en released before the film's premiere, boosting its box office performance.
• Brad Pitt spent weeks studying at Temple University's psychiatric ward in Philadelphia to prepare for his role as Jeffrey Goines.
• Principal photography ran from February to May 1995 across Philadelphia and Baltimore, with winter weather and technical problems with futuristic props creating significant setbacks that required some scenes to be reshot.
• Terry Gilliam stayed within budget and kept only one week behind schedule despite harsh filming conditions, partly motivated by his previous experience being criticized for cost overruns on Munchausen.
• The filmmakers lacked access to sound stages and instead filmed in abandoned buildings and landmarks, including the Eastern State Penitentiary and Girard College for psychiatric hospital scenes.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article 12 Monkeys, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Rewritten for StreamShack; errors are ours — tell us about them.