<p><em><a href="https://www.etonline.com/tv/exorcist" rel="">The Exorcist</a></em>’s director, William Friedkin, who <a href="https://www.etonline.com/william-friedkin-the-exorcist-director-dead-at-87-209333" rel="">died in August</a> at the age of 87, was well aware of the horror movie’s lasting cultural impact years following its theatrical debut in 1973. Like several iconic films, the adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s novel -- which chronicled a case of demonic possession in a 12-year-old girl -- has a parallel legacy in pop culture surrounding its production, with oft-told anecdotes alleging eerie disturbances behind the scenes.</p>

<p>Speaking with ET in 1985, Friedkin opened up about some of those accounts as he reflected on the making of <em>The Exorcist</em> just over a decade into its cinematic infamy.</p>

<p><strong>RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES</strong></p>

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<p>“What I tried to do with <em>The Exorcist</em> was to do a story about an ordinary street, in an ordinary little town, with an ordinary house on the corner, and everything about it is normal,” Friedkin explained. “Except upstairs there's a little girl, who's possessed by the devil.”</p>

<p>Citing a real-life case of suspected possession <a href="https://www.insideedition.com/boy-whose-case-inspired-the-exorcist-is-identified-over-70-years-later-72075" rel="">in 1949 in Silver Springs, Maryland</a> -- in close proximity to <em>The Exorcist</em>’s Georgetown location -- Friedkin cross-referenced this true story that had inspired the novel with a healthy amount of skepticism.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“[The Silver Springs case] made me realize this was not a horror story. It was something that had actually happened that was inexplicable. There were no answers for it, and I tried to make the film with that as a kind of undertone,” he shared. “And I tried to make the film as realistic as possible, without the classic horror film touches.”</p>

<p>Recognizing the potential for mass hysteria -- and pointing to, for reference, Daniel Dafoe’s literary classic, <em>A Journal of the Plague Year</em> -- the <em>French Connection</em> director might disappoint fans who want the movie’s helmer to buy into its biblical-based reality.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“If you look at the film very carefully, there's the possibility that everyone involved is kind of a victim of mass hysteria. They're just overwrought by their inability to cope with this illness,” he said, adding, “The film to me is more about the mystery of faith” and “the fact that fate takes a hand in people's destinies.”</p>

<p><strong>A VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER?</strong></p>

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<p>“We had a priest who came on the set periodically who exorcized the set, and then things would go well for a while for a month or so,” Friedkin said. “Then, there would be something extraordinarily weird happening again.”</p>

<p>The fact-or-fiction theme proposed on-screen later extended to stories about making <em>The Exorcist,</em> which was filmed on soundstages in New York City and on location in D.C., the latter of which included the iconic staircase that’s now a popular tourist photo op (or for many like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/rob-lowe" rel="">Rob Lowe</a>, as seen in the photo above, who have used it to get in a workout).&nbsp;</p>

<p>One of the most curious incidents was a fire that burned down the three-story, interior house set, which, according to Friedkin, had cost $500,000 to build and, presumably, just as much to rebuild while production stopped for three months.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“At four o'clock in the morning, I got a phone call from the production manager, who said, ‘You're not gonna believe this, but the whole set has burned to the ground,’” Friedkin recalled. “They never figured out what happened… There used to be birds flying around the rafters. Pigeons. And the theory was, perhaps, a pigeon had flown into a light box and caused a short.”</p>

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<p>He added, “It became very strange. Very strange. Lots of things that happened in connection with the [<em>The Exorcist</em>] that were as inexplicable as the events depicted in the film.”</p>

<p><strong>REGANOMICS</strong></p>

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<p>While <em>Paper Moon</em>’s <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/tatum-o-neal" rel="">Tatum O’Neal</a>, at 10 years old, became the youngest person to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1974, the category also boasted Linda Blair, who at just a couple years older had transformed into the demon Pazuzu’s obsession across a series of violent sequences that continue to imprint on incoming generations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to Friedkin, a gut instinct led to Blair landing the role of Regan MacNeil out of the 500 other actresses who had auditioned. “She came in to meet with me, and I had a feeling about her as soon as I met her,” he remembered. “She was extremely bright. She was a straight-A student, and she was a champion horse woman at the time… She was an extraordinarily gifted, natural actress.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>So gifted, for better or worse, Blair’s performance led to unwanted attention from obsessed fans, a plight she endured for years following the movie’s release (Warner Bros., in the aftermath, provided Blair security amid the intensifying threats. "I'm appreciative they felt responsible to make sure my safety was in order," Blair shared with ET in 2000. "It's just one of those things. This kind of film is going to bring out some different personalities in people.") This, among other impacts, came as a surprise to Friedkin at the time, whose curiosity in the overall response didn’t extend beyond his role as a storyteller.</p>

<p>“I really didn't expect that it would cause the kind of panic that ensued in many areas. And so, my reaction was to retreat from it. Get as far away from it as possible," Friedkin recalled. "Because I realized we were dealing with something that was very deep-seated in the culture.”</p>

<p>As for his reasoning behind <em>The Exorcist</em>’s enduing legacy, Friedkin modestly pointed to his minimalist approach to a complex story. “I just took a long time to try to make it as straightforward as possible… And to rid myself of all notions of making a horror film,” he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>50 YEARS LATER</strong></p>

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<p>In <em>The Exorcist</em>, church officials described Father Merrin (<a href="https://www.etonline.com/max-von-sydow-game-of-thrones-and-exorcist-actor-dead-at-90-142764">Max Von Sydow</a>) as the only person with enough real-world experience to oversee the life-or-death stakes of exorcisms. And now, five decades later, <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/ellen-burstyn" rel="">Ellen Burstyn</a>’s Chris MacNeil is having a full-circle moment in the aftermath of her daughter’s dip into an Old Testament reality, with Regan’s mother becoming the expert who’s brought in to consult over a pair of possessions in <a href="https://www.etonline.com/latest/movies/the-exorcist-believer" rel=""><em>The Exorcist: Believer</em></a>.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>After resurrecting the <em>Halloween</em>&nbsp;franchise, director David Gordon Green and co-writer <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/danny-mcbride" rel="">Danny McBride</a>&nbsp;have turned their focus to Friedkin’s cinematic masterpiece. And while picking up Laurie Strode’s journey was -- <a href="https://www.etonline.com/media/videos/jamie-lee-curtis-reacts-to-viral-trauma-meme-from-halloween-press-tour-exclusive" rel="">famously</a>&nbsp;-- an exploration of trauma, previews for <em>The Exorcist: Believer</em> hint at a study of what truths about humanity remain after a half-century’s worth of evolving perspectives on religion, science and spirituality. Plus, as seen in the most recent trailer, there's more green vomit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“[We] have our spin on what for me is another iconic movie of my youth culture,” Gordon <a href="https://www.etonline.com/david-gordon-green-says-exorcist-sequel-will-honor-the-legacy-of-the-original-exclusive-192439#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20thought%20is%20just%20honoring,an%20amazing%20cast%20coming%20together.%E2%80%9D" rel="">told ET</a> last year. “The thought is just honoring the legacy of this story and these characters, taking it 50 years down the line."</p>

<hr />
<p><em>The Exorcist</em> streams on Max.&nbsp;<em>The Exorcist: Believer</em> is in theaters now.&nbsp;</p>

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Joe Bergren

field_byline

Movies

'The Exorcist': William Friedkin's Behind-the-Scenes Stories, From Set Burning Down to Casting Linda Blair

<p>Following the TV adaptation of <a href="https://www.etonline.com/tv/the-last-of-us" rel=""><em>The Last of Us</em></a>, the critically acclaimed 2013 video game from PlayStation and Naughty Dog, Joel and Ellie’s epic tale has been translated again for <a href="https://www.etonline.com/event/halloween-horror-nights" rel="">Halloween Horror Nights</a> at <a href="https://www.etonline.com/event/universal-studios" rel="">Universal Studios</a>. Inside the brand-new haunted maze, stationed at both California and Florida parks, guests are pitted against the Cordyceps-infected mutants in one of the most literal adaptations the yearly horror fest has ever put together.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To get all the behind-the-scenes details, ET spoke with John Murdy, the mastermind of Universal Studios Hollywood’s haunts, which this year also includes frights inspired by season 4 of <a href="https://www.etonline.com/tv/stranger-things" rel=""><em>Stranger Things</em></a>, the <a href="https://www.etonline.com/latest/movies/childs-play" rel=""><em>Chucky</em></a> franchise, upcoming <a href="https://www.etonline.com/tv/exorcist" rel=""><em>The Exorcist: Believer</em></a> and more.</p>

<p>Similar to Super Nintendo World’s debut and its proximity to <em>The Super Mario Bros. Movie</em> earlier this year, the haunted maze -- that only takes inspiration from the original video game -- is likely to feel a bump of cultural awareness thanks to the TV phenomenon, which saw <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/pedro-pascal" rel="">Pedro Pascal</a> and <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/bella-ramsey" rel="">Bella Ramsey</a> step into the live-action roles.</p>

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<p>As Murdy pointed out, a 100 percent video game adaptation is somewhat of a first in the iconic theme park, aside from a <em>Silent Hill</em>-angled maze in 2012 but even that was mostly inspired by its two movie adaptations -- nor did it have the prestige that <em>The Last of Us</em> has accumulated in the decade since its debut.</p>

<p>"It’s like the <em>Citizen Kane</em> of video games," Murdy noted while taking ET on a tour of the haunted house less than two weeks before opening night. "I think that's because there's real emotion in this game."</p>

<p>From details about the collaboration with <em>The Last of Us</em> creative director Neil Druckman, to Easter eggs that fans of the video game should keep an eye out for, to how even some of the game’s biggest staples were built to full size, here’s everything to know about the post-apocalyptic story’s journey from console to theme park.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WELCOME TO PITTSBURGH</strong></p>

<p>For Druckman’s part, he somewhat manifested the collaboration over a year ago when reacting to fan on X (formerly Twitter), a tweet he resurfaced to celebrate <em>The Last of Us</em>’ HHN premiere. "I’d love a TLoU Halloween Horror Nights attraction! Who do I need to talk to?!" he asked back in 2021.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ctd-shortcode" data-ctd-shortcode-id="social-media" data-ctd-shortcode-url="https://twitter.com/Neil_Druckmann/status/1669375781112541184?s=20">&nbsp;</div>

<p>"That was the funniest thing. All of this started with that tweet," Murdy recalled, with HHN fans immediately steering Druckman to himself and his counterpart at Universal Studios Orlando, Michael Aiello. "And very quickly, Mike and I were like, 'Let's take this offline.'"</p>

<p>"It literally started on social media. That might be a first," he added, noting that maze subjects come "from all directions" these days, with an uptick in recent years of celebrities and studios making the first move. "It's more common for that than for us to go after something. It usually comes to us."</p>

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<p>While <em>TLOU</em> has a plethora of memorable sequences, Druckman insisted that the maze’s initial jumping off point be the game's Pittsburgh segment, a standout chapter that includes Joel and Ellie’s battles inside the Grand Hotel. Concurrently, the HHN team had permission to incorporate parts from elsewhere in the game, lest the absence of signature elements -- like bloaters -- draw ire from the devoted fanbase.</p>

<p>Echoing <em>TLOU</em>’s third-person video game format, guests follow Joel and Ellie performers throughout the maze. The game’s original voices and motion-capture actors, <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/troy-baker" rel="">Troy Baker</a> and <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/ashley-johnson" rel="">Ashley Johnson</a>, reprised their roles with newly-recorded dialog (which performers lip-sync), a major step to completing the objective that Murdy and his team set out to accomplish.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We wanted you to feel like you were living a video game," he said.</p>

<p><strong>GREAT INFECTATIONS&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Working closely with Druckmann and Naughty Dog raised the bar for in-person video game adaptations, with the HHN team gaining direct access to sources <em>of</em> the source material itself, allowing the maze to look and sound exactly like the game. Like, <em>exactly</em>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"They gave us hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of videos and files," Murdy shared, meaning that in many areas, guests are experiencing 1:1 replications from the game’s design layout -- from wall-attached spore patterns to signage like "QUARANTINE WARNING."</p>

<p>Translating 2D to 3D also meant utilizing classic HHN effects applications like spray foam to add that extra dimension to the ubiquitous fungi. "Usually, when you're doing spray foam, everybody is in hazmat suits with respirators, shooting it all over the place," Murdy explained. "But here it was much more like frosting a cake."</p>

<div class="ctd-shortcode" data-ctd-shortcode-id="social-media" data-ctd-shortcode-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79JVUnQToU4">&nbsp;</div>

<p>Despite a prolific history of haunted attractions, the team isn’t content to resort to hand-me-down props. Even with similar post-apocalyptic attractions, like <em>The Walking Dead</em>, behind them, a Humvee-type vehicle with a mounted gun turret -- a frequent in-game terror for Joel and Ellie -- was built from scratch from advanced 3D printing.</p>

<p>A few other staples from the video game that Murdy ensured made it into the maze: fire barrels; Firefly graffiti tags; molotov cocktails, courtesy of LED cloths and blacklight strobes to simulate fire; and mounted flashlight effects -- a simple, yet top-tier motif of the game’s aesthetic.</p>

<p>Even the <em>TLOU</em>’s many water-based sequences receive a substantial tribute in one room, where guests step onto a bridge over a small pool of water, accentuated with various effects to at least provide the vibes a <em>TLOU</em> trademark. "We did it last year for our <em>La Llorona</em> house," Murdy shared, comparing it to building "a very shallow coy pond."</p>

<p>And whatever they couldn’t replicate from the game’s design, such as the wallpaper at Grand Hotel, they accomplished via "I know a guy"-type methods. "We have sources for wallpapers," Murdy said, laughing about the fact that there are "companies that just bought a lot of wallpaper over the years."</p>

<p><strong>"PEOPLE ARE MAKING APOCALYPSE JOKES LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW."</strong></p>

<p>That "so bad it’s good" joke, one of many Ellie busts out in <em>The Last of U</em>s, is a tradition carried over into its Halloween Horror Nights mazes. Of course, that’s if guests can hear it over the&nbsp;Cordyceps howls -- those too ripped straight from the original source files.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While the attraction includes the four main stages of infected -- runners, stalkers, clickers and bloaters -- there’s plenty of <em>TLOU</em>’s human foes, Hunters, lurking around corners. All of them are brought to life by "scare-actors" trained by Murdy and Universal’s "Scare Academy." At one interval, he explained, a performer is strategically positioned to counteract a potential photo op, in the interest of keeping guests in the moment before they can take to Instagram.</p>

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<p>Fans of the TV adaptation might also be surprised that Tess and Bill, played by Anna Torv and Nick Offerman, aren’t part of the experience. Instead, the maze leans into the macro characters and doesn’t skimp on nuanced references embedded in its set pieces. For instance, when recreating Joel and Ellie’s discovery of an abandoned survivor settlement in the Pittsburgh tunnels, a section where <em>TLOU</em> diehards might spot a child’s drawing of Ish -- an off-screen, yet beloved game character -- inside the attraction.</p>

<p>And while HHN isn't known for its happy endings, Druckman and Murdy compromised on a hopeful coda to this microcosm of the celebrated video game at the maze’s end -- as long as it could be paired with one last fright before guests return to the safety of USH’s Lower Lot.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As for Johnson and Baker, who both played different characters in the HBO series, their joy was "off the charts" to play Joel and Ellie again for HHN.</p>

<p>Murdy remembered, "They kept coming up to me going, 'I'm so excited to be doing this.' This game means a lot to people."</p>

<hr />
<p>Halloween Horror Nights runs select nights through Oct. 31 at Universal Studios Hollywood, and until Nov. 4 at Universal Orlando Resort. ET will be on the scene for the event’s final frights, airing a week of shows beginning Monday Oct. 30 from the west coast backlot.&nbsp;</p>

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News

Halloween Horror Nights 2023: Inside 'The Last of Us'-Themed Haunted House at Universal Studios (Exclusive)

<p>Following the <em>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</em>’ first trip to the big screen, the comic book heroes turned cartoon TV stars were joined by another early ‘90s fixture, Vanilla Ice, for their sequel, <em>The Secret of the Ooze</em>.</p>

<p>When the rapper spoke with ET in 1991, he shared his excitement for "Ninja Rap," a now-cult favorite song he co-wrote and performed on-screen in the nightclub backdrop of the core four’s climactic fight scenes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The "Ice Ice Baby" rapper, whose real name is Robert Matthew Van Winkle, was enlisted to build out a more kid-friendly cinematic outing than its gritty predecessor. As Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael and Leonardo&nbsp;explored the “M" aspect of their acronym, producers leaned into laughs and dialed back the violence this time around (the film infamously didn't portray the turtles using their signature weapons, following concerns and criticism from parent advocacy groups at the time).&nbsp;</p>

<p>With that in mind, enter Vanilla Ice, who told ET that "Ninja Rap" and the movie's choreographed dance had gone over well with the filmmakers. "The lyrics are great. I mean, it fits the movie perfect. Everybody loved it," he recalled.</p>

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<p>When he was approached about appearing on film and onstage next to the half-shell heroes, he remembered, "I told them I don't have any acting skills. And they said, 'Just be yourself.' I was like, 'OK.'" (According to the credits, he technically plays himself.)</p>

<p>In fact, Ice claimed his star was rising so fast that producers initially pitched a larger role in the film that his schedule ultimately didn’t allow. "Actually, they wanted me to do more of the movie than I did," he recalled. "I was supposed to do some acting in the movie, but I was on tour with MC Hammer at the time and I had eight days total to do this."</p>

<p>As Ice figured, "Ninja Rap" and his collaboration with the turtles also made sense considering their demographic crossover.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The kids buy. The kids love it. Kids are the ones who buy my records," he explained. "Kids are the ones who go see the movie. It's huge. There's no doubt about that. People over 25 don't buy records."</p>

<p>When asked if he had a favorite <em>Ninja Turtle</em> character, Ice didn’t hesitate when he named Raphael. Why? Well…</p>

<p>"I like his attitude," he laughed.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Over 30 years later, "Ninja Rap" remains an earworm for a generation who grew up in the time of the martial arts quartet’s pop culture heyday, which includes <em>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem</em> producer Seth Rogen. Inside a <em>TMNT</em>&nbsp;creative brain trust, the <em>Platonic</em> actor, alongside his longtime co-writer, Evan Goldberg, and the movie's director, Jeff Rowe, is helping shepherd a sequel and another animated series for Paramount+.</p>

<p>As Rowe&nbsp;<a href="https://screenrant.com/tmnt-mutant-mayhem-vanilla-ice-ninja-rap-confirmed/" rel="">explained to <em>Screen Rant</em></a>, fans have Rogen&nbsp;to thank for the movie's loving nod to "Ninja Rap" and the song's inclusion on <em>Mutant Mayhem</em>'s soundtrack.</p>

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<p>"I wish it was my personal touch, but the use of 'Ninja Rap' is very funny and excellent," he told the outlet. "That was the thing that — we just had some piece of easy listening music in there for a very long time, and we're like, 'It's kind of funny.' Then, at one in the morning one night, Seth texts me, and he's like, 'It should be 'Ninja Rap.'' And I'm like, 'Yes, that's perfect. Oh my God, that's the best idea, I wish I thought of it.' It's so good though."</p>

<p>Rogen expanded on his longtime devotion to the turtles with ET, reflecting on when he was one of many kids who got caught up in the franchise’s headline-making toy craze in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.</p>

<p>"I was really the target audience for the first iteration of all this stuff," he explained. "My dad bought like a big box of used Ninja Turtle toys at a garage sale when I was a kid, and so I had those and I played with them so much."</p>

<hr />
<p><em>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze</em> streams on Paramount+. <em>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem</em> is in theaters now.&nbsp;</p>

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'TMNT 2': Vanilla Ice Says 'Ninja Rap' Was 'Perfect' Song for 'Secret of the Ooze' (Flashback)

<p>Universal Studios Hollywood is doubling down on the <a href="https://www.etonline.com/movies/fast-x" rel="">Fast &amp; Furious</a> saga. The park says it will soon begin construction on a roller coaster themed to the $7 billion franchise.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Following the addition of <em>Fast &amp; Furious - Supercharged</em>, a 3-D experience on the Studio Tour, in 2015, a "state-of-the-art ride system" uniquely designed to engulf riders within the ongoing adventures of Dom Toretto and company will debut in the coming years, according to Wednesday’s announcement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While there’s currently no premiere date, Universal Studios Hollywood also tells fans to expect an attraction with "innovative and technological achievements never previously employed" at the Los Angeles-area theme park, boasting the "decades-long expertise in revolutionizing the development of the contemporary roller coaster" from Universal Destinations &amp; Experiences.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Long-rumored to be in the works, official confirmation of the untitled thrill ride comes amid construction of Universal Orlando Resort’s fourth resort, Universal’s Epic Universe, as well as development of a kids-focused park in Frisco, Texas. The announcement doesn’t include specific details of its location on USH’s park map, but plenty of online chatter has pointed to the proximity of the Upper Lot’s recently-closed <em>Animal Actors</em> stunt show as an educated guess for its future home.</p>

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<p>Within the last year, Universal Studios Hollywood has introduced multiple IP-based attractions, from permanent installations like <a href="https://www.etonline.com/super-nintendo-world-how-universal-studios-and-marios-creators-brought-mushroom-kingdom-to-life">Super Nintendo World</a> and <em>Nope</em>’s <a href="https://www.etonline.com/jordan-peele-on-nope-set-becoming-universal-studios-attraction-im-very-proud-exclusive-187765" rel="">Jupiter Claim set</a>, to standard additions for <a href="https://www.etonline.com/event/halloween-horror-nights" rel="">Halloween Horror Nights</a>, including the just announced <a href="https://www.etonline.com/tv/stranger-things" rel=""><em>Stranger Things</em></a> haunt where guests will come face-to-face with Vecna in the Upside Down. Upon its completion, the <em>Fast &amp; Furious</em> coaster will, by all accounts, be the only pop culture franchise at the park represented by two separate attractions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For now, it’s anyone's guess whether the ride will debut before, after or coincide with the saga’s 11th installment that’s slated <a href="https://www.etonline.com/fast-x-part-2-gets-a-release-date-everything-we-know-about-the-future-of-the-franchise-206240" rel="">to hit theaters in 2025 </a>(the same year Universal’s new Florida park is expected to open its turnstiles). <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/vin-diesel" rel="">Vin Diesel</a> announced the release date of <em>Fast X Part 2</em> on June 12, sharing a photo of himself with the saga's latest antagonist, <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/jason-momoa" rel="">Jason Momoa</a>.</p>

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<p>"April 4th 2025… is less than 22 months away," Diesel captioned the pic. "I love how expressive and collaborative all of the actors in our franchise feel coming into the World’s Saga. Jason wanted to try something totally unique and special and ended up creating a scene stealing character that the world won’t forget."</p>

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<p>ET spoke with Diesel at the block party for <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/charlize-theron" rel="">Charlize Theron's</a> Africa Outreach project in Los Angeles in May 2023, where he reacted to the Luke Hobbs post-credits scene, which teased <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/dwayne-johnson" rel="">Dwayne Johnson</a>'s return and indicated Hobbs is now in Momoa's crosshairs.</p>

<p>"We have such a great cast," Diesel shared. "We lead with love. We try to create an environment where people can do their best work."</p>

<p>"That's all actors really want, is to feel as though they're supported to create unique characters. Characters that last forever," he added, "and you see that in this franchise."</p>

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'Fast & Furious'-Themed Roller Coaster Coming to Universal Studios Hollywood

<p>Taylor Swift has released <em>Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)</em>, the GRAMMY winner’s third re-recorded album, after <em>Fearless</em> and <em>Red</em> in 2021. To celebrate, ET is revisiting Swift’s original interview from 13 years ago, when she explained how the album’s title compliments its central themes and what led to her being the sole songwriter for all 14 tracks.</p>

<p>For the songstress, <em>Speak Now</em> was "more personal than anything" she had put out before at the time, with its release following two "really intense" years for her personally, professionally and everything in between.</p>

<p>"I don't think I would have been happy about this album if I hadn't written about all of it," Swift told ET in 2010. "I tend to include details and the entire story, because, for me, the most fun part about this, and the most intriguing part about music, is the storytelling that's woven into it with the lyrics."</p>

<p>The album’s titular song was inspired by the wedding ceremony staple, which Swift interpreted for track number four as "a metaphor for waiting until it's too late to say something," an experience all too familiar to the then-20-year-old.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"That's been a habit that I've had in my life… Where I don't know what to say or I don't know what to think about," she admitted. "I just go silent, until I know what to say. And that's usually when I write a song about it. And so this album is called <em>Speak Now</em>, because I'm finally saying all of it."</p>

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<p>The track list ran the gamut, boasting love songs ("Mine,"&nbsp;"Sparks Fly,"&nbsp;"Ours"), breakup anthems ("Last Kiss,"&nbsp;"Dear John,"&nbsp;"Haunted"), alongside a response to past critics ("Mean") and a tribute to Swifties ("Long Live"). As Swift told it, penning every song for her third studio album was an organic next step.</p>

<p>"I came to Nashville when I was 14, and got a publishing deal, and immediately started co-writing with people. Before that, I had just written by myself in my bedroom," she noted of this career crossroad, adding that she didn’t even know what a "co-writer" was at the time. "On [<em>Speak Now</em>], I just found myself getting inspired to write songs at four in the morning or while I was in the middle of a conversation or while I was on tour in Arkansas. And there's no one to call to say, 'Hey, do you want to write this with me?' So, I just wrote all the songs by myself."</p>

<p>When it comes to real-life inspiration, Swift was as coy as ever, offering only that there are "repeat offenders" who she’s written "a few songs about." Of course, "Dear John" is long-presumed to refer to her <a href="https://www.etonline.com/john-mayer-makes-surprising-confession-about-song-thats-rumored-to-be-about-taylor-swift-202584" rel="">rumored romance with John Mayer</a>. Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.etonline.com/news/195275_taylor_lautner_can_t_stop_giggling_while_co_stars_lea_michele_john_stamos_grill_him_on_taylor_swift" rel="">Taylor Lautner has confirmed</a> "Back to December" examined their brief relationship in 2009.</p>

<p>That said, Swift reminded ET, "There are a lot of different things that have happened in the last two years that have inspired the concept of this album." One of those being Kanye West’s <a href="https://www.etonline.com/taylor-swift-says-kanye-west-is-two-faced-and-dishes-on-context-of-that-infamous-phone-call-132548" rel="">infamous mic grab</a> at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, which prompted the Best Female Video winner to pen a lyrical response to the rapper that she performed&nbsp;10 days before this interview&nbsp;at the 2010 ceremony.</p>

<p>"I was really grateful to get the chance to sing a new song, 'Innocent,' on the VMAs," Swift said. "And that really falls under the same theme of the entire record of just saying exactly how you feel when the moment is right."</p>

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<p>"A lot of times, I don't know exactly how I feel about something until I write that song about it," she added. "And that's how I know what my opinion is about something; how I feel about something. Music has helped me so much in just getting through life. And that's one of the things I'm very thankful to have discovered songwriting."</p>

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<p>In 2023, Swift says of <em>Speak Now (TV)</em>, "It’s here. It’s yours, it’s mine, it’s ours. It’s an album I wrote alone about the whims, fantasies, heartaches, dramas and tragedies I lived out as a young woman between 18 and 20. I remember making track list after track list, obsessing over the right way to tell the story. I had to be ruthless with my choices, and I left behind some songs I am still unfailingly proud of now. Therefore, you have 6 From The Vault tracks! I recorded this album when I was 32 (and still growing up, now) and the memories it brought back filled me with nostalgia and appreciation. For life, for you, for the fact that I get to reclaim my work. Thank you a million times, for the memories that break our fall."</p>

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Music

'Speak Now': How Taylor Swift Explained Album's Title and Her Songwriting Process in 2010 (Flashback)

<p>While <a href="https://www.etonline.com/latest/movies/indiana-jones" rel="">Indiana Jones</a>' most iconic weapon is the archaeologist's handy whip, it's <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/harrison-ford" rel="">Harrison Ford</a>'s "gun vs. sword" scene in <em>Raiders of the Lost Ark</em> that's considered by most fans to be the funniest moment in the franchise. Within Hollywood history, meanwhile, its backstory has become a legendary behind-the-scenes anecdote (and quite the popular internet GIF).</p>

<p>The actor, and director <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/steven-spielberg" rel="">Steven Spielberg</a>, recounted to ET how a bout of&nbsp;dysentery and some off-the-cuff inspiration led to one of Indy’s most character-defining reactions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"With <em>Raiders</em>, I learned how to compromise creatively. More than any other picture I'd made since my television days," Spielberg shared with ET in 1982, less than a year after their tribute to movie serials grossed nearly $400 million at the box office on a $20 million budget. "The sequence where Harrison is battling the [black-robed] swordsman and pulls out the gun, and shoots the swordsman, was a compromise that I made on the day that Harrison wasn't feeling too well."</p>

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<p>And it wasn’t just Ford, who claims that as they filmed Marion Ravenwood’s (Karen Allen) kidnapping on location (with Tunisia standing in for Cairo, Egypt), a substantial portion of the movie’s team became "quite ill with dysentery."</p>

<p>"We all, finally, became ill, except for Steven," Ford told ET in 2000, explaining that the <em>Jaws</em> helmer arrived overseas "with a full case of SpaghettiOs" and "gaffer taped his mouth every time he took a shower."</p>

<p>Following a foot chase and some fisticuffs action, Indy was originally scripted to have one last physical challenge before he’s tricked into believing Marion died. The sequence was described by Spielberg, who conceived it with producer <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/george-lucas" rel="">George Lucas</a> and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, as "the most definitive 'whip against the sword' fight."</p>

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<p>Speaking to the amount of forethought that proceeded their looming shoot day, Ford noted,&nbsp;"A lot of planning had gone into this fight scene," adding that they had even rehearsed with "a lot of extras" the night prior.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"At that point, I was quite ill with dysentery. I really wasn't able to stay away from my trailer for more than the length to shoot a magazine (referring to a movie camera’s film stock that, on average, allowed for 10 minutes worth of filming)," he recalled.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While the Han Solo&nbsp;actor endured his crippling illness, Ford was also concerned the audience might lose sight of Indiana’s objective to rescue Marion if he got pulled into another showdown.</p>

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<p>"I thought about it. We had about an hour and a half ride into our location. By the time I got to the location, I was convinced that it was too much," he remembered. "I went up to Steven as soon as I arrived, and I said, 'Steven, why don't we just shoot this sumb***h?' And Steven said, 'I was thinking that, too!'"</p>

<p>As for the swordsman actor (Terry Richards) who spent months training for this one scene, Ford admitted he felt "terribly sorry for him" but also believed their improvised alternative "served the film well."</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Spielberg couldn’t help but appreciate that the creative compromise landed his production "a day and a half ahead of schedule."</p>

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<p>In 2023 -- over 40 years since the Paramount Pictures logo dissolved into the mountain backdrop of the Nazi-fighting professor's first on-screen adventure -- Ford is in the midst of a full-circle moment. And this time, as seen in the fifth installment’s trailer, it’s Indy who finds himself out-gunned and holding the inferior weapon.</p>

<p>"I'm very grateful that we get to do this and that we've rounded the corner and brought the character full circle," Ford told <a href="https://www.etonline.com/interview-harrison-ford-explains-why-hes-grateful-at-indiana-jones-5-premiere-exclusive-206451" rel="">ET’s Cassie DiLaura at <em>Dial of Destiny</em>’s premiere</a> in Hollywood. "That's very important to me."</p>

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<p>As he prepares, once and for all, to hang up the whip, the 80-year-old star says he's "not going to miss anything" about playing Henry Jones Jr.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
He explained, "I mean, what matters is the making of it. The process of making, that's what really counts. That's where we face ourselves [to ask] 'Should we be doing this? Is this the right thing to do? Is this the best expression of this idea?'"&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We depend on the audience. I work for them," Ford added. "I work for all of you, so if I make you happy, it makes me happy."</p>

<hr />
<p><em>Raiders of the Lost Ark</em> streams on Paramount+ and Disney+. <em>Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny</em> is in theaters everywhere.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>


'Indiana Jones': Why Harrison Ford Pitched 'Raiders of the Lost Ark's Famous Gun vs Sword Scene (Flashback)

<p>The Titanic’s wreckage two and a half miles below the Atlantic Ocean rested unseen by human contact for nearly 75 years, until Bob Ballard’s expedition discovered the infamous ocean liner’s remains in 1985. While manned-voyages to the ship’s final resting place has become a global conversation in the wake of the Titan submersible's <a href="https://www.etonline.com/all-5-passengers-aboard-titanic-tourist-submersible-presumed-dead-after-catastrophic-implosion" rel="">"catastrophic implosion,"</a> there was enthusiasm around the world after the ocean explorer provided the first photos and footage of the Titanic’s underwater grave.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking with ET in 1987, the Navy vet summed up his initial reaction to finding the Titanic in one word: "Relief."</p>

<p>"I had been pursuing that ship for 13 years," he explained. "It was like this big piece of pressure came off my back and I was glad."</p>

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<p>After uncovering the ship via cameras that combed the ocean floor, Ballard and his team of researchers performed multiple five-hour roundtrip dives to the Titanic the following year. "It was a pretty tough commute," he remembered, saying that their vessel was "a very cold, cramped elevator" surrounded by 6,000 pounds of pressure that amounted to "a Cadillac car on every square inch of you."</p>

<p>Of course, those dangerous voyages yielded the world’s first look at the Titanic since it struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912 and 1,500 people died when it sank within hours early the next morning.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It's a very peaceful site, actually. It's sort of like a gentle, alpine terrain. It's like a fresh snow has fallen, except it's gray or brownish," Ballard observed. "And the ship [sits] overlooking a canyon. Upright on the bottom. And it's very quiet. And there's a gentle current. A breeze blowing. It's very silent and totally dark."</p>

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<p>According to Ballard, one of the most frequent questions being put to him at the time concerned the presence of skeletal remains in the debris field, which he explained wasn’t possible nearly 12,600 feet below the ocean's surface. "Fortunately, the sea is very forgiving like that. It removes all remains. Even bones are gone,” he said.</p>

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<p>Before later expeditions would illuminate additional insights about the sinking's timeline, Ballard and his team’s efforts immediately put several Titanic myths to rest, including the state of the ship as it disappeared into the Atlantic's depths. With the wreck site divided into two main sections that faced in opposite directions, one of the biggest revelations was a definitive conclusion to the debate over if the ship sank in one piece or broke in half on the surface first.</p>

<p>"That's always been some of the controversy," Ballard noted. From <em>A Night to Remember</em> to <em>Raise the Titanic</em> -- and even <em>Ghostbusters II</em>, which hit theaters four years <em>after</em> Ballard’s discovery --&nbsp; the Titanic sank to the ocean floor relatively intact as far as pop culture was concerned.</p>

<p>Ballard pointed out, however, there was already a fair share of accurate eyewitness descriptions, citing the account of first-class passenger Jack Thayer. The survivor’s recollection of the night’s events inspired a now-famous depiction of the ship’s final moments (see below), which was validated by the shipwreck’s discovery over 70 years later.</p>

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<p>"Clearly, the Titanic did not arrive on the bottom in one piece. That was a popular version," Ballard said. "The reason we know that that couldn't have happened is that the two major pieces, the bow and the stern, are over 600 yards away from one another."</p>

<p>Titanic literacy received an enormous uptick in 1997, following <a href="https://www.etonline.com/what-director-james-cameron-has-said-about-the-titan-submersible-tragedy-and-titanic-wreckage-site" rel="">James Cameron</a>’s detail-oriented blockbuster epic. The movie's director and Ballard came together in the aftermath of the Titan’s catastrophic tragedy, sharing their reaction to the deaths of all five people aboard the OceanGate submersible.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>"What is the lesson of Titanic?" Cameron posited during their discussion with <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/exclusive-titan-exploration-james-cameron-bob-ballard" rel="">National Geographic</a>. "Heed the warnings. Do not let greed and arrogance supersede your best judgment. I mean, the captain of Titanic was highly seasoned, highly respected, and yet he didn't heed the warnings and he steamed full speed into an ice field on a moonless night. And 1,500 lives were forfeited as a result. That's the lesson."</p>

<p>Ballard concurred. "If you don't study history, you’re doomed to repeat it."</p>

<hr />
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Inside Titanic Wreckage's Discovery in 1985 and Explorer Bob Ballard's Early Submersible Vehicle (Flashback)

<p><strong><em>THE FLASH </em>SPOILERS AHEAD!</strong></p>

<p>After watching <em>The Flash</em>, even the biggest DC Comics fans might be asking why <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/nicolas-cage" rel="">Nicolas Cage</a> played Superman in one of the many colliding alternate universes in Barry Allen’s (<a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/ezra-miller" rel="">Ezra Miller</a>) Speed Force showdown.&nbsp;While <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/michael-keaton" rel="">Michael Keaton</a>’s highly-anticipated return as Batman was the most substantial tribute among several loving homages to past adaptations, the most surprising nod is to another <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/tim-burton" rel="">Tim Burton</a>&nbsp;comic book project, <em>Superman Lives</em>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It's a different time now. We're going into the new millennium," Cage said in 1997. "I think it's time to reexamine the myth of Superman."</p>

<p>The Oscar winner explained his vision for the Man of Steel to ET across multiple interviews in the late ‘90s, and conversely shared his disappointment after the film was canceled shortly before cameras were set to roll.</p>

<p>And with that, here’s a timeline of the movie’s doomed production, from its gestation in development hell to the few-weeks span that separated its peak promise and crumbling demise.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>1997 | UP, UP AND AWAY…</strong></p>

<p>"Superman, to me, is a character who is a misfit," Cage told ET in May 1997. "He's an alien from another planet and he's trying to fit in, so there's a lot you can do with those feelings of not being normal."</p>

<p>"It’s like, the English have Shakespeare and they're very proud of it," he added. "And the Greeks have their myths. And America has Superman. And Batman. And Mickey Mouse. And this is our major export."</p>

<p>At the time, it had been a decade since the glasses-wearing Daily Planet reporter last graced the silver screen (with Christopher Reeve’s final turn in 1987's&nbsp;<em>Superman IV: The Quest for Peace</em>). It was also a watershed career interval for Cage, following the aggressive versatility he displayed across <em>Raising Arizona</em> and <em>Moonstruck</em>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I've also believed in comic books and the importance of comic books for children, especially when they're handled right," said Cage, who’s stage name is itself a tribute to Marvel’s Luke Cage. "Because they had a pretty interesting impact on my childhood."</p>

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<p>Thanks to <em>The Rock</em>, <em>Con Air</em> and <em>Face/Off</em>, the newly-minted Academy Award winner was also celebrating an unofficial superlative: Hollywood’s most unlikely action hero. As his Spider-Man Noir’s Uncle Ben might say, Cage recognized that with great power comes great responsibility.</p>

<p>"A lot of children out there feel different. So, with any luck, I might be able to affect kids," Cage said, adding that he hopes children will "think twice before they tease that oddball kid, because Superman is different."</p>

<p>When asked if following in the airspace of Reeve and&nbsp;<em>Adventures of Superman</em>’s George Reeves was intimidating, he acknowledged, "It's a challenge. Isn't it?"</p>

<p><strong>1998 | A CHALLENGE, INDEED</strong></p>

<p>"With a character like [Superman], without giving away too much, it's sort of like mapping your own country, because the guy is an alien," Cage noted to ET in March 1998.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Two years earlier, Kevin Smith was the first to start mapping. The <em>Clerks</em> director completed multiple drafts for the movie’s producer, Jon Peters, who has faced sexual assault allegations in recent years. Other screenwriters who joined the project included Dan Gilroy, Wesley Strick and Burton himself at one point.</p>

<p>"I hope there are elements that will be unique," Cage shared. "And I think, with Tim Burton, there will be. And I think it'll have a lot of soul."</p>

<p>And, a lot more big name stars. At varying stages, <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/sandra-bullock" rel="">Sandra Bullock</a> and <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/chris-rock" rel="">Chris Rock</a> were set to join the movie's cast as Lois Lane and Jimmy Olson, respectively. As for its antagonist, fellow <em>Batman Returns</em> alum <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/christopher-walken" rel="">Christopher Walken</a> was slated to play DC supervillain favorite Brainiac, in a story that was heavily influenced by the early ‘90s comic book run <em>The Death of Superman</em>.</p>

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<p>"[Superman]'s from outer space. What does that mean? Nobody really knows what that means, so it gives you a lot of space and a lot of room to create something," Cage said. "I just want to start brainstorming all kinds of ideas and then distill it down to exactly what I want to say with the character."</p>

<p>He added, "It's a great story. The reason why Superman is an American icon, for over 50 years, is because, in the simplicity of that story, there are so many levels. You've got nurture versus nature… You have the feeling of being an outsider."</p>

<p>Years later, screen test footage surfaced of a long-haired Cage trying on potential suit designs. As seen in the 2015 documentary <em>The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?</em>, additional pre-production videos and interviews with behind-the-scenes folks demonstrated how Warner Bros. wound up spending $30 million on a movie that was never shot. (<em>Batgirl</em>, in contrast, was <a href="https://www.etonline.com/batgirl-star-leslie-grace-and-directors-respond-after-warner-bros-decision-to-shelve-film-188510" rel="">canceled last year</a> after a majority of the $90 million-film&nbsp;was already in the can.)&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We're going. I have to finish <em>8MM</em>, which I'm doing now… And then I go right into [<em>Superman Lives</em>]. July 6," Cage insisted.</p>

<p><strong>1999 | HANGING UP THE CAPE</strong></p>

<p>"I don't know. I've sort of totally let go."&nbsp;</p>

<p>That’s what Cage said to ET in 1999 when asked for a <em>Superman Lives</em> status update, nearly a year after Warner Bros. announced it was putting the movie on pause. As for his reaction to Hollywood’s oft-quoted adage, "Never say never"...</p>

<p>"I mean, I don't want to seem like that guy who's holding on for this part because I've sort of completely walked away from it," he elaborated. "If it happens, then maybe I'll do it but I've sort of had to shift gears."&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p>In short, money was short. Reports at the time cited that the soft receptions of <em>The Postman</em>, <em>Sphere</em> and other films had steered the studio away from big-budget gambles.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I think it'd be fun. It would be sincere, because of my fascination with comic books. I'm interested in doing things which are pure, [and] come from an organic place that's pure," Cage shared. "I think that would be pure, because I think I could find the fantasy aspect of it. The child in me would awaken to it. But, again, I've sort of walked away from it."</p>

<p><strong>THE AFTERMATH</strong></p>

<p>The hottest action star. A proven director. And the superhero who helped turn its genre mainstream on the page and in theaters. What could go wrong? Not everything. Just enough.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Burton and Walken moved onto another kind of literary adaptation, 1999’s <em>Sleepy Hollow</em>. Meanwhile, Cage’s love of comic books continued influencing his career and personal life. He’s played a few other superheroes on the big screen (<em>Ghost Rider</em> and its sequel, <em>Kick-Ass</em>, <em>Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse</em>), and later gifted Clark’s birth name, Kal-El, to his son in 2005.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2017, Cage, technically, got to play Superman in a feature film. A voice-only performance in an animated movie, <em>Teen Titans GO! To the Movies</em> paled in comparison to the full-circle moment waiting for him six years down the line.&nbsp;</p>

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<p><strong>2023 | SUPERMAN LIVES</strong></p>

<p>Just as Barry Allen discovered in his first solo outing to cineplexes, Cage learned there’s some things in life that can't be changed. Multiverses, however, are a different story.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>The Flash</em>’s climactic finale momentarily becomes a kaleidoscope of different Batmans (Adam West, then&nbsp;<a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/george-clooney" rel="">George Clooney</a> right before the credits roll), plus Supermans and Supergirls (Reeves, Reeve and Helen Slater). In the latter category, a long-haired Cage battles an enormous spider, seemingly a nod to, as Smith has recounted, Peters' insistence during development that Superman fight a giant arachnid.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Director Andy Muschietti previously confirmed the scene’s existence <a href="https://www.esquireme.com/brief/the-flash-nicolas-cage-superman" rel="">to <em>Esquire Middle East</em></a>. "Nic was absolutely wonderful. Although the role was a cameo, he dove into it," the <em>It</em> helmer said. "I dreamt all my life to work with him. I hope I can work with him again soon."</p>

<p>He added, "[Cage] is a massive Superman fan. A comic book fanatic."</p>

<hr />
<p><em>The Flash</em> is in theaters everywhere.</p>

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Inside Nicolas Cage's 'Superman' Movie and How 'The Flash' Cameo Nods to Tim Burton's Canceled Adaptation

<p><em>Finding Nemo</em>’s enduring legacy just keeps swimming 20 years later, thanks in part to the popularity of <a href="https://www.etonline.com/people/ellen-degeneres" rel="">Ellen DeGeneres</a> and her scene-stealing performance as Dory, who immediately became a fan-favorite Disney character when Pixar's fifth movie splashed into theaters.</p>

<p>"This is weird, because it's really hard for me to watch myself whenever I do anything, but this isn't really watching myself. It's just like hearing myself, which is even worse. You know when you hear yourself on tape?" the comedian joked to ET leading up to the movie’s release on May 30, 2003. "It's gonna be torture now that I think about it. What am I thinking?"</p>

<p>Continuing the great tradition of Disney’s animated movie sidekicks -- Jiminy Cricket, Genie, and Timon &amp; Pumbaa, to name a few -- DeGeneres was tapped to voice the goodhearted, yet forgetful to a fault Blue Regal Tang fish in Pixar’s love letter to the ocean two decades ago. "It's positive. It's not violent. It's not negative," DeGeneres explained at the time. "And yet, I appreciate it and adults appreciate it because it's so clever… It really is a movie that every age group can appreciate on different levels."</p>

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<p>The movie’s environment was already an ambitious undertaking for the film's directors (<em>WALL-E</em>’s Andrew Stanton and <em>Coco</em>’s Lee Unkrich) from a technical standpoint. Meanwhile, they also had the difficult task of trying to remain professional as the veteran stand-up comic adlibbed in the recording booth.</p>

<p>"My goal would be to make them laugh and I would go and go and go," the Emmy winner recounted. "I could see that they were trying to stop laughing, because they would be in front of me and then, finally, they would just lose it."</p>

<p>That said, she was all praise when it came to her collaboration with <em>Finding Nemo</em>’s production team. She recalled how the directors would help guide her performance, which sometimes added up to 90 takes of particular lines, with nostalgic descriptions like, "It's almost like you're a kid and when you want a bicycle…"</p>

<p>"I think you have to be a really good director to explain certain lines when you're trying to get inflections, because it really is all voice. I really didn't think about that going in," DeGeneres said. "Your voice is the only thing you have to get emotion across and every single tiny nuance is important."</p>

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<p>After working on the movie for three years -- a standard timeline for big-budget animated features -- DeGeneres emotionally prepared herself to see the final film, remembering how affected she was after watching Pixar’s first movie, <a href="https://www.etonline.com/movies/toy-story" rel=""><em>Toy Story</em></a>. "I started caring about toys. You believe they're real," she recalled. "It's gonna be weird to see me as a fish and get invested."</p>

<p>While <em>Finding Nemo</em> followed Marlin (Albert Brooks) as he tried to locate his son (Alexander Gould), the movie’s sequel, <em>Finding Dory</em>, focused on Dory’s search for her parents, a story thread planted 13 years earlier in <em>Nemo</em>. Upon the follow-up's <a href="https://www.etonline.com/news/190657_ellen_degeneres_and_portia_de_rossi_show_a_little_pda_at_finding_dory_premiere" rel="">debut in 2016</a>, DeGeneres told ET that the original movie was a beacon of professional hope, as it came after the cancelation of <a href="https://www.etonline.com/features/216195_ellen_degeneres_on_impact_of_the_ellen_coming_out_episode" rel="">her groundbreaking sitcom</a>.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>"I hadn't worked at all," DeGeneres told ET. "People don't realize that, because it took three years to do <em>Finding Nemo</em>. In the time that [<em>The Ellen Show</em>] was canceled, while I was doing nothing, Stanton had heard my voice on TV and how rambling I was and how I never stayed on topic, and he wrote Dory with me in mind."</p>

<p>DeGeneres explained that Dory's motto, "just keep swimming," was a philosophy that she's applied to her own journey.<br />
<br />
"By the time <em>Nemo</em> was coming out, I had just gotten [<a href="https://www.etonline.com/tv/the-ellen-degeneres-show" rel=""><em>The Ellen DeGeneres Show</em></a>], but during that time nothing had happened," DeGeneres said. "So 'just keep swimming' certainly applies to me and to a lot of people out there."</p>

<hr />
<p><em>Finding Nemo</em> and <em>Finding Dory </em>stream on Disney+.</p>

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