Although Edge of Tomorrow had one of the most unique and interesting stories we’ve ever seen in a sci-fi, the story behind the making of this movie is almost as intriguing.
After learning more about the huge amount of work that went into making Edge of Tomorrow, it becomes clear that the people behind this moviewent through quite a journey. It must have been an absolute blast to be a part of the fun, but this ride had its ups and downs as well.
There were some very unique things to be taken into consideration with this particular movie. The armored exosuits were obviously very difficult to create and wear, causing some actors to literally break down and cry. Because the entire story took place over the course of a single day, changes in weather made shooting impossible in some situations. And, of course, like with any action movies, the actors suffered their fair share of mishaps and accidents.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom, and like the story itself, the actors and crew finished on a high note. They overcame all the hurdles that faced them, and they did so in creative and innovative ways. Take a closer look into the making of this film, and you will find evidence of incredible ingenuity and expertise at every turn. The craziest facts behind the making of this movie might be shocking, but they’re also quite flattering, revealing just how talented these people are.
Here are 20 Crazy Details Behind The Making Of Edge Of Tomorrow.
The Suits Were Based Heavily On Real Designs
Many science fiction movies are guilty of going totally overboard on the “fiction” aspect of things while neglecting the “science” part of the equation. For the most part, a lot of what went on in Edge of Tomorrow was pretty well thought out. Take, for example, the famous battle suits which made the action sequences so thrilling.
Techcrunch quoted director Doug Liman as saying “We looked at what DARPA is currently building and envisioned if we were five years into a war, and everything else just stopped, and the best minds in the world and the manufacturing prowess focused on building these suits of armor, where would we be in five years.”
For those who don’t know, DARPA stands for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and this organization really is starting to build powered armor for military applications.
Tom Cruise Did His Own Stunts
The fact that Tom Cruise did his own stunts in Edge of Tomorrow should hardly come as a surprise to anyone, but the fact that we’ve come to expect it doesn’t make the feat any less impressive.
Even more impressively, Cruise did his own stunts while being encased in the heavy “exosuit” the entire time.
This was touched on in an article by People, which highlighted the fact that both Emily Blunt and Cruise suffered a few scrapes and bruises while doing their own stunts for this project. Unlike Blunt, however, Cruise was used to the experience, although wearing the exosuit posed a difficult, new challenge for the actor.
Emily Blunt Was Pregnant While Filming
While many people correctly guessed that Emily Blunt was actually pregnant during some of her scenes in Edge Of Tomorrow, this wasn’t actually confirmed until the actress admitted it during an interview with Graham Norton.
She had to return to set to finish up some reshoots, at which point she knew that she was pregnant. This was apparently the reason she used a stunt double for these shoots.
Cruise was confused by this, since she hadn’t used a stunt double for the rest of the filming. She then spilled the beans to him about her pregnancy, making him the only person to know about the fact that she was expecting - other than her husband.
Emily Blunt Crashed a Van, Endangering Tom Cruise
We’ve heard some pretty wild stories from behind the scenes of our favorite movies, but some of the ones linked with Edge of Tomorrow are truly incredible.
A shocking accident happened when Emily Blunt was driving a van with Tom Cruise as the passenger.
The crew needed a shot where the van was shaking, so they told Blunt to take a hard right hand turn after gathering up some speed. However, Blunt totally lost control, slamming the van into a tree.
She found the incident extremely horrifying because it could have ended Tom’s life, but both actors ended up laughing uncontrollably after the accident. Emily Blunt originally told this story on Conan.
Brad Pitt Was Considered For Cruise’s Role
Like so many roles we’ve seen Tom Cruise in, the role of Bill Cage has become an iconic character linked with the actor, and it’s hard to imagine any other man playing Cage now. If things had gone slightly differently, we might have seen a very different type of actor take on the role
. It’s a pretty well-known fact that Brad Pitt was the first actor who was offered the lead role in Edge of Tomorrow, and this was confirmed during the film’s pre-production phase by a Vulturearticle.
Obviously Pitt turned down the role, and that’s when Cruise stepped up to the plate. Would the movie be that different if Pitt had starred in it? Probably not, considering Brad’s past roles in movies like World War Z.
Emily Blunt Cried The First Time She Put On The Suit
Those armored suits weren’t made out of cheap plastic or Styrofoam. They were the real deal, to the point where they could probably be functional given a few more years of development. As soon as the actors put on the suits, they realized that they were much more than just cheap film props.
To put it in perspective, the suits were about 85 pounds each.
The realization that she would have to wear this suit for months emotionally crushed Emily Blunt when she strapped in for the first time and she sought comfort from her co-star Cruise, who awkwardly tried to comfort her.
Cage’s Name Was Changed
Like most novels that get turned into movies, some details make it into the final script while others don’t. Fans of the book will notice little signs and homages here and there, and one of these details is the name of the lead character himself - Cage.
In the novel, Cage is actually a Japanese man who finds himself in America during the alien invasion. His real name is “Keiji,” but all of the Americans simply call him “Cage” - due to a mispronunciation of his proper Japanese name.
Obviously Tom Cruise is not Japanese, so they changed the character considerably as a result.
The Title Confused audiences
One thing that people will probably remember about this film is the fact that the title was a little confusing. Most of us weren’t really sure what this film was actually called.
The slogan of the movie ended up being a larger font than the actual title in some cases.
In most posters and billboards, both the slogan and the film’s title were roughly equal in size. This probably hurt the movie’s success, at least mildly, and marketing decisions like this probably contributed to a relatively poor box-office performance in America.
The original title of the novel was All You Need Is Kill, and according to an interview with Collider, Blunt actually preferred this title, saying: “That’s a bummer isn’t it? I gotta say… I loved it… I thought it was more ironic and totally more than a movie, you know?”
The Sequel will explain the first movie’s ending
One of the key takeaways of the first film was that the ending was a little open-ended. While the aliens were seemingly defeated, we didn’t quite get the stereotypical “happily ever after” that so many other films are guilty of.
While it was an interesting way to close the film, it also left a lot of questions unanswered. These will apparently be answered in the sequel
That’s right, if you haven’t heard the news yet, Edge of Tomorrow is reportedly getting a follow-up movie, and the sequel will seemingly explain the ending of the first film.
This is based on a slightly cryptic tweet by screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie, which read simply: “The end of Edge I will finally make complete sense.” There is no release date as of yet.
Rita’s Melee Weapon
Another detail from the book that made it into the final screenplay was Rita’s use of a melee weapon. In the novel and manga it’s a massive, technologically advanced battleaxe, but in the movie it’s a large sword. This is pretty much exactly the same, and it’s one detail which is essential to Rita’s character.
Why is she the only one to carry a melee weapon out of all the soldiers?
This question might not be answered in the film, but it is addressed in the novel. In the original story, Rita carries a melee weapon because she constantly runs out of ammo throughout all the times she resets. Using a melee weapon was a key adaptation she made to her fighting style after resetting hundreds of times.
Emily Blunt’s Brother Has A Brief Cameo
As soon as we are introduced to Emily Blunt’s character, Rita, it’s clear that she is one hell of a soldier. It’s a stark contrast to Tom Cruise’s character, who is a hopeless coward at the start of Edge of Tomorrow. That’s what makes it so interesting.
On the other hand, Emily Blunt had never done an all-out action movie before, and she certainly hadn’t starred as a leading lady like Rita.
We quickly learn that Rita has a nickname, and a it’s a pretty awesome one - but not many people say it to her face. One person who does is an unnamed soldier who quickly gets punched in the face by Rita.
You might not know it, but that’s actually Emily Blunt’s younger brother!
The Kiss Before The Final Battle Shocked Tom Cruise
Yahoo News quoted Emily Blunt as she revealed the slightly awkward moment behind the scenes as she planted a kiss on her co-star. She explained: “I mean, [it was] great. I don’t think he was expecting it. I just sort of planted one on him. No, it was in the script but I think he hadn’t read it properly. So I think he was a bit taken aback. He was like, ‘Oh my god! This is what we’re doing.’ Well, Tom had read the scene but he hadn’t really read the stage directions. There were some new pages.”
Some sources incorrectly state that the kiss was completely unscripted, but the truth is that it was just one of those uncomfortable moments that actors tend to experience every once in a while.
An Alternate Ending Was Filmed Where The Humans Lose
While Edge of Tomorrow’s ending might not have made total sense, there was a feeling of coming full circle that seemed like the logical ending to this epic film. The day is once again reset, and somehow the aliens have been defeated. But that wasn’t the only ending that was filmed.
According to co-writer Christopher McQuarrie, another ending was considered that involved a much darker fate for the human race.
The ending involves a human soldier accidentally eliminating an alpha during the final battle - despite being warned by Cage not to do so.
The day is reset once again, and the movie ends with the audience knowing that the aliens have the upper hand during this final battle. The implication is that the humans fail.
Cage Only Restarts The Day 26 Times In The Movie
The way it’s shot during the many battle scenes and montages suggests that Bill Cage has reset hundreds, even thousands of times during the movie. But we only actually see Cage reset a total of 26 times during the movie.
This is a testament to the way the movie is filmed, as well as the acting of Tom Cruise. He is able to portray a growing maturity and skill in battle that makes the audience believe that he has lost his life countless times, living the same day over and over again.
It’s hard to believe that, in a movie which centers around the whole “resetting” concept, it only happens 26 times.
Tom Cruise Did His Own Makeup And Hair For The Opening Scene
One of the craziest facts behind the making of Edge of Tomorrow is how the opening scene was filmed. Speaking to Den Of Geek!, Doug Liman revealed: “The opening of Edge of Tomorrow may be the most independent thing I’ve ever done. I filmed Tom Cruise in my editing room, and he did his own hair and makeup. So I’ve never been far from making an independent movie.”
It’s pretty mind-blowing that Tom Cruise and Doug Liman just decided, out of the blue, to film the opening scene of a blockbuster movie!
It makes us look at this scene in a completely different light, and definitely makes us respect this actor and director a lot more.
The book is inspired by video games
Gamers might have found this movie particularly enjoyable. After all, there were some pretty sweet elements that seemed like they were taken straight from our favorite levels of Halo or Gears of War.
According to the Japan Times, this was no coincidence. Apparently the author of the original novel got the idea for the story from playing video games, constantly losing his life and having to “reset” or “respawn.”
This novelist’s name is Hiroshi Sakurazaka, and he’s one of the most well-known science fiction writers in Japan. It’s a really cool concept, and one that all gamers can relate to. After all, the only way you can beat a video game is to play it again and again until you learn the levels. This is essentially what Tom Cruise’s character is doing in the movie.
The Movie Was Released On The Anniversary Of D-Day
As previously mentioned, the marketing of Edge of Tomorrow confused some people, especially when it came to the movie’s slightly misleading title. A lot of great work was done in the other aspects of the marketing campaign, particularly when it came to the movie’s release date.
You might not have realized it, but the film was released on the anniversary of a major world event. History buffs will know that June 6th of 2014 was the seventieth anniversary of D-Day, and that’s when Edge of Tomorrow hit theaters.
It was not a coincidence, and a lot of reviewers noted that many actions scenes were similar to the D-Day landings.
35 millimeter film was also used to give a slight vibe of old war footage.
Wile E. Coyote’s impact on the movie
Watching Cage “reset” multiple times in this movie was something that really made it unique, and the manner in which those demises are handled was also somewhat unexpected.
While Bill Cage loses his life in a variety of gruesome ways, Cruise kept it fresh by adding humor to some of the reset. Speaking to Hero Complex, he explained his vision for this unique montage, saying “It’s fun coming up with new ways to [end] yourself. I told the stunt guys, ‘Watch Wile E. Coyote cartoons. It’s not violent enough!’”
Speaking about one ridiculous scream he added to a reset scene, Cruise continued, “I think it set the tone of the film. [It] is horrible but it’s also funny."
The English weather struggles
One of the most interesting things about Edge of Tomorrow was that it involved the same scenes being filmed over and over again - with slight differences.
This was a director’s dream come true - as he was able to fine tune each scene and get it just right with countless takes. On the other hand, it was a director’s worst nightmare in many ways, as everything had to be exactly the same.
The entire story took place during one day, which meant it wouldn’t make sense if it suddenly got sunny or started to rain.
This proved to be quite difficult, especially with England’s ever-changing weather. We can only imagine how frustrating it must have been to wait for the weather to change during shooting!
It Was Filmed At The Same Place As Harry Potter
As previously mentioned, the film was shot almost exclusively in England, and while the weather might have been a drag in certain situations, this was somewhat mitigated by using studios. And they weren’t just any studios, either.
As Hollywood Reporterreminds us, this epic blockbuster was shot at Leavesden Studios - the same location which was used for the Harry Potter films. Warner Bros. apparently bought the entire studio after all eight Harry Potter movies were done filming, giving Edge of Tomorrow one of the best shooting locations money could buy in England.
For a while, a Harry Potter tour was available which led tourists through areas nearby the busy Edge of Tomorrow set.
Do you have any Edge of Tomorrow trivia to share? Leave it in the comments!
