Credit: 20th Century StudiosJames Cameron’s most recent film, Avatar: The Way of Water, was all the talk when the film was on its way to the box office. Once it debuted, the film was still the talk of the town as fans crowded theaters to see the second installment of the Avatar franchise.
Related: ‘Avatar’ and ‘Titanic’ Producer Dead at Age 63
But in 2023, following the tragedy of the Titan submersible vessel, fans became more focused on one of James Cameron’s older films–one that tells the story of the demise of the “unsinkable” ship named Titanic in April 1912.
The Titan submersible was carrying a total of five men, including the owner of the vessel and CEO of OceanGate, to the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean to get a view of the mighty Titanic, which has made her resting place on the ocean floor for more than 100 years.
‘Titanic’ (1997)
More than 27 years ago, James Cameron brought the story of Titanic, her passengers, her cargo, and her fateful trans-Atlantic journey to near-real life for moviegoers.
In 1996, James Cameron and his crew were working long hours on Cameron’s newest film, Titanic, starring Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bill Paxton, and Billy Zane.
The film gave audiences a front-row seat, inviting them to relive the horror of the dark hours on the late evening of April 14, 1912, when the RMS Titanic, which was on her maiden voyage across the North Atlantic, disappeared under the waves nearly 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, taking more than 1,500 souls to their final resting places on the ocean floor, more than 12,000 feet under the frigid waters.
The Crew Gets High . . . Unintentionally
Cameron and his team were in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to film scenes for the movie, which featured the late Bill Paxton as the expedition leader who discovers Rose’s blue necklace at the bottom of the sea. The story goes that Rose lost it when Titanic sank.
Related: “Like Disneyland”: Families of Titanic Victims Furious Over “Disgusting” Tours of Wreckage Site
According to a post by Variety, “all hell broke loose” on August 9, 1996, during filming when part of the crew provided clam chowder for the team to enjoy while on set.
But this was no ordinary, run-of-the-mill clam chowder. This was a special clam chowder.
Craziness Ensues After the Crew Eat Clam Chowder
“We had a room for the grips and electricians, and one of the guys started talking really hyper,” one of the crew members, Jake Clarke, said of the strange events of that night.
“He’s a big guy, like six-four, and he says, ‘Do you guys feel okay? Because I don’t; I feel like I’m on something, and believe me, I would know.’ He was just chattering on like that. And just as he was saying this, we saw James Cameron run by the door and this extra running behind him. He said, ‘There’s something in me! Get it out!’”
Reportedly, the person responsible for spiking the clam chowder with PCP was never discovered, and to this day, no one knows for sure who “infused” the hearty soup with a special extra ingredient.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet were not in danger, as they were not on location to film in Nova Scotia. Actor Bill Paxton was, however, on location, and according to those who were there that evening, Paxton did, in fact, eat the soup.
“Bill Paxton was a real sweetie,” said set decorator Claude Roussel. “He was sitting next to me in the hallway of the hospital, and he was kind of enjoying the buzz. Meanwhile, grips were going down the hallway doing wheelies in wheelchairs.”