10 Ridiculous Stories Behind 2020 Movies

Putting it lightly, 2020 was a catastrophic year for the film industry. Endless delays and releases on streaming platforms proved to be the only ways for studios to mitigate the haemorrhage of cash caused by the minuscule ticket sales cinemas could provide.

Thankfully, films did manage to make their way to the public. The lucky ones managed to bolt before the stable doors shut (or when they momentarily opened halfway through). The others ended up releasing directly on their pick from the myriad of streaming services, whether this was the intended plan or not.

As these typically would've been shot months in advance, filming was probably quite similar to your standard modern production. And with any shoot, no matter how much planning you put in, anything can and will happen, whether you like it or not. While they all work out in the end (frequently at a cost), those unpredictable moments do produce some good accounts from the ones involved.

Yes, we may not have received anywhere near as many films in the past year as we usually do, but that doesn't stop the awkward, unusual and downright painful production stories from the ones that managed to get released in 2020.

Film fans don't like thinking about it too much, but most of the action scenes we see are performed by stunt teams, especially these days. We understand; it's probably best to leave the actors to act and leave the action to the professionals.

There are a handful of actors, however - like Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves - that go above and beyond the call of duty. Doing as many stunts as physically possible, they push themselves to the point that injuries are very much on the cards. And after The Old Guard, it's time to add Charlize Theron's name to that esteemed list.

As if hurting her elbow and knee wasn't bad enough, it's what happened to her thumb that stood out (literally). Blocking a punch in a fight scene towards the film's end, she accidentally jabbed her hand during one of her movements and properly jammed her thumb. Theron, thinking it wasn't too bad, pressed on with filming with little more than breaks, ice and tape to carry her through.

But it was that bad. Needing three surgeries after shooting, her thumb was "basically just floating around" according to her doctor, as the ligament tore right off the bone. So grim!