10 Times Movies Did Their Research (And Nailed It)

1995's critically acclaimed Apollo 13 is often praised for its realism, which is no small wonder when you consider the steps Ron Howard and his merry film crew took to ensure their production remained as authentic as possible.

As detailed by SYFY, the crew behind Apollo 13 worked closely with NASA to recreate the environments of both the shuttle and the Mission Control Centre that successfully guided the astronauts back to Earth. This meant copious amounts of photographs taken at the aforementioned Centre, as well as creating custom Command and Lunar modules for the movie. The latter was particularly impressive as, in order to emulate zero-gravity conditions, the movie's bespoke modules were fitted into NASA's "Vomit Comet" - a specialised airplane that could create a zero-g environment for the actors to float around in, albeit briefly.

Naturally, the movie also worked closely with technical advisors from NASA to ensure maximum authenticity. Amusingly, in addition to providing valuable input the advisors also inadvertently highlighted the accuracy of the movie's set design. According to production designer Michael Corenblith, the Mission Control Centre set was so accurate that NASA's advisors would frequently act as though they were back at NASA HQ, and automatically open the door to the men's room only to find a brick wall staring back at them.

It's one thing to fool the public, but when you fool the people who were actually there, you know you've nailed your research.