20 Things You Didn't Know About The Shining

Kubrick in his heyday was one of those directors for whom Hollywood just kinda let do his own thing, very much the mainstream auteur. A lot of this came from the fact that - like all filmmakers allowed to just kinda be around even long after they've stopped hitting their stride - he never lost anyone any money. But there was one time when he came damn close to changing that.

Barry Lyndon was the film directly before The Shining, and while not a total flop, it was still a disappointment at the box office and received a lukewarm response from critics. While Kubrick's career wasn't in any immediate danger, if The Shining under-performed, Hollywood would probably start losing faith in the madman from Manhatten.

Fortunately, The Shining did not disappoint. On a budget of only $19 million, The Shining made back $47 million, making it one of the top ten highest grossing films of 1980.

It's legitimately hard to imagine how Kubrick's career would have turned out, had The Shining failed like Barry Lyndon had. If nothing else, he might have started being a little nicer to his cast.