2. Atuk
Atuk is one of the most plagued productions in Hollywoods history, seemingly systematically killing each actor attached to portray the role. The film itself is based on the 1963 novel The Incomparable Atuk by Mordecai Richler. The comedy centers around an Inuit hunter in the big city a thoroughly mundane concept, if anything. Strangely, however, every attempt to actually make the film resulted in the death of the actor meant to portray the title role. The first victim was John Belushi, who dies of a drug overdose in 1982. He evidently was enthusiastic about appearing in the film, but never got the chance. Belushis death is hardly suspicious on its own, as the man famously had a drug problem. This is far from the end of the story, however. Sam Kinison accepted the role in 1988. After filming a small portion of the film, Kinison requested changes to the script. This lead to lawsuits, and delays in filming. Shortly before the filming was set to resume, however, the actor was killed in a car crash. The man who recommended the script to both of the previous victims, Michael ODonoghue, died in 1994, just as the film was set to go into pre-production again with a new actor. This was John Candy, approached for the role in 1994. He evidently died of a heart attack reading the script. A few years later, the film was again being cast. The latest victim was Chris Farley. He idolized Belushi, and just like him, died of a drug overdose at the age of 33 which was, coincidentally, the age at which Belushi himself died. Farleys friend, Phil Hartman, who was being encouraged to take a co-starring role by Farley himself, died next year. The curse of Atuk happens to also align itself neatly with the similarly failed production of A Confederacy of Dunces each of the actors claimed by Atuk were also being considered for a part in an adaptation of the novel.