8 Movies That Put Their Extras Through Hell
7. A Group Of Extras Fell Out Of A Moving Truck - Valkyrie
2008's Valkyrie is one of those rare Tom Cruise movies that few people actually remember - even though it's pretty good! It tells the real-life story of German officer Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise), a central figure in a mutiny that would see the German army assassinate Hitler, and seize control of their country.
Being a period piece, the movie required the use of all the era-appropriate trimmings - cars, costumes, weapons - you'd expect, and it was some of this old equipment that ultimately led to a lawsuit involving a disgruntled group of extras.
During filming, 11 extras dressed in Nazi uniforms were riding in the back of a World War II troop carrier, when, suddenly, the vehicle turned a sharp corner. At this point, the side of the truck detached, and the extras were flung out of it, sustaining injuries like broken ribs and pulled ligaments when they hit the ground.
They were quickly rushed to the hospital (still in their Nazi uniforms - just picture the doctors' faces when they saw that), where one of them was kept for several days, due to the possibility of severe internal injuries.
This incident led to the extras suing the studio for $11 million, claiming that the filmmakers knew the trucks were unsafe, yet did nothing to prevent the accident.