Movie sets are full of high stakes, strong egos, and sometimes… something darker. Over the decades, certain Hollywood productions have been plagued by tragedies so bizarre, many believe the films themselves were cursed.

Here are some of the most infamous:

Poltergeist (1982)

The tagline was “They’re here” — and for some, “they” never left. This supernatural horror classic became the center of Hollywood’s most infamous curse.

  • Heather O’Rourke, the child star, died unexpectedly at just 12 from septic shock.
  • Dominique Dunne, who played her sister, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend shortly after the film’s release.
  • Two other cast members died before Poltergeist III was released.

Many point to the fact that real human skeletons were reportedly used during a scene in the first movie. Whether for budget or realism, it’s a detail that fueled rumors the film was “marked.”

The Exorcist (1973)

Often considered the scariest film of all time, The Exorcist was cursed long before it hit theaters.

  • The set of the MacNeil home mysteriously burned down, delaying filming for six weeks — all except Regan’s bedroom, where the exorcisms took place.
  • Multiple deaths occurred among cast and crew members during production.
  • Actor Jack MacGowran died just after filming wrapped.
  • The premiere in Rome was struck by lightning, and a cross fell from a nearby church during the screening.

Director William Friedkin even had a priest bless the set — twice.

The Omen (1976)

A movie about the Antichrist? What could go wrong?

  • Gregory Peck’s plane was struck by lightning — twice. So was the producer’s.
  • Another crew member was in a car crash — the car hit a sign that read “OMEN 66.6 km.”
  • A special effects artist who worked on the decapitation scene later lost his girlfriend in a real-life decapitation in a freak car accident.
  • The film’s animal trainer was killed by a tiger shortly after filming wrapped.

Coincidence… or something more sinister?

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

A film that launched James Dean into icon status — and became his swan song.

  • James Dean died in a car crash shortly before the film’s release.
  • Sal Mineo was murdered in 1976 in a still-unsolved stabbing.
  • Natalie Wood, as we know, died under suspicious circumstances in 1981.

Three of the lead actors died young and tragically — all under a cloud of mystery.

The Conqueror (1956)

This John Wayne-led epic was shot near a nuclear test site in Utah. The studio later shipped 60 tons of radioactive soil back to Hollywood for reshoots.

  • Of the 220 people who worked on the film, 91 developed cancer and 46 died from it, including Wayne, director Dick Powell, and Susan Hayward.

The studio dismissed concerns at the time, but the numbers are impossible to ignore.

So, are these films cursed?

Skeptics say no — tragic coincidences happen, especially in high-stress environments. But believers think there’s more at play: disturbing subject matter, locations with dark energy, or maybe just karma catching up to careless decisions.

Whatever you believe, one thing is clear: some of Hollywood’s most iconic films left more than a legacy — they left behind fear.