Mighty Joe Young
Survival is an instinct.
Country
Production
Budget
$90 000 000
Box office
$50 632 037
Director
Actors
Scenario
Producer
Tom Jacobson, Ted Hartley, Gail Katz
Camera operator
Donald Peterman
Composer
Artist
Michael Corenblith
Audition
Pam Dixon
Editing
Short description
As a child living in Africa, Jill Young saw her mother killed while protecting wild gorillas from poachers led by Andrei Strasser. Now an adult, Jill cares for an orphaned gorilla named Joe -- who, due to a genetic anomaly, is 15 feet tall. When Gregg O'Hara arrives from California and sees the animal, he convinces Jill that Joe would be safest at his wildlife refuge. But Strasser follows them to the U.S., intent on capturing Joe for himself.
What's left behind the scenes
- After completing work on Michael Apted’s drama “Gorillas in the Mist” (1988), special effects and make-up artist Rick Baker vowed never to deal with animatronics again. Baker broke his promise by creating the gorilla scene in the comedy “Baby’s Day Out” (Patrick Read Johnson, 1994), after which he loudly repeated that he was finished with animatronics. When Baker was invited to the “Mighty Joe Young” project, he couldn’t resist – due to his love for King Kong and the original Joe Young film from 1949. This shows the last animatronic gorilla suit created by Baker. Later, however, Baker worked on Tim Burton’s science fiction film “Planet of the Apes” (2001) starring Mark Wahlberg.
- After completing work on Michael Apted's drama 'Gorillas in the Mist' (1988), special effects and makeup artist Rick Baker vowed never to deal with animatronics again. Baker broke this promise for a scene with a gorilla in the comedy 'Baby's Day Out' (Patrick Read Johnson, 1994), after which he loudly declared once more that he was finished with animatronics. When Baker was invited to join the 'Mighty Joe Young' project, he couldn't resist—due to his love for King Kong and the original 1949 Joe Young film. This features the last animatronic gorilla suit created by Baker. However, Baker later worked on the sci-fi film 'Planet of the Apes' (Tim Burton, 2001) starring Mark Wahlberg.
- On July 2, 1997, during filming in the San Fernando Valley, cinematographer Donald Peterman (1932-2011) and his assistant fell from a seven-meter height from an operator's crane. Peterman suffered a broken leg, fractured ribs, and minor head injuries, while his assistant sustained chest and back injuries. Work on the film was halted for two days, and Oliver Wood took Peterman's place. In 2000, Peterman sued the crane manufacturing company and the company that rented it to the filmmakers, and won the lawsuit, receiving $5 million.
- As in most similar films from the 1990s, this film combines mechanics/electronics and computer graphics. In most scenes, Joe Young was portrayed by an actor (John Alexander) in an animatronic, radio-controlled gorilla suit created by Rick Baker and his team at Cinovation Studios. Alexander often portrayed the gorilla on set surrounded by blue screens, onto which specialists from DreamQuest Images subsequently overlaid pre-shot images of the environment. Joe Young as a child was played by Verne Troyer (1969-2018).
- As with most similar films of the 1990s, Joe Young in this movie is a combination of mechanics/electronics and computer graphics. In most scenes, he was portrayed by an actor (John Alexander) in an animatronic radio-controlled gorilla suit created by Rick Baker and his team at Cinovation Studios. Alexander often portrayed the gorilla on set surrounded by blue screens, onto which DreamQuest Images specialists later overlaid pre-shot background imagery. Joe Young as a child was played by Verne Troyer (1969-2018).
- At the beginning of the film, sounds of gorillas can be heard. Some of these were actually made by predatory cats.
- On July 2, 1997, during filming in the San Fernando Valley, cinematographer Donald Peterman (1932-2011) and his assistant fell seven meters from a camera crane. Peterman suffered a broken leg, broken ribs, and minor head contusions, while his assistant sustained chest and back injuries. Production was halted for two days, and Oliver Wood replaced Peterman. In 2000, Peterman sued the crane manufacturer and the company that rented it to the filmmakers, winning a $5 million settlement.
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