The Fly at 40: The Tale Behind David Cronenberg’s Sci-Fi Horror Masterpiece

      As the film marks its 40th anniversary, we explore the story behind David Cronenberg’s The Fly…

      David Cronenberg is a figure well-known in the film industry. The Canadian director has carved a unique niche for himself as a key pioneer of the body horror sub-genre. Although The Fly is one of his earlier works, it remains highly esteemed as one of Cronenberg’s finest films, celebrated for its thematic depth, innovative special effects, and outstanding performances. As we commemorate the 40th anniversary of The Fly, we take a look back at the behind-the-scenes happenings during the production of this cherished sci-fi horror classic.

      The screenplay's development was a lengthy process.

      The Fly originated as a sci-fi horror short story by French-British author George Langelaan, first published in the June 1957 issue of Playboy magazine and later included in Langelaan's 1964 short story collection, Out of Time. The story's first feature film adaptation was created by Kurt Neumann in 1958, which became the first of a trilogy centered around the grotesque half-human, half-fly character. Fast forward nearly twenty years, producer Kip Ohman sought to re-adapt Langelaan's work for a contemporary audience and approached screenwriter Charles Edward Pogue for the task.

      Pogue began this endeavor by reading the short story and watching the original film to grasp the concept. Excited about adapting the source material, Pogue spoke with producer Stuart Cornfield about the project, and the two pitched their idea to executives at 20th Century Fox, receiving enthusiastic support. Soon after, Pogue was funded by the studio to write the first draft of the screenplay. Both he and Cornfield believed the character's transformation should be gradual rather than instantaneous, a detail included in the draft. However, Fox executives were not pleased with Pogue’s version and withdrew from the project. Cornfield salvaged the situation by renegotiating with Fox, who agreed to distribute the film if the producer found alternative financing.

      Mel Brooks wanted to keep his involvement under wraps.

      When Fox withdrew funding, Mel Brooks stepped in to support the project through his production company, Brooksfilms. Although Brooks was known primarily for his comedy work—evident in films like Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein—he took an interest in The Fly. Cornfield shared Pogue's draft with Brooks, who liked it but felt another writer was needed for a polish. Cornfield hired Walon Green, known for The Wild Bunch and Sorcerer, but Green's draft didn't align with their vision. As a result, Green was let go, and Pogue was rehired to refine the most recent draft. Interestingly, Brooks preferred to keep his production role a secret, fearing that audiences wouldn't take the film seriously if they knew he was involved.

      David Cronenberg extensively revised the shooting script.

      After the completion of the script, Brooks and Cornfield started searching for a suitable director. Although David Cronenberg was initially shown the script, he was occupied with pre-production for Total Recall and couldn't commit. The producers then turned to the up-and-coming British director Robert Bierman, who had impressed them with his short films. Unfortunately, Bierman faced a personal tragedy that led him to exit the project, allowing Cronenberg to step in after parting ways with Total Recall. Cronenberg agreed to direct on the condition that he could rewrite the script, as he had concerns about its quality. His revisions were so substantial that only one line from Pogue's original draft remained, but Cronenberg insisted on sharing screenplay credit with Pogue during the Writers Guild arbitration.

      John Malkovich, Pierce Brosnan, John Lithgow, and Michael Keaton were all considered for the lead role.

      Over his 50-year career, Jeff Goldblum has portrayed a diverse range of quirky characters, making him one of Hollywood's most recognizable actors. He reached peak fame in the 1990s for his roles as chaotician Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park and satellite technician David Levinson in Independence Day, but his breakout role was in The Fly. Before Goldblum was cast as Seth Brundle, John Malkovich was the preferred candidate, but he declined. Mel Brooks favored the charming Pierce Brosnan but faced a similar rejection. John Lithgow was offered the role but found it too “grotesque” and declined. Other actors considered included Michael Keaton and Richard Dreyfuss. Ultimately, Goldblum was cast because he was willing to undergo the extensive prosthetic makeup required.

      The application of prosthetic makeup on Jeff Goldblum took nearly five hours.

      The horrific appearance and shocking transformation of Jeff Goldblum’s Seth Brundle into the human-fly hybrid were achieved through extensive prosthetic makeup, taking nearly five hours to complete. This intricate makeup was designed and executed by Chris Walas and makeup artist Stephan Dupuis over several weeks. They started with the final version