- "Bird Box" has set the record for most watched Netflix film in its first week of release.
- The movie, however, never actually shows the monsters that terrorize the world, and that's for a specific reason.
- The film's team did, in fact, shoot a now-deleted scene that showed the monsters, but upon viewing it, they deemed it to be unnecessary.
Netflix fans have swarmed their screens over the past few weeks to watch the streaming service's latest original film, "Bird Box." In fact, according to Netflix, the film was so popular that 45 million accounts watched it in its first week, breaking the record for most views during an opening week on the site. Undoubtedly, a large part of the reason the film quickly caught the attention of many was because of the plethora of viral memes that emerged from it.
"Bird Box"left viewers with many unanswered questions, however. One of which is regarding the movie's mysterious monsters that, upon a glance, leave people with an urge to commit suicide. Although constantly mentioned and feared throughout the film, the monsters are never shown. All that's seen are black shadows and strong gusts of wind picking up leaves and debris that signify the monsters approaching.
A scene in which the monsters are revealed was both written and filmed
However, according to a recent interview with screenwriter Eric Heisserer, the monsters were initially going to be shown in a now-deleted scene from "Bird Box."
"There was a time when one of the producers was like, 'No, you have to see something at some point' and forced me to write essentially a nightmare sequence where Malorie experiences one in that house,"Heisserer told BloodyDisgusting.com.
After writing the scene for the film, Heisserer went on to explain that they did indeed shoot it.
Sandra Bullock said the monster was "just a long fat baby"
Lead actress Sandra Bullock, who plays the role of Malorie, recalled in the interview that, "It was snake-like, and I was like, 'I don't want to see it when it first happens. Just bring it into the room. We'll shoot the scene.' I turn and he's like this [growling at me.] It's making me laugh. It was just a long fat baby."
The screenwriter and director decided to cut it out and leave the monsters up to the audience's imagination
After shooting and watching the scene, however, Heisserer and film director Susanne Bier said they knew that it just didn't fit the film.
Bier told BloodyDisgusting.com, "Whatever those beings are, they tap into your deepest fear. Everybody's deepest fear is going to be different from the other person. I think to suddenly take upon a concrete shape in order to illustrate that becomes weak. Where the conceit is really strong, then trying to illustrate it is kind of almost meaningless. So it would have been the wrong decision."
The "Bird Box" team ultimately decided that they didn't want the audience to turn away from the film because of an unnecessary scary scene in which the monsters emerge. They wanted audiences to remain captivated and interested the entire time, unable to turn away from the screen.
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