'Roar': The 1980s movie that saw 70 people injured by lions (2025)

Roaris an adventure comedyfilmreleased in 1981 and directed by Noel Marshall, following Hank, played by Marshall, a naturalist who lives among lions and tigers in a Tanzanian nature preserve. When his family come to visit, they are instead met by the wild animals that their relative lives alongside.Roarunderwent a staggering 11-year production, with filming beginning in 1976 and wrapping up in 1981. All this effort was for nothing, however, as the film was a box office failure after grossing $2 million against a $17 million budget.

In 2015, 34 years after its initial release,Roarhad a re-release in theatres, where it received praise for its messaging on protecting wildlife and animal interactions.However, the film was again panned for its inadequate plot and inconsistent tone, with criticism aimed towards its weak editing and dialogue. These scathing reviews aren’t the only negative news surrounding Marshall’s project, as due toRoar‘s plot regarding wildlife, the cast and crew were placed in dangerous conditions. One uncontrollable incident was the movie’s budget which increased drastically due to flooding caused by a dam during production, leading to higher stakes concerning the box office gross. In addition, there were several accidents involving the animals, where many of the cast and crew were left injured from attacks.

The animals featured in the film were unrestrained and untrained, with claims that there were no professionals on set. One incident involved director Marshall, who was bitten through the hand by one of the lions when filming a fight scene. Furthermore, he received eight puncture wounds on his leg after a lion became interested in his anti-reflection makeup. By this point, Marshall had been bitten 11 times, with doctors eventually fearing for his life. The director was soon hospitalised following severe chest and face injuries from animal attacks, eventually being diagnosed with blood poisoning and gangrene. It reportedly took Marshall years to fully recover from the injuries he recieved during the shooting of Roar.

In addition, Tippi Hedren, who produced and co-starred in the film, was attacked by a lion during a shoot for a promo reel in 1973. The animal, named Cherrie, bit Hedren in the head, its teeth scraping against her skull. The actor received a tetanus shot at Sherman Oaks Hospital, where she recieved treatment. Hedren had another unfortunate run-in with one of the animals when a five-ton elephant called Tempo fractured her ankle with its trunk. However, Tempo was actually trying to prevent the actor from falling off its back, accidentally hurting her in the process. Hedren was also scratched by the film’s leopards and bitten by a cougar.

Other documented incidents include Melanie Griffith, who played Hank’s daughter, being attacked by a lioness and having to receive 50 sutures, and a lion jumping on co-star John Marshall’s back to bite his head. However, one of the most gruesome on-set incidents involved cinematographer Jan de Bont being scalped by Cherrie. He received 220 sutures before returning to work. John Marshall shared his experience in a 2015 interview with Grantland, stating, “I ran away from that film. It had taken a lot more of my life than I had planned on.”

He added: “And because of the transition from living with the animals and loving the animals and respecting the animals to almost dying because of the part I was playing — I thought I was pushing my luck, and it was time to move on. And I had a great career waiting for me in commercials. So I ran away from the film.”

“I don’t regret it. I’m just saying, intellectually, this film should never have been done,” the actor said. “These are wild animals. You should not be with wild animals.”

There are estimates that at least 70 members of Roar‘s 140-person crew were injured during production, making the film one of the most cursed and dangerous sets in cinema history up there with The Wizard of Oz. Marshall estimated that over 100 people were injured in another interview, claiming that the experience of Roar has left him with the mindset of: “I lived with a bunch of lions and tigers. I’m not afraid of jack-shit.”

Watch a clip from Roar below.

Related Topics