Kevin Bacon Recalls Horrifying Discovery “on the ‘Wild Things’ Set

Kevin Bacon has been doing all sorts of press for his Prime Video series, The Bondsman. Naturally, the outlets with which he has been speaking of late have used that as an opportunity to hit the actor with questions about noteworthy films from his decades-long career. In a recent interview with Variety, the outlet touched on Bacon’s turn as a lawman in the neo-noir erotic thriller Wild Things.

Bacon quickly flashed back to a jarring moment that he’ll surely never forget. While the cast and crew were navigating a night shoot in a wet locale, something unexpected caused the production to (briefly) grind to a halt.

“We were out in the swamp one night — a lot of mosquitoes, wow — and we were shooting some scene, I don’t remember what it was, by kind of a river,” Bacon recalled. “They had kind of floated a raft out there so that they could put a light. All of a sudden I hear across the walkie-talkie: ‘Hey, I think I just saw a floater.’ And it was a body that was floating by. It was kind of indicative of the vibe of the movie.” 

Yikes, I can only imagine that must have been a frightful sight for the production team. The ordeal also left a lasting impression on director John McNaughton (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer). He reflected on the shocking discovery with EW during their summer movie preview in 1998, telling them, “We called the police, and they actually grabbed the body and kept it from getting into our shot.”

The picture was controversial at the time of its release for featuring such spicy themes, especially with such a noteworthy cast. That likely contributed to the film raking in a cool $67.2 million (in 1998 dollars) at the box office.

Stephen Peters takes the sole screenwriting credit on this project. In addition to Bacon, the flick also includes recognizable names like Neve Campbell, Matt Dillon, Denise Richards, Robert Wagner, and Bill Murray.

What’s the setup for this steamy Kevin Bacon thriller?

When teen debutante Kelly (Richards) fails to attract the attention of her hunky guidance counselor, Sam (Matt Dillon), she cries rape, igniting a scandal that results in his arrest. Sam appeals to Ken (Murray), a hack personal-injury lawyer who has never handled a case that couldn’t be helped by a prop neck brace. Soon, a second victim, Suzie (Campbell), comes forward, and Detective Duquette (Bacon) discovers that the unfolding case is far from what it seems.

That’s all we’ve got for you on this chilling installment of Horror IRL. Stay tuned for more shocking developments and the like as we successfully unearth them. In the meantime, if you’d like to keep up with me on social media, you can find me on Threads as @FunWithHorror.

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