10 Great Movies That Started Filming Without A Finished Script

Before a movie begins filming, there’s quite a few matters that need to be taken care of first. First, the budget needs to be planned out ahead of time. The cast needs to be booked and the shot list needs to be scheduled. And, of course, the script needs to be written … Right? Not always. In fact, there are some incredible movies that began production without a completed screenplay. Some were intended to heavily feature improvisation from the actors, while others were simply running behind due to production hiccups.

One way or another, these movies were all completed. And when you first saw them, you probably didn’t notice a single line out of place. But what if you found out that the most iconic moment in the whole film was improvised? Or that one particularly entertaining scene wasn’t supposed to be there at all? There’s no way anyone can tell that once the movie is finished and released, but it does make for an interesting backstory.

However, there is one genre where an unfinished script is actually the norm — mockumentaries. Because they’re trying to capture the same off-the-cuff feel as an actual documentary, the actors are often encouraged to come up with dialogue on the spot. Of course, they’re given some direction, but the exact lines are left up to them. In these cases, the actors must rely on their character’s background to come up with something comes off as genuine.

Below, you’ll learn more about 10 amazing movies that started filming without a finished script.