The Story Behind ‘Cannibal Airlines’ In ‘10 Cloverfield Lane’
When the first teaser trailer for10 Cloverfield Lanewas released, many people noticed thatJohn Gallagher Jr.’s character Emmet was looking at a VHS tape of a fake movie calledCannibal Airlines. It’s one of those fun little details that sent many fans on a hunt to find out what it may mean, or if whether it’s somehow connected to the film’s ARG (it wasn’t). When I talked to10 Cloverfield LanedirectorDan Trachtenberglast week, I found out the story behind the movie within the movie. And you might be surprised to learn that the VHS tape came from the mind of the man who is currently directingThe Lego Movie 2.
Where did the VHS tape ofCannibal Airlinescome from? Trachtenberg reveals that it actually came from an fun decoration he admired in the Bad Robot offices:
That came from a comedian writerRob Schrab. Co-writer ofMonster House, a movie that I love. He wrote that withDan Harmon. He and Dan are I think writing partners. And Rob would like make these fake VHS cassettes and send them to Bad Robot. They have a bunch of them. Just for laughs.
Trachtenberg would often find himself looking at the shelf of fake VHS tapes as he was developing the project at Bad Robot. So when the movie was greenlit and they needed a movie within the movie, he thought it would be fun to include one of the fake movies in his film:
And we thought it would be awesome to include one of them in the movie in this montage sequence when they’re watching something. We thought it would be funny to see like when there’s, when you were stuck down there and you have to find something to watch, if even a really bad movie like that could be enjoyable.
In fact, Rob actually sellsCannibal Airlinest-shirts that you’re able to buy onteepublic.
When I askedproducerJ.J. Abramsabout the tape, he admitted that it’s more than just a gag. Like everything inside the Bad Robot mystery box, it’s connected to some other project that’s yet to be announced:
I half expected to see a fakeCannibal Airlinestrailer uncovered in the film’s Alternate Reality Game, but it seems like Abrams might have something bigger in mind. CouldCannibal Airlinesend up being a real movie produced by Abrams?
Schrab is the co-writer of the animated filmMonster House, the co-creator of the competitive film festival Channel 101, and the co-creator of Comedy Central’sThe Sarah Silverman Program(which he directed three seasons of). Plus, he has helmed episodes ofChildrens Hospital, Blue Mountain State, Community, Parks and Recreation, The Mindy ProjectandWorkaholics. Schrab also regularly appears or is mentioned on Harmon’s podcast Harmontown, and he created the comic bookScud: The Disposable Assassin. Below, you’re able to watch a short film that Scarab directed calledRobot Bastard:
While we can’t break into Bad Robot’s offices and take photos of some of the other VHS movies Schrab has created, we can see a few of them thanks to his online t-shirt shop. The movies on there includeShark Hotel,Wizard VigilanteandAssault With a Mummified Weapon. In fact,Lego Movieco-directorChris Millertweeteda photo of theWizard VigilanteVHS tape when congratulating him on getting the gig directing theLego Moviesequel:
As for theCannibal Airlinesmovie that we can hear in10 Cloverfield Lane, Trachtenberg says he had something different in mind:
In fact, my mom, I don’t know if I told you this, but my mom at one point was the voice of a stewardess in Cannibal Airlines in the movie. But she just wasn’t good enough. So I had to cut her.
Trachtenberg also tried to get his father in the movie as a voice on Michelle’s car radio in the beginning of the film, but he didn’t make the cut either. Apparently Abrams or the producers wanted professional actors, which is understandable, but I can’t imagine having to make a phone call to my mother to tell her she was cut from my movie. Said Trachtenberg:
She understood though. She still loves me.
I’m sure Mama Trachtenberg is really proud of her son after seeing the film. You can still see Dan Trachtenberg’s10 Cloverfield Lanein theaters now.
