The Fly (1986 film): Difference between revisions

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{{short description|1986 film by David Cronenberg}}
{{Infobox Film | name = The Fly
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
| image = Fly poster.jpg
{{Infobox film
| caption = ''Be afraid. Be very afraid.''
| name = The Fly
| director = [[David Cronenberg]]
| image = Fly poster.jpg
| producer = [[Stuart Cornfield]]
| alt =
| writer = '''Short story:'''<br>[[George Langelaan]]<br>'''Screenplay:'''<br>[[Charles Edward Pogue]]<br>[[David Cronenberg]]
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| starring = [[Jeff Goldblum]]<br>[[Geena Davis]]<br>[[John Getz]]
| director | music = [[HowardDavid ShoreCronenberg]]
| producer = {{plainlist|
| cinematography =
* [[Stuart Cornfeld]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=68348|title=The Fly|work=[[American Film Institute]]|access-date=2016-07-04|archive-date=2016-10-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161023114438/http://www.afi.com/members//catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=68348|url-status=live}}</ref>
| editing =
* [[Mel Brooks]]{{efn|Brooks opted to have his work be uncredited, as to not confuse audiences into thinking the film was a comedy}}
| distributor = [[20th Century Fox]]
| released = [[August 15]]th, [[1986]]
| runtime = 95 min.
| language = [[English language|English]]
| budget = $15,000,000 (est.)
| followed_by = ''[[The Fly II]]'' (1989)
| amg_id = 1:17925
| imdb_id = 0091064
}}
| screenplay = {{plainlist|
'''''The Fly''''' is a [[1986]] [[science fiction]] film produced by [[Brooksfilms]] and [[20th Century Fox]], directed by [[David Cronenberg]], and starring [[Jeff Goldblum]], [[Geena Davis]] and [[John Getz]]. It is a big budget remake of the [[The Fly (1958 film)|1958 film]] of the same name, but with a substantially different [[plot]]. The film is more of a reconceptualization than a remake, one which takes the basic germ of the [[The Fly (George Langelaan)|1957 short story]] and the [[The Fly (1958 film)|1958 film]] and then goes in a different direction. The soundtrack was composed by [[Howard Shore]]. This movie was shot in [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], [[Canada]] in [[1985]]-[[1986]].
* [[Charles Edward Pogue]]
* David Cronenberg
}}
| based_on = {{Based on|"[[The Fly (Langelaan short story)|The Fly]]"|[[George Langelaan]]}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Jeff Goldblum]]
* [[Geena Davis]]
* [[John Getz]]
}}
| music = [[Howard Shore]]
| cinematography = [[Mark Irwin]]
| editing = [[Ronald Sanders (film editor)|Ronald Sanders]]
| studio = {{plainlist|
* [[Mel Brooks|Brooksfilms]]
* SLM Production Group
}}
| distributor = [[20th Century Fox]]
| released = {{Film date|1986|8|15}}
| runtime = 96 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $9<ref name="20history">{{Cite book |last=Solomon |first=Aubrey |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WIZwZOz8LHsC |title=Twentieth Century-Fox: A Corporate and Financial History |date=2002 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |page=260 |isbn=978-0-8108-4244-1 |language=en}}</ref>–15 million<ref name="autogenerated1986"/>
| gross = $60.6 million<ref name="BOM">{{Cite web |title=The Fly |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0091064/ |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=Box Office Mojo}}</ref>
}}
'''''The Fly''''' is a 1986 American [[Science fiction film|science fiction]] [[body horror film]] directed and co-written by [[David Cronenberg]]. Produced by [[Brooksfilms]] and distributed by [[20th Century Fox]], the film stars [[Jeff Goldblum]], [[Geena Davis]], and [[John Getz]]. Loosely based on [[George Langelaan]]'s 1957 [[The Fly (Langelaan)|short story of the same name]] and [[The Fly (1958 film)|the 1958 film of the same name]], ''The Fly'' tells of an eccentric scientist who, after one of his experiments goes wrong, slowly turns into a fly-hybrid creature. The [[film score|score]] was composed by [[Howard Shore]] and the make-up effects were created by [[Chris Walas]], along with makeup artist [[Stephan Dupuis]].
 
''The Fly'' was released on August 15, 1986, to positive reviews. It grossed $60.6 million at the box office, becoming a commercial success. Walas and Dupuis' work on the film resulted in them winning an [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling|Best Makeup]]. The [[tagline]] of the film, "Be afraid. Be very afraid.", has been used in many other productions as part of [[popular culture]]. A [[The Fly II|sequel]], directed by Walas, was released in 1989. In November 2024, a new film set in the same universe as Cronenberg's film was announced, to be written and directed by [[Nikyatu Jusu]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/11/the-fly-movie-nikyatu-jusu-in-works-20th-century-studios-1236166549/|title=Nikyatu Jusu Developing Film In Universe Of David Cronenberg's 'The Fly' For 20th Century Studios|date=November 4, 2024|website=Deadline|last=Grobar|first=Matt}}</ref>
''The Fly'' was a box office success upon its release and was critically acclaimed in the press.
 
== Plot ==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for feature film articles should be between 400 to 700 words. Current word count 684. -->
{{spoiler}}
Seth Brundle, a brilliant but eccentric scientist, meets Ronnie Quaife, a science journalist, at a press event. He takes her back to his home and laboratory and shows her his invention: a set of "telepods" that allows instantaneous [[teleportation]] between them. Seth convinces Ronnie to keep the invention secret in exchange for exclusive rights to the story, and she documents his work. Although the telepods can transport inanimate objects, they mutilate live tissue, as demonstrated when a [[baboon]] is turned inside-out during an experiment.
As with many of Cronenberg's films, ''The Fly'' deals with themes of bodily disfigurement or [[Metamorphosis (biology)|metamorphosis]] and the darker aspects of human emotions and behavior. An underlying aspect of the story is the doomed love affair between Goldblum and Davis and the rivalry between Goldblum and Getz that results from this.
 
Seth and Ronnie begin a romantic relationship. Their first sexual encounter, in which Seth loses his virginity, inspires Seth to reprogram the telepod to understand the makeup of living tissue. After he successfully teleports a second baboon, Ronnie hurriedly leaves to confront her editor Stathis Borans about his threat, spurred by his jealousy of Seth, to publish the story without her consent. Embittered and convinced she is rekindling her relationship with Stathis, Seth teleports himself alone, unaware that a [[housefly]] has slipped inside the transmitter pod with him. He emerges from the receiving pod seemingly normal. Seth and Ronnie later reconcile.
Goldblum stars as Seth Brundle, a brilliant but [[eccentricity (behavior)|eccentric]] [[scientist]]. He meets Veronica Quaife (Davis), a journalist for ''Particle'' magazine, at a party held by Bartok Science Industries, which provides funds for Brundle's work. Brundle takes Veronica back to his warehouse laboratory (where he also lives) and shows her his invention: a set of "telepods" that allow instantaneous [[teleportation]] of an object from one pod to another. Veronica is highly impressed and eventually agrees to document Seth's work. Although the telepods can transport inanimate objects perfectly, they do not work correctly on living things. Seth unintentionally demonstrates this horrific fact when he attempts to teleport a [[baboon]], which is killed when it is reintegrated inside-out. Seth and Veronica soon begin a romantic relationship, and their first sexual encounter provides inspiration for Seth. He realizes that the machine is not perfectly recreating living objects, but is rather "interpreting" them, and sets about reprogramming the telepod computer to cope with living flesh.
 
Seth starts to exhibit increased strength, stamina, and sexual potency, which he attributes to the teleportation "purifying" his body. Ronnie grows concerned about Seth's changing personality and the strange, bristly hairs growing from a wound on his back. Seth becomes arrogant and violent, insisting that the teleportation process is beneficial, and tries to force Ronnie to undergo teleportation. When she refuses, he abandons her, goes to a bar and partakes in an arm-wrestling match, where he leaves his opponent with a [[compound fracture]]. He brings a woman named Tawny back to his warehouse to have intercourse. When Seth tries to coerce her into teleporting, Ronnie stops him and Seth throws her out as well.
Seth then succeeds in teleporting a [[baboon]] with no apparent harm. Flush with this success, his judgment soon becomes impaired by alcohol and his paranoid fear that Veronica is secretly rekindling her relationship with her editor and former lover Stathis Borans (Getz) when she suddenly departs before they can celebrate. In reality, Veronica has gone to confront Borans about his continuing interference in her life. Unaware of this, a drunk and jealous Brundle decides to teleport himself as a way of getting back at Veronica for her imagined infidelity. Just before the telepod door automatically closes, however, a common [[housefly]] slips into the pod with Brundle (who does not notice its presence). After being teleported, Brundle emerges from the receiving pod, seemingly normal.
 
When his fingernails begin falling off, Seth realizes something is wrong. He reviews the telepod's computer and discovers that there was a fly in the pod with him. The computer, confused by the presence of two lifeforms, fused him with the fly at the [[Molecular genetics|molecular-genetic]] level.
In the immediate aftermath of his teleportation, Seth reconciles with Veronica, and soon after begins to exhibit a sense of intoxicating euphoria, as well as heightened strength, endurance, and sexual potency. However, he also becomes violent and arrogant, and when Veronica refuses to be teleported, Brundle abandons her, claiming that she cannot "keep up" with him. Brundle then meets a voluptuously sleazy woman named Tawny at a bar (and takes her home for the night), but the next morning, Veronica arrives in time to prevent Brundle from forcibly teleporting her. Eventually, Brundle learns that the telepod computer, confused by the presence of two separate life-forms in the sending pod, has merged him with the fly at the genetic level. He then realizes that he is slowly becoming a hybrid creature that is neither human nor insect (which the doomed Seth begins referring to as "Brundlefly"). After a month-long period of self-imposed isolation, a desperate Seth again reconciles with Veronica, but he has already begun to deteriorate, becoming progressively less human in appearance. Soon, Seth begins leaving sloughed-off human body parts in his medicine cabinet, dubbing it "The Brundle Museum of Natural History". He also quickly begins to exhibit fly-like characteristics, as when he becomes incapable of eating solids and must vomit digestive enzymes (which he refers to as "vomit-drop") onto his food in order to dissolve it. Soon, he discovers that he can even cling to walls and clambers around his lab upside-down. He also develops fly-like twitches and tics. Eventually, he realizes that his mind is also becoming more insect-like; brutal, compassionless, and driven by primitive appetites that he cannot control. To her horror, Veronica learns that she is pregnant, and she cannot be sure if the child was conceived before or after Brundle's fateful teleportation.
 
Seth continues to deteriorate, losing body parts and becoming less human in appearance. After several weeks, he reconnects with Ronnie and says he is becoming a hybrid of human and insect he nicknamed "Brundlefly." He has begun vomiting [[digestive enzyme]]s onto his food to dissolve it and gained the ability to cling to walls and ceilings. He realizes he is losing his human reason and compassion, driven by primitive impulses he cannot control.
When Seth learns that Veronica is planning on having an abortion to rid herself of the possibly mutated baby she is carrying, he abducts her and takes her back to his warehouse. Stathis Borans comes to her rescue, but is injured and nearly killed by the almost fully-transformed Brundle, who dissolves Stathis' hand and foot with his corrosive vomit-drop enzyme. Stathis is spared from death only by the pleading of Veronica, who begs Brundle not to kill him.
 
Seth installs a fusion program into the telepod computer, planning to dilute the fly genes in his body with human DNA. Ronnie learns that she is pregnant by Seth and has a nightmare of giving birth to a giant maggot. She has Stathis persuade a doctor to perform an [[abortion]] in the middle of the night. Having overheard their conversation, Seth abducts Ronnie and begs her to carry the child to term, since it may be the last remnant of his humanity. Stathis breaks into Seth's lab with a shotgun, but Seth incapacitates him with his corrosive vomit.
Brundle then reveals his desperate, last-ditch plan to Veronica: He will use the three telepods (the third being the original prototype pod) to fuse himself, Veronica, and their unborn child together into one entity, so they can be the "ultimate family". Veronica resists Brundle's efforts to drag her into Telepod 1 and then accidentally rips off his jaw, prompting his final transformation. His body sheds its outer layer of decaying flesh, revealing the monstrous combination of man and insect that has been growing underneath it. The now-mute Brundlefly creature traps Veronica inside Telepod 1, then steps into Telepod 2. However, as the computer's timer counts down to the activation of the fusion sequence, the wounded Stathis Borans manages to shoot the power cables connecting to Veronica's telepod with his shotgun, allowing her to escape unharmed. Seeing this, Brundlefly attempts to step out of its own telepod just as the teleportation occurs, and is gruesomely fused with chunks of metal and other components from Telepod 2. As the mortally wounded Brundlefly-telepod fusion crawls out of the receiving pod, it silently asks Veronica to end its suffering with Borans' shotgun. A devastated Veronica hesitates for a moment, and then pulls the trigger, mercifully ending the life of her hideously transformed lover.
 
Seth reveals his desperate plan to Ronnie: he will use the telepods to fuse himself and her, together with their unborn child, into one entity. As Seth drags her into one of the telepods, she accidentally rips off his jaw, triggering his final transformation into an insectoid-human creature, shedding decayed human skin. Seth traps Ronnie inside the first telepod and enters the other, planning to use the prototype pod as the receiver of the combination of pods 1 and 2. The wounded Stathis uses his shotgun to sever the cables connecting Ronnie's telepod to the computer, allowing Ronnie to escape. The damage causes telepod 2 to malfunction and Brundlefly attempts to smash his way through the door, only for the pod to activate just as he is stepping out fusing Brundlefly to a piece of the door and other parts. The prototype pod receives the Brundlefly/Telepod fusion successfully, as the door opens a pained wail is heard and the resulting creature falls out of the door and to the ground. He crawls to Ronnie and silently requests for her to end his misery by aiming Stathis' shotgun barrel, which she had picked up, at his own head. She eventually, and tearfully, shoots and kills him, and falls to her knees in despair.
==Sequel==
The controversial sequel is ''[[The Fly II]]'' (1989). There has been some discussion as to whether the sequel "really" counts as a part of Cronenberg's ''Fly'' universe. Cronenberg feels that the stories in his films have definitive beginnings and endings, and he has never considered making a sequel to one of his own films, although others have made sequels to Cronenberg films, including ''[[Scanners]]'' (1981).
 
== Production historyCast ==
{{castlist|
* [[Jeff Goldblum]] as [[Seth Brundle]]
* [[Geena Davis]] as Veronica "Ronnie" Quaife
* [[John Getz]] as Stathis Borans
* [[Joy Boushel]] as Tawny
* [[Leslie Carlson]] as Dr. Brent Cheevers
* [[George Chuvalo]] as Marky
* [[David Cronenberg]] as a Gynecologist
}}
 
==Production==
In the early [[1980s]], co-producer Kip Ohman approached screenwriter [[Charles Edward Pogue]] with the idea of remaking the classic science fiction/horror film ''[[The Fly (1958)|The Fly]]''. Pogue began by reading [[George Langelaan]]'s short story and then watching the original film, which he had never seen. Deciding that this was a project he was interested in, he talked with producer [[Stuart Cornfeld]] about setting up the production, and Cornfeld very quickly agreed. The duo then pitched the idea to executives at 20th Century Fox and received an enthusiastic response, and Pogue was given money to write a first draft screenplay. He initially wrote an outline similar to that of Langelaan's story, but both he and Cornfeld thought that it would be better to rework the material to focus on a gradual metamorphosis instead of an instantaneous monster. But when executives read the script they were so unimpressed that they immediately withdrew from the project. After some negotiating Cornfeld orchestrated a deal whereby Fox would agree to distribute the film if he could set up financing through another source.
{{more citations needed section|date=October 2016}}
 
===Development===
The new producer in question was none other than [[Mel Brooks]]. Brooks and Cornfeld had previously worked together on [[David Lynch]]'s film ''[[The Elephant Man]]'', produced by Brooks' company Brooksfilms. Cornfeld gave the script to Brooks, who liked it but felt that a different writer was needed. Pogue was then removed from the project and Cornfeld hired [[Walon Green]] for a rewrite, but it was felt that his draft was not a step in the right direction, so Pogue was then brought back to try and polish up the material. At the same time Brooks and Cornfeld were trying to find a suitable director. Their first choice was [[David Cronenberg]], but he was working on an adaptation of ''[[Total Recall]]'' for [[Dino De Laurentiis]] and was unable to accept. Cornfeld decided on a young British director named [[Robert Bierman]] after seeing one of his short films. Bierman was flown to Los Angeles to meet with Pogue, and the film was in the very early stages of preproduction when tragedy struck. Bierman's family had been vacationing in South Africa and his daughter was killed in an accident. Bierman boarded a plane to go to his family, and Brooks and Cornfeld waited for a month before approaching him about resuming work on the picture. Bierman told them that he was unable to start working so soon, and Brooks told him that he would wait three months and contact him again. At the end of the three months Bierman told him that he could not commit to the project. Brooks told him that he understood and released him from his contract.
In the early 1980s, co-producer Kip Ohman approached screenwriter [[Charles Edward Pogue]] with the idea of remaking the classic science fiction horror film ''[[The Fly (1958 film)|The Fly]]''.<ref name="bloodydisgusting">{{Cite web |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3402730/the-fly-released-30-years-ago-today/ |title='The Fly' Was Released 30 Years Ago Today |last=Thurman |first=Trace |date=2016-09-15 |website=[[Bloody Disgusting]] |access-date=2017-10-04 |archive-date=2017-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005050708/http://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3402730/the-fly-released-30-years-ago-today/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Pogue began by reading [[George Langelaan]]'s [[The Fly (Langelaan short story)|short story]] and then watching the original film, which he had never seen. Deciding that this was a project in which he was interested, he talked with producer [[Stuart Cornfeld]] about setting up the production, and Cornfeld very quickly agreed.<ref name="fourthree">{{Cite web |url= https://fourthreefilm.com/2016/08/the-fly-a-30-year-love-story/ |title=The Fly: A 30-Year Love Story |last=Westwood |first=Emma |date=2016-08-15 |website=4:3 |access-date=2017-10-04 |archive-date=2017-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005050719/https://fourthreefilm.com/2016/08/the-fly-a-30-year-love-story/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The duo then pitched the idea to executives at 20th Century Fox and received an enthusiastic response, and Pogue was given money to write a first draft screenplay. He initially wrote an outline similar to that of Langelaan's story, but both he and Cornfeld thought that it would be better to rework the material to focus on a gradual metamorphosis instead of an instantaneous monster. However, when executives read the script, they were so unimpressed that they immediately withdrew from the project. After some negotiation, Cornfeld orchestrated a deal whereby Fox would agree to distribute the film if he could set up financing through another source.<ref name= "bloodydisgusting" />
 
The new producer was [[Mel Brooks]]; the film was to be produced by his company, Brooksfilms. Cornfeld was a frequent collaborator and friend of Brooks.<ref name="fourthree" /> Cornfeld introduced Brooks to [[David Lynch]] through ''[[Eraserhead]]'' and they later produced Lynch's ''[[The Elephant Man (1980 film)|The Elephant Man]]''{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=123}} (Brooks would leave his name off the film's credits, to avoid confusing viewers who might expect "a Mel Brooks film" to be a comedy). Cornfeld gave the script to Brooks, who liked it but felt that a different writer was needed. Pogue was then removed from the project, and Cornfeld hired [[Walon Green]] for a rewrite. However, Green's draft was not a step in the desired direction, so Pogue was then sought to polish the material.<ref name= "bloodydisgusting" />
With no director and an unsatisfying screenplay, production was at a standstill. Cornfeld then heard that Cronenberg was no longer associated with ''Total Recall'' and once again approached him with ''The Fly''. Cronenberg agreed to sign on as director if he would be allowed to rewrite the script. His revised draft differed greatly from Pogue's screenplay, though it still retained the basic plot outline and also included the central concept of a genetic mutation. With a script that everyone was now happy with, Cronenberg assembled his usual crew and began the process of casting the picture, ultimately deciding on [[Jeff Goldblum]] and [[Geena Davis]] for the leads. [[Chris Walas]], who had designed the creatures in ''[[Gremlins]]'', was hired to handle the film's extensive special effects.
 
At the same time, Brooks and Cornfeld were trying to find a suitable director.<ref name="fourthree" /> [[David Cronenberg]] was shown the script for ''The Fly'' by Marc Boyman, who later produced ''[[Dead Ringers (film)|Dead Ringers]]'', but Cronenberg was working on ''[[Total Recall (1990 film)|Total Recall]]'' at the time.{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=122-123}} Cornfeld decided on a young British director named [[Robert Bierman]] after seeing one of his short films. Bierman was flown to Los Angeles to meet with Pogue, and the film was in the very early stages of preproduction when tragedy struck: Bierman's family had been vacationing in South Africa, and his daughter was killed in an accident.<ref name="fourthree" /> Bierman boarded a plane to go to his family, and Brooks and Cornfeld waited for a month before approaching him about resuming work on the picture. Bierman told them that he was unable to start working so soon, and Brooks told him that he would wait three months and contact him again. At the end of the three months, Bierman told him that he could not commit to the project. Brooks told him that he understood and had him freed from his contract.
==Critical response==
 
===Writing===
Upon its release, ''The Fly'' was praised for being more emotionally involving and genuinely poignant in comparison to Cronenberg's previous films, as well as having a certain simplicity and stylishness which set it apart from other, more gratuitous movies. [[Jeff Goldblum]]'s ''tour-de-force'' performance was applauded as well, and many believe it to be his finest performance to this day. Goldblum was thought by many to be a shoo-in for an [[Academy Award]] nomination, and when he was not nominated, many prominent film critics, [[Roger Ebert]] in particular, stated that he had been cheated.
 
Cronenberg's agent, Mike Marcus, informed Cronenberg, after he left the ''Total Recall'' production, that [[Mel Brooks]] was interested in ''The Fly''.{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=109}}{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=122-123}} Cronenberg agreed to sign on as director if he would be allowed to rewrite the script.<ref name= "autogenerated2005">''Fear of The Flesh: The Making of'' The Fly, 20th Century Fox, 2005</ref><ref name= "autogenerated1986">{{cite magazine| title= The Fly Papers | first= Tim | last= Lucas| magazine= [[Cinefex]] Magazine| year= 1986}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media| work= AMC Backstory | title= The Fly Papers: The Buzz on Hollywood's Scariest Insect | year= 2000| publisher= AMC}}</ref> Cronenberg, who watched the original film when it came out, was critical of the initial script stating that "I remember reading it and the first sixteen pages were awful". Cronenberg was paid twice the amount that he was paid for directing ''[[The Dead Zone (film)|The Dead Zone]]''.{{sfn|Cronenberg|2006|p=84-85}}
The film was also widely thought to be an allegory of the [[AIDS]] epidemic, although Cronenberg denies this and states that the subtext/metaphor of the film is the natural process of aging and death. He states that "we've all got the disease, the disease of being finite." This, when coupled with the tragic love-story of the plot (harking back to films such as ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'') makes ''The Fly'' an all-too human film, albeit filled with Cronenberg's familiar obsessions and gruesome attention to detail. The spectacular "Brundlefly" make-up was given a 1986 [[Academy Award]], its sole nomination.
 
Cronenberg stated that "one line of dialogue from Chuck's script" remained in the final version. Despite the extensive rewrite of Pogue's script, Cronenberg insisted during [[Writers Guild of America|Writers Guild]] arbitrations that he and Pogue share screenplay credit, since he felt that his version could not have come to pass without Pogue's script to serve as a foundation. He did not meet with Pogue, who liked the film, until after the film was released.{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=125}}
==Makeup/creature effects==
 
Pogue's version of the lead scientist "was rather a dull, clever techno guy; just a boring, handsome guy" according to Cronenberg.{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=125}}
The [[Academy Award]]-winning makeup seen in ''The Fly'' was designed and executed by [[Chris Walas, Inc.]] over a period of several months. The final "Brundlefly" creature was designed first, and then the various steps needed to carry protagonist Seth Brundle to that final incarnation were designed afterwards. The transformation was intended to be a metaphor for the aging process. Indeed, Brundle loses hair, teeth, and fingernails, and his skin becomes discolored and lumpy. The intention of the filmmakers was to give Brundle a bruised, cancerous, and diseased look that gets progressively worse as time goes on.
Various looks were tested for the different stages before the perfected versions seen in the completed film were arrived at. Some early test footage can be seen on the 2005 ''The Fly'': Collector's Edition DVD.
 
===Casting===
Early versions of the different makeup stages include:
Brooks wanted [[Pierce Brosnan]] to play the role of Seth Brundle, but Cronenberg rejected the casting.{{sfn|Cronenberg|2006|p=85}} [[John Malkovich]] was the top choice for the role, but he declined.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Meenan |first=Devin |date=2022-03-24 |title=Why David Cronenberg's The Fly Almost Didn't Get Made |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/809725/why-david-cronenbergs-the-fly-almost-didnt-get-made/ |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=SlashFilm |language=en-US}}</ref> [[John Lithgow]] was also offered the role but turned it down, stating it was too grotesque.<ref>{{Cite web| url= https://www.indiewire.com/2014/05/john-lithgow-says-he-turned-down-david-cronenbergs-the-fly-because-it-was-icky-and-grotesque-86380/| title= John Lithgow Says He Turned Down David Cronenberg's 'The Fly' Because It Was 'Icky' And 'Grotesque'| website= indiewire.com |date= May 5, 2014}}</ref> [[Michael Keaton]] and [[Richard Dreyfuss]] were also considered.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-fly-is-still-david-cronenbergs-masterpiece/ | title=The Fly is Still David Cronenberg's Masterpiece | date=15 August 2019 }}</ref><ref name="fourthree" /><ref>{{cite web | url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/68348 | title=AFI&#124;Catalog }}</ref> [[Jeff Goldblum]] was proposed for the lead by Cronenberg as Goldblum was willing to perform with prosthetic makeup unlike other proposed actors like Dreyfuss.{{sfn|Cronenberg|2006|p=85}}
 
Cornfeld opposed [[Geena Davis]]' casting due to her being Goldblum's then-real-life girlfriend. Cronenberg wanted Davis and Cornfeld made him "look at other actresses, but they were all disasters" which even Cornfeld admitted.{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=129}} Davis requested that Cronenberg play the gynecologist as she did not want a stranger performing the role.{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=152}}
*A prototype of Stage 2, featuring more exaggerated facial discoloration, open sores, and peeling skin (test footage of this version can be seen on the ''Fly'' CE DVD).
*The first test version of Stage 4-A, which featured the same face sculpt as the final version of the makeup, but also had an enlarged headpiece underneath Goldblum's wig. The "hernia-bulge" on his side is in a lower position on his torso than the final version, and only Brundle's face and hands are visibly mutated (also, the sticky pads on his palms are a different color than the metallic-green pads seen in the final film). The rest of Goldblum's body is discolored with body makeup, and there are numerous insect hairs on his arms and torso. In the final version of the makeup seen in the film, Brundle's entire body is lumpy and deformed (test footage of this version can be seen on the ''Fly'' CE DVD).
*There may also be another version of Stage 4-A (which can be seen in nearly all of the publicity and still photos of that stage). This version appears to have slightly different arm appliances (with less distorted hands and the lighter-colored palm-pads of the first prototype), and more hair on Brundle's head (which actually seems to coordinate better with Stage 4-B, since Stage 4-B appears to have more hair than the filmed version of Stage 4-A). It is unclear if this really is a prototype, since most photographs of this version indicate that it was filmed on the set. The apparent differences between the "prototype" and the filmed version may be mere optical illusions created by different lighting schemes and film stocks.
 
===Filming===
The following is a breakdown of each stage of Seth Brundle's horrifying transformation as designed and created by the CWI crew (with behind-the-scenes information presented in ''italics''):
 
The film's budget was reported as $9 million<ref name="20history"/> and $15 million.<ref name="autogenerated1986"/> It was shot in Canada at the Kleinburg Studio in Toronto.{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=123}} [[Chris Walas]], who worked on ''[[Scanners]]'', was hired to create the film's special effects.{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=90}}{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=131}} Principal photography began on December 1, 1985, in [[Toronto]].
* '''STAGE 1''' (''on view in the scene where Veronica discovers the small insect hairs on Brundle's back''): Brundle's face is discolored, and it looks as though he has a bad allergic rash. Small insect hairs are growing out the scratches in his back (an injury sustained prior to Brundle's fateful teleportation when he accidentally rolled onto a stray circuit board). ''Actor Jeff Goldblum's face was painted with dabs of blue, red, green, yellow, and purple makeup. The fly hairs growing from the scratches on Brundle's back were made from monofilament fishing wire that was trimmed, tapered, and tinted black.''
* '''STAGE 2''' (''on view from the scene where the manic Brundle storms the city's streets and then enters the bar until the point where he discovers the truth about his fusion with the fly by checking his computer's records''): It looks as though Brundle has a bad case of acne, as his face is full of what appear to be pimples, warts and bumps (and more lesions appear on his face as time goes on). There are also some small fly hairs growing out of various areas of his face. Many more such hairs are growing out of the scratches on his back. Brundle's entire body is becoming subtly discolored, and his fingers are swollen, blotchy, and have loose nails. ''Plastic warts and pimples were applied to Goldblum's face. He wore foam-rubber fingertips for the nail-pulling scene.''
* '''STAGE 3''' (''on view in the scene where Veronica visits Brundle after his one-month period of isolation''): Brundle's face is lumpy and discolored. His hair is thinning (with visible bald spots) and he has no eyebrows. He must now walk with the aid of a pair of canes (as a result of the changes to the internal structure of his body) and vomits digestive enzymes on his food in order to dissolve it. His right ear falls off in this stage. ''Goldblum wore a full face/neck foam-rubber appliance with wig. The "vomit drop" was made from eggs, honey, and milk.''
* '''STAGE 4-A''' (''on view in the scene where Brundle demonstrates his wall-crawling and "vomit-drop" abilities to Veronica''): Brundle has lost all of his fingernails and toenails, as well as both ears. More of his hair has fallen out, and his teeth are crooked (with receding gums). His face and arms are lumpy and deformed, and coarse insect hairs are popping up all over his body. A hernia-like bulge has developed on the lower left side of his torso. Sticky, cushion-like pads have appeared on Brundle's hands and feet, giving him the ability to cling to walls. The index and middle fingers of his right hand are webbed together with a flap of flesh, and are starting to fuse together. Some of the toes on Brundle's feet are clustering and fusing together. Brundle's inner structure has changed enough so that he no longer needs to walk with the aid of canes, and his natural posture is now hunched-over and inhuman. He has also begun to exhibit nervous and jerky fly-like twitches and tics. ''Goldblum wore foam rubber appliances on his head, neck, arms, feet, and abdomen. Various pieces of foam were put under his clothes to suggest a missshapen form underneath. He also wore another wig with sparce hair, and custom-made dentures to show Brundle's crooked teeth.''
* '''STAGE 4-B''' ('''''not''' seen in the final cut of the film; appears only in the deleted "Monkey-Cat"/insect leg-amputation sequence that can be seen on the 2005 ''Fly'' Collector's Edition DVD''): Essentially the same as Stage 4-A, but now Brundle is completely naked. He's lost his genitals, his buttocks have fused together, and his hips have become enlarged. The hernia-like bulge in his side is very noticeable now, and eventually bursts open to reveal a small, fly-like appendage that is messily amputated by the horrified Brundle. ''This stage used the same sculpting for the face and arms as the Stage 4-A makeup appliances did, but since the scene revealed the entirety of Brundle's deformed body, Goldblum was required to wear the first of two full-body, foam-rubber bodysuits designed for the film.''
* '''STAGE 5''' (''on view from the point where Brundle loses his teeth up until the moment when his jaw is ripped off''): Brundle is nearing the end of his metamorphosis. His hair is almost entirely gone, and his head has become swollen and misshapen, with his face becoming even more deformed. The right eyelid is puffed up and the left eye is enlarged. The index and middle fingers on Brundle's right hand have fused together, and the pinky fingers of both hands are "dead" and vestigial. The middle finger of the left hand has swollen grotesquely. Brundle loses a number of teeth in this stage, and the open wound in his torso (from the deleted "Monkey-Cat" sequence) is clearly visible. Later on, Veronica Quaife accidentally tears Brundle's jaw off, beginning '''STAGE 6'''. ''Goldblum wore a second full-body suit similar to the one seen in Stage 4-B, but this version featured more exaggerated deformities. Goldblum also wore special dentures with missing teeth and custom-made contact lenses that made one eye appear bigger than the other. The most complete makeup job in the film, this stage took nearly six hours to apply to the actor. The shots of Brundle's jaw flexing in a non-human way so as to vomit corrosive enzymes on Stathis Borans, as well as the shots of Brundle's jaw being ripped off, were accomplished with mechanized, full-bust puppet replicas of the character. In a shot deleted from the film, Brundle ejects an eight-inch proboscis to suck up the remains of Borans' foot, a sequence that also used a mechanized bust. This was the last stage of Brundlefly's transformation to involve actor Jeff Goldblum.''
* '''STAGE 6''' (''seen when Brundlefly tosses Veronica into Telepod 1 and then steps into Telepod 2''): Brundle's dead and decaying outer layer of skin falls off to reveal his final incarnation, the entity previously dubbed "Brundlefly" by the diseased scientist. This grotesque, human-insect hybrid creature has a misshapen head with antennae, insect eyes with enlarged eyelids, and a proboscis. The torso is somewhat segmented, like an insect's, and the hips are enlarged and deformed. The right leg reverses its joint to become reverse-bending and Brundle's dead human foot is shaken loose. The creature's new, hoof-like foot ends in a pair of insect claws. The left leg is vaguely humanoid, but there is an extra joint beneath the knee, and the foot consists of three large, deformed toes that are tipped by insect claws. The left arm is humanoid, and terminates in a deformed, human-type hand with stubby, vestigial fingers. The right arm features a distorted and elongated hand that has two long, tubular fingers (which are also tipped with insect claws). ''This ultimate fusion of man and insect was brought to life throught the use of various cable-controlled and rod-operated puppets.''
* '''"STAGE" 7''' (''seen in ''The Fly's'' final moments, after Brundlefly is merged with a section of Telepod 2''): After its failed attempt to reclaim some semblance of humanity by merging with Veronica Quaife, Brundlefly is accidentally fused with a large chunk of its own sending telepod. The resulting fusion of man, insect, and machine crawls out of the receiving pod, mortally wounded and in terrible agony. In a last gesture of humanity, the thing that was once Seth Brundle silently begs Veronica to end its life, and she does. ''This final incarnation of Seth Brundle, technically not a part of his metamorphosis into Brundlefly, was dubbed the "Brundlething" or "Brundlebooth" by the film's crew (and is also called "BrundlePod" by some fans). The pathetic creature was created as a rod puppet with cable-controlled facial features.''
 
The film's audio mixing was done in London as it was cheaper than Los Angeles.{{sfn|Cronenberg|2006|p=87}} The producers commissioned musician [[Bryan Ferry]] to record a song for the film for promotional purposes. The resulting track was "Help Me". A [[music video]] was made for the song, and footage from the film was prominently featured in it. Cronenberg admitted to liking the song, but he felt that it was inappropriate to the film itself. Brooks and Cornfeld originally wanted to play the song over the closing credits, but after Cronenberg screened it for them, they agreed with the director that it did not mesh with the movie. As a result, the song is featured only briefly in the film, in the background during the scene where Brundle challenges Marky in the bar. "Help Me" became rather obscure, as it was not included on the film's soundtrack release. The song resurfaced in 1988 on the [[Roxy Music]]/Bryan Ferry [[compact disc]] ''[[The Ultimate Collection (Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music album)|Ultimate Collection]]''.<ref name= "autogenerated3">{{cite AV media| work= The Fly| title= DVD audio commentary | publisher= 20th Century Fox | year= 2005}}</ref>
==Deleted scenes==
{{Cleanup-section|August 2006}}
The 2005 Collector's Edition DVD version of the film includes a variety of deleted scenes (in the DVD's "Deleted Scenes" section as well as in the mammoth "Fear of the Flesh" documentary that chronicles the making of the film), many of which had become legendary over the years. The DVD also includes numerous bits of dialogue that were trimmed, as well as two extended scenes.
 
The design of Brundle's telepods was inspired by the engine cylinder of Cronenberg's [[Ducati 750 Imola Desmo|Ducati Desmo]] motorcycle.<ref>{{cite AV media| last= Cronenberg | first= David | year=2010| work= The Fly| title= Blu-ray Commentary| publisher= Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC| ___location= Los Angeles}}</ref>
The most notable deleted scenes include:
 
===Deleted and alternate scenes===
*A short scene that features Veronica Quaife conducting a videotaped interview with Seth Brundle (after his superhuman exercise seen in the completed film), in which he mistakenly theorizes that his teleportation has somehow improved him (prior to the DVD's release, a slightly different version of this scene could be seen in ''[[The Fly II]]'').
After filming ended early in 1986, a rough cut of ''The Fly'' was shown to Fox executives, who were very impressed. A rough cut was then previewed at Toronto's [[Uptown Theatre (Toronto)|Uptown Theatre]] in the spring of that year. Due to a strong audience reaction, the graphic and infamous "monkey-cat" sequence was cut from the film to make it easier for audiences to maintain sympathy for Brundle's character. Another preview screening was subsequently held at the Fox lot in [[Los Angeles]], and this version featured the "butterfly baby" coda. As before, the screening results dictated that the scene be cut.<ref name="autogenerated2005"/><ref name="autogenerated1986"/> Another ending had Ronnie wake up next to Stathis, who she is married to, and is pregnant with his child, but it was disliked by audiences according to Cronenberg.{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=134}}
 
===Makeup and creature effects===
*A legendary sequence in which a desperate Brundle, already quite far along into his metamorphosis (in a transitional makeup stage that appears only in this one scene), attempts to merge an alley cat and a baboon (the same baboon that Brundle successfully teleported earlier in the film) together using the telepods. However, the resulting "monkey-cat" creature comes out of the receiving telepod terribly deformed, and attacks Brundle, who ends up beating the two-headed creature to death with a metal pipe to end its misery. The sequence goes on to show the disturbed Brundle scaling the wall of his lab up to the roof, only to feel a sharp pain in his left side (specifically, in the hernia-like bulge seen in the final cut of the film when Brundle first demonstrates his wall-crawling powers). He accidentally slips off the roof, slides down the wall, lands on a metal awning, and watches as a small, fly-like leg emerges from his torso. Horrified by this new appendage, Brundle amputates it with his teeth.
[[File:BrundleStages.JPG|thumb|right|The different stages of Seth Brundle's gradual transformation into "Brundlefly"]]
The [[Academy Award]]-winning makeup was designed and executed by [[Chris Walas]], Inc. over a period of three months. The final "Brundlefly" creature was designed first, and then the various steps needed to carry protagonist Seth Brundle to that final incarnation were designed. The transformation was intended to be a metaphor for the aging process. To that end, Brundle loses hair, teeth and fingernails, with his skin becoming more and more discolored and lumpy. The intention of the filmmakers was to give Brundle a bruised and cancerous look that gets progressively worse as the character's altered genome slowly asserts itself, with the final Brundlefly hybrid creature literally bursting out of Brundle's hideously deteriorated human skin. The creature itself was designed to appear horribly asymmetrical and deformed, and not at all a viable or robust organism.
 
Various looks were tested for the makeup effects. Some early test footage can be seen on the 2005 ''The Fly'': Collector's Edition DVD, as well as the Blu-ray release.
The script additionally called for Brundle to encounter a homeless woman in the alley after amputating the insect leg, whose face he would vomit on and consume, but this segment was written out of the movie before filming.
 
The transformation was broken up into seven distinct stages, with Jeff Goldblum spending many hours in the makeup chair for Brundle's later incarnations.<ref name="autogenerated1986"/>
Brundle's motivation for fusing the two animals together in the "monkey-cat" scene was somewhat ambiguous, but comments from the filmmakers have indicated that this was supposed to be a "test run" for Brundle's fusion "cure" seen at the end of the completed film. Thematically, the point of the scene was that Brundle was trying to find some kind of cure for his rapidly deteriorating condition, but was clearly losing his sanity at the same time.
 
* Stages 1 and 2: subtle, rash-like skin discoloration that leads to facial lesions and sores, with tiny fly hairs dotting Goldblum's face, in addition to the patch of fly hairs growing out of the wound on Brundle's back.
The "monkey-cat" scene was included in a rough-cut preview-screening of the film in Toronto. Allegedly, the film was shown twice&mdash;once with the "monkey-cat" scene included, and once without, and the audience was asked which version they preferred. The audience reacted strongly to the scene, with at least one person allegedly throwing up. The general consensus from the preview audience was that Brundle was being cruel to the animals, and, as a result, they lost sympathy for him for the duration of the film. So, the sequence was cut, and remained unseen for nearly 20 years. For the 2005 DVD, the scene was restored from the original negative, with tracked-in sound effects and music taken from the completed film.
* Stages 3 and 4-A: piecemeal prosthetics covering Goldblum's face (and later his arms, feet, and torso), wigs with bald spots, and crooked, prosthetic teeth (beginning with stage 4-A).
* Stage 4-B: deleted from the film (but briefly appeared in the trailer), this variant of stage 4 was seen only in the "monkey-cat" scene, and required Goldblum to wear the first of two full-body foam latex suits, as Brundle has stopped wearing clothing at this point.
* Stage 5: the second full-body suit, with more exaggerated deformities, and which also required Goldblum to wear distorting contact lenses that made one eye look larger than the other.
* Stage 6: the final "Brundlefly" creature (referred to as the "space bug" by the film's crew), depicted by various partial and full-body cable- and rod-controlled puppets.
* Stage 7: another puppet which represented the mortally injured Brundlefly-Telepod fusion creature (initially dubbed the "Brundlebooth" and later the "Brundlething" by the crew) as seen in the film's final moments.
 
== Music ==
*The film also has an unused epilogue, which was shot four different ways (all of which can be seen on the DVD). In the version of the scene as originally scripted (and previewed for a Los Angeles test audience), Veronica Quaife is seen in bed with Stathis Borans (having married him) some time after Seth Brundle's death. She awakens from another nightmare in which she gives birth to Brundle's child, and Stathis reassures her that she is safe, and that the baby she is now carrying (having presumably aborted Brundle's) is his. Veronica then falls back asleep, and we see that she's now dreaming of a beautiful human baby with butterfly wings hatching from a cocoon and flying off towards a distant light source.
The score to ''The Fly'' was composed and conducted by [[Howard Shore]], and performed by the [[London Philharmonic Orchestra]]. It was released on record, cassette, and Compact Disc (with three additional tracks exclusively included on the latter) by [[Varèse Sarabande]], and in 2005, it was remastered and reissued on a two-disc set with [[Christopher Young]]'s album for ''[[The Fly II]]''.
 
Titles in '''bold''' are exclusive to the CD release. The soundtrack presents the music out of order from the movie's presentation.
The other filmed versions of the epilogue featured:
 
# Main Title 1:54
*Veronica in bed with Stathis (much the same as the version that was previewed), but without her being pregnant. Instead, Stathis reassures her that "there's no baby". She then falls back asleep and has the butterfly baby dream.
# Plasma Pool 1:54
# The Last Visit 2:25
# Stathis Enters 2:20
# The Phone Call 2:07
# Seth Goes Through 2:02
# Ronnie Comes Back 0:55
# The Jump 1:21
# '''Seth and the Fly''' 2:21
# Particle Magazine 1:02
# The Armwrestle 0:51
# '''Brundlefly''' 1:43
# Ronnie's Visit 0:35
# '''The Street''' 0:43
# The Stairs 1:25
# The Fingernails 2:35
# Baboon Teleportation 0:58
# The Creature 2:08
# Steak Montage 0:59
# The Maggot/Fly Graphic 1:37
# Success With Baboon 0:58
# The Ultimate Family 1:59
# The Finale 2:51
 
==Reception==
*Veronica waking up alone and in her own bed, then falling back asleep and having the butterfly baby dream. In this version, she is clearly still pregnant with Brundle's baby.
===Box office===
The film earned $40,456,565 domestically and $20,172,594 internationally, totaling $60,629,159 at the worldwide box office.<ref name="BOM"/>
 
===Critical response===
*Veronica waking up alone and in her own bed, then having the butterfly baby dream. In this version, she's not visibly pregnant (thus leaving the ending ambiguous).
According to [[Metacritic]], ''The Fly'' received "universal acclaim", based on a weighted average of 81 out of 100 from 12 critic reviews.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Fly |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-fly |website=Metacritic |access-date=2023-05-13}}</ref> On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], 93% of 74 reviews are positive for the film, with an average rating of 8.4/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "David Cronenberg combines his trademark affinity for gore and horror with strongly developed characters, making ''The Fly'' a surprisingly affecting tragedy."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1007602-fly|title=The Fly (1986)|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |access-date=May 13, 2023|archive-date=May 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230513190900/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1007602-fly|url-status=live}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/ |access-date=2022-06-09 |website=CinemaScore |language=en-US}}</ref>
 
After its release, ''The Fly'' was described as a remake that surpasses the original and exceeds the potential of the original story.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Fly |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-fly/review/2030053873/ |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}}</ref> ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' called it a rare personal work of art that is also a commercial success.<ref>{{Cite web |title='THE FLY' EVOLVES INTO MORE THAN A HORROR STORY |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-08-15-8603010075-story.html |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=Chicago Tribune|date=15 August 1986 }}</ref> ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' hailed the film as a stunning piece of filmmaking that allowed the audience to identify with the monstrous creation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldstein |first=Patrick |date=1986-08-14 |title=MOVIE REVIEW : 'THE FLY': ARTFUL REMAKE OF A TACKY 1958 CLASSIC |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-14-ca-7101-story.html |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' wrote that ''The Fly'' is a shocking horror film and also the most touching romance film of the year.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,962069-1,00.html |title=Love in the Animal Kingdom the Fly |archivedate=2009-06-29 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629063904/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,962069-1,00.html |access-date=2023-05-13 |magazine=TIME}}</ref> Conversely, [[Caryn James]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' criticized the film for what she considered distractingly excessive gore, lack of emotional depth and tonal inconsistency. She felt that the film tries to be too many things at once and ultimately falls short, despite Goldblum's performance and the ambitious vision of Cronenberg.<ref>{{Cite news |last=James |first=Caryn |date=1986-08-15 |title=FILM: 'THE FLY,' WITH JEFF GOLDBLUM |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/15/movies/film-the-fly-with-jeff-goldblum.html |access-date=2023-05-13 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
The epilogue did not fare well with the preview audience, and ended up being cut from the film because no one wanted to see Ronnie end up with Stathis, the stop-motion animation of the "butterfly baby" was not enitrely convincing, and because both the audience and the filmmakers felt that the story should end with Brundle's mercy-killing at Veronica's hands.
 
Cronenberg was surprised when ''The Fly'' was seen by some critics as a cultural metaphor specifically for [[AIDS]], since he originally intended the film to be a more general analogy for disease itself, terminal conditions like cancer and, more specifically, the aging process:{{blockquote|If you, or your lover, has AIDS, you watch that film and of course you'll see AIDS in it, but you don't have to have that experience to respond emotionally to the movie and I think that's really its power. This is not to say that AIDS didn't have an incredible impact on everyone and, of course, after a certain point, people were seeing AIDS stories everywhere, so I don't take any offense that people see that in my movie. For me though, there was something about ''The Fly'' story that was much more universal: aging and death—something all of us have to deal with.<ref name="autogenerated3"/><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.filmfreakcentral.net/notes/dcronenbergretrointerview.htm|title=FILM FREAK CENTRAL takes a look at David Cronenberg's body of work—with a little help from the master himself|publisher=Film Freak Central|url-status=dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20030401142610/http://filmfreakcentral.net/notes/dcronenbergretrointerview.htm|archive-date=2003-04-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| title= Cronenberg on Cronenberg| first1= David| last1= Cronenberg| first2= Chris |last2= Rodley| publisher= Faber & Faber| year= 1997| page= | isbn= 9780571191376}}{{nonspecific|date=August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine| url= https://time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1838909,00.html| title= David Cronenberg Tries Opera| first= Jeffrey T. |last= Iverson |magazine= Time |date= September 4, 2008|access-date=January 16, 2021|archive-date=August 26, 2013|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130826060713/http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1838909,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>}}
*Numerous other bits of action and lines of dialogue were either deleted from the movie during editing, or were rewritten during filming (many of which appear in the script, which can be seen as a bonus feature on the DVD).
 
''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' film critic [[Gene Siskel]] named ''The Fly'' as the tenth-best film of 1986.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~ejohnson/critics/siskel.html |title=Gene Siskel's 10 Best Lists: 1969 to 1998 |via= Caltech.edu |access-date= July 2, 2010 |archive-date=November 27, 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151127054504/http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~ejohnson/critics/siskel.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Gene Siskel's Top Ten Lists 1969-1998 |url=https://www.mistdriven.com/critics/siskel.html#y1986 |access-date=2024-09-13 |website=www.mistdriven.com}}</ref> In agreement with Siskel, fellow Chicago film critic [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', said the film was on his top 20 films list for 1986 and that "Goldblum, I think, deserves an Academy Award nomination" for his role in ''The Fly.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Best of 1986 – Siskel and Ebert Movie Reviews |url=https://siskelebert.org/?p=6242 |access-date=2024-09-13 |website=siskelebert.org}}</ref> In 1989, ''[[Premiere (magazine)|Premiere]]'' and ''American Film'' magazines both conducted independent polls of American film critics, directors and other such groups to determine the best films of the 1980s, and ''The Fly'' appeared on both lists.
*The ending of the film went through several incarnations in the various drafts of the script before the final version was filmed:
:#In one early version of the ending, Veronica is unconscious after Brundlefly throws her into Telepod 1. When the Brundlething emerges from the prototype telepod, the raging and mortally wounded creature crawls toward the injured Stathis Borans, who manages to grab a loose wire jutting from the telepod/human/fly-hybrid creature's back and jams it into an electrical socket. The Brundlething is liquified by the electricity.
:#A later version of the scene is nearly idenitical, except that the Brundlething crawls toward Stathis (whether it wants to attack him or is just desperate for help is left ambiguous) and then dies.
:#In the version of the script that appears on the 2005 DVD, Veronica is conscious during the final scene, and when the Brundlething emerges from the receiving telepod and crawls toward her, she aims Stathis' shotgun at it, but the creature ends up dying at her feet. Eventually, this was slightly changed to the mercy-killing seen in the completed film.
 
John Nubbin reviewed ''The Fly'' for ''[[Different Worlds]]'' magazine and stated that "Choosing to remake ''The Fly'' and clean up its mistakes was more than a wise move. It may have been the first step in pointing up the problem Hollywood has been having with its 're-creations.' Maybe, just maybe, if some others can profit from this lesson, the next remake will be of ''Planet of the Prehistoric Women'', which could use all the help it could get, and not ''Forbidden Planet'', which is all right just the way it is."<ref name="dw45">{{cite journal | last = Nubbin |first = John | title = Film Reviews | journal = [[Different Worlds]] | issue = 45 | pages =44–45 |date=March–April 1987}}</ref>
==Trivia==
* Aside from the basic story premise of the film, the one and only nod to the [[The Fly (1958 film)|1958 film]] is Seth Brundle's plaintive, "Help me...Please, please help me!" - a reference to the famous ending of the original film, in which a tiny Andre Delambre ([[David Hedison]]), whose head now more resembles that of an ugly old hag, with the body of a fly but the head and arm of a human, is entrapped on a web, crying out unseen by the other characters, "Help meeeee! Heeeeeeelp meeeeeeeee!" as a spider menacingly approaches.
 
In 2005, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine film critics [[Richard Corliss]] and [[Richard Schickel]] included ''The Fly'' in their list of the [[Time's All-Time 100 Movies|''Time''<nowiki/>'s All-Time 100 Movies]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1953094_1953143_1953500,00.html |title=Time Magazine's All-Time 100 Greatest Movies |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=February 12, 2005 |access-date=July 2, 2010 |archive-date=July 15, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100715185255/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1953094_1953143_1953500,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Time'' later named it one of the 25 best horror films.<ref>{{cite magazine |url= https://time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1676793_1676808_1677021,00.html|title=Top 25 Horror Movies|magazine=Time| date= October 29, 2007 |access-date=January 16, 2021|archive-date=October 8, 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111008211247/http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1676793_1676808_1677021,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The film was ranked #33 on [[Bravo (US TV channel)|Bravo]]'s ''[[The 100 Scariest Movie Moments]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bravotv.com/The_100_Scariest_Movie_Moments/index.shtml |title= Bravo's The 100 Scariest Movie Moments |access-date= May 21, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071030070540/http://www.bravotv.com/The_100_Scariest_Movie_Moments/index.shtml |archive-date = October 30, 2007}}</ref> Similarly, the [[Chicago Film Critics Association]] named ''The Fly'' the 32nd scariest film ever made.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.altfg.com/film/chicago-critics-scariest-films/ |title=Chicago Critics' Scariest Films |publisher=AltFilmGuide.com |access-date=July 2, 2010 |archive-date=June 4, 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150604013812/http://www.altfg.com/blog/hollywood/chicago-critics-scariest-films/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2021, [[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|''The Daily Star'']] ranked ''The Fly'' at the top of its list of greatest short story adaptations, praising the film for "exhibit[ing] how greater a short story can evolve, and very much become its own detached, barely recognisable thing."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bari|first=Mehrul|date=2021-06-13|title=10 must-watch short story-to-film adaptations| url= https://www.thedailystar.net/book-reviews/news/10-must-watch-short-story-film-adaptations-2110225|access-date=June 14, 2021 |website=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star]]|archive-date=June 15, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210615110854/https://www.thedailystar.net/book-reviews/news/10-must-watch-short-story-film-adaptations-2110225.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Besides obvious allusions to Kafka's short-story ''Metamorphosis'', Seth's claim that he was ''"an insect who dreamed he was a man and loved it, but now the dream is over and the insect is awake"'' is a bittersweet re-endition of a passage of [[Taoism]] written by the Chinese philosopher known as ''Jwan Zi.'' The passage asks its reader:
 
===Accolades===
''"Are we men who are dreaming of being butterflies...Or are we dreams of butterflies who hope to be men?"''
''The Fly'' was nominated for the awards in the chart below. Many genre fans and film critics at the time thought that Jeff Goldblum's performance would receive a Best Actor Oscar nomination,<ref>{{cite news|last=Mathews|first=Jack|title=Goldblum's 'Fly' May Land In Oscar Circle|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-27-ca-14397-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=August 27, 1986|access-date=2021-01-16|archive-date=2021-01-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122030243/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-27-ca-14397-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> but this did not happen. [[Gene Siskel]] subsequently stated that Goldblum most likely "got stiffed" out of a nomination because the older Academy voters generally do not honor horror films.<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1987-02-18-8701130144-story.html | work=Chicago Tribune | title=Oscar Swats 'The Fly'| first= Gene| last= Siskel | date= February 18, 1987 | access-date=2021-01-16 | archive-date=2020-12-02 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201202164408/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1987-02-18-8701130144-story.html | url-status=live }}</ref>
 
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="width: 100%;"
* The film was originally a project for [[Tim Burton]] to direct.[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091064/trivia]
|-
! scope="col"| Award
! scope="col"| Date of ceremony
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Recipient(s)
! scope="col"| Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}}
|-
!scope="row" | [[Avoriaz International Fantastic Film Festival]]
| 1987
| Special Jury Prize
| ''The Fly''
| {{won}}
| {{sfn|Mathijs|2008|p=144}}
|-
!scope="row" | [[Academy Award]]
| [[59th Academy Awards|March 30, 1987]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling|Best Makeup]]
| [[Chris Walas]] and [[Stephan Dupuis]]
| {{won}}
| {{sfn|Mathijs|2008|p=144}}
|-
!scope="row" | [[Canadian Society of Cinematographers]]
| 1987
| Best Cinematography
| [[Mark Irwin]]
| {{won}}
| {{sfn|Mathijs|2008|p=144}}
|-
!scope="row" rowspan=3| [[14th Saturn Awards]]
|scope="row" rowspan=3| May 17, 1987
| [[Saturn Award for Best Horror Film|Best Horror Film]]
| ''The Fly''
| {{won}}
|scope="row" rowspan=3| <ref>{{Cite news |date=May 18, 1987 |title='Aliens' Receives 8 Saturn Awards |page=9 |work=[[The Republican (Springfield, Massachusetts)|The Republican]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-republican/149030098/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240609224336/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-republican/149030098/ |archive-date=June 9, 2024 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Make-up|Best Make-up]]
| [[Chris Walas]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| [[Jeff Goldblum]]
| {{won}}
|-
!scope="row" | [[Hugo Award]]
| September 1, 1987
| [[Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation|Best Dramatic Presentation]]
| ''The Fly''
| {{nominated}}
| <ref>{{Cite news |title=1987 Hugo Awards |work=[[Hugo Award]] |url=https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1987-hugo-awards/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240609215750/https://awards.bafta.org/award/1988/film |archive-date=June 9, 2024}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" rowspan=2| [[British Academy Film Awards]]
|scope="row" rowspan=2| [[41st British Academy Film Awards|March 20, 1988]]
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Makeup and Hair|Best Makeup and Hair]]
| [[Chris Walas]] and [[Stephan Dupuis]]
| {{nominated}}
|scope="row" rowspan=2| <ref>{{Cite news |title=Film in 1988 |work=[[British Academy Film Awards]] |url=https://awards.bafta.org/award/1988/film |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240609221114/https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1987-hugo-awards/ |archive-date=June 9, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects|Best Special Visual Effects]]
| John Evans
| {{nominated}}
|-
|}
 
===Legacy===
* [[Michael Keaton]] was allegedly offered the role of Seth Brundle but turned it down.{{fact}}
The quote "Be afraid. Be very afraid." was also used as the film's marketing [[tagline]], and this became so ingrained in popular culture (as it—and variants—have appeared in numerous films and TV series) that many people who are familiar with the phrase are unaware that it originated in ''The Fly''.<ref name="autogenerated3"/>
 
On October 10, 2020, the film was referenced in a ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' sketch regarding the [[Harris-Pence debate|2020 vice presidential debate]]. [[Jim Carrey]] provided an impression of Jeff Goldblum.<ref>{{Cite web| first= Frank |last= Pallotta|title='SNL' mocks the VP debate between Kamala Harris, Mike Pence and the fly|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/11/media/snl-kamala-harris-mike-pence-vice-president-debate/index.html|access-date=2021-10-14|website=CNN|date=11 October 2020 }}</ref>
* It took nearly five hours to apply the most extensive makeup stages to [[Jeff Goldblum]].
 
Heavy metal band [[Ice Nine Kills]] released "F.L.Y" as part of their 2021 album ''[[The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood]]''. The song is inspired by the 1986 film.
* The Chris Walas, Inc. designers studied graphic books on disease as a starting point for their "Brundlefly" makeup/creature designs. The final "Brundlefly" creature is horribly deformed and asymmetrical. This reflects director David Cronenberg's idea that the creature should not be a giant fly (a common misconception about the film), but rather a literal fusion of a man and an insect that embodies elements of both.
 
==Other media==
* This film is the origin of the commonly used phrase "Be afraid. Be very afraid" (a line suggested by producer Mel Brooks). (See below) This was also a tagline for the film as well as "Something went wrong in the lab today ... something very wrong".
===Sequel===
{{Main|The Fly II}}
Whereas the [[The Fly (1958 film)|1958 original]] was followed by two sequels, Cronenberg has said that the stories in his films have definitive beginnings and endings, and he has never considered making a sequel to one of his own films, although others have made sequels to Cronenberg films, including ''[[Scanners]]'' (1981).
 
''The Fly II'' (1989) was directed by Chris Walas, the man behind the makeup and creature effects of both films and ''Gremlins''. It is a direct continuation of ''The Fly''. It features Veronica Quaife giving birth to Brundle's mutant son before dying, and it focuses on the Bartok company's attempts to get the Telepods working again.
*Cronenberg was intrigued when he first read [[Charles Edward Pogue]]'s screenplay (Pogue was the film's initial writer), but agreed to sign on as director only if he would be allowed to rewrite the script. Producer Stuart Cornfeld revealed on the Collector's Edition DVD that prior to Cronenberg's involvement [[Walon Green]] attempted to rewrite Pogue's script, but that his adaptation proved unsatisfactory.
 
David Cronenberg was not involved with the project. The only actor to return for the sequel was John Getz as an embittered Stathis Borans. Veronica Quaife appears briefly in the film. She is played by [[Saffron Henderson]], since Geena Davis declined to reprise the role. Jeff Goldblum appears in archival footage of Seth Brundle in two scenes, including the post-teleportation interview segment that was deleted from the first film.
*A popular misconception about the film is that it embraces the notion that "there were some things man was not meant to know", as the original 1958 film did. However, David Cronenberg has stated that the movie instead chronicles an early experiment-gone-wrong of a revolutionary new technology, much as early experiments with radiation led scientists to suffer from radiation poisioning. Such mistakes did not prevent other from continuing the research, and, in the film, Brundle does not try to destroy his teleporter because he failed to notice the fly's presence inside the telepod with him (unlike [[Andre Delambre]] in the original film, who felt that his teleporter was too dangerous to exist, and destroyed it as a result).
 
An early treatment for a sequel, written by [[Tim Lucas]], involved Veronica Quaife dealing with the evils of the Bartok company. Brundle's consciousness had somehow survived within the Telepod computer, and the Bartok scientists had enslaved him and were using him to develop the system for [[Cloning#In popular culture|cloning]] purposes. Brundle becomes able to communicate with Veronica through the computer, and he eventually takes control of the Bartok complex's security systems to gruesomely attack the villains. Eventually, Veronica frees Brundle by conspiring with him to reintegrate a non-contaminated version of his original body. Cronenberg endorsed this concept at the time. Geena Davis was open to doing a sequel (and only pulled out of ''The Fly II'' because her character was to be killed in the opening scene), while Goldblum was not (although he determined a cameo appearance was acceptable), and this treatment reflects that.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://videowatchdog.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-story-behind-flies-my-lost-fly.html|title= The Story Behind FLIES - My 'Lost' FLY Sequel |first= Tim |last= Lucas |date=June 20, 2016| work= Video Watchdog| access-date=March 23, 2017|archive-date=March 24, 2017|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170324084049/http://videowatchdog.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-story-behind-flies-my-lost-fly.html|url-status= live}}</ref> However, a later treatment written by Jim and Ken Wheat was used as the basis for the final script, written by [[Frank Darabont]]. [[Mick Garris]] also wrote a treatment, with elements incorporated into the final film.
*In the book ''[[1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die]]'', the review of ''The Fly'' wrongfully lists [[Rob Bottin]] (''[[Robocop]]'', ''[[The Thing (film)|The Thing]]'', ''[[Total Recall]]'') as the creator of the makeup effects. In actuality, Chris Walas produced and supervised the makeup design, and his name is listed in the sidebar with the Oscars it won.
 
==Popular=Comic culturebooks===
Beginning in March 2015 [[IDW Publishing]] released ''The Fly: Outbreak'', a five-issue comic book miniseries written by Brandon Seifert.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movieweb.com/david-cronenberg-fly-movie-comic-book-sequel/|title=David Cronenberg's 'The Fly' Gets a Comic Book Sequel |last=Orange|first=Alan|work=MovieWeb|date=December 17, 2014|access-date=December 18, 2014|archive-date=December 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218232049/http://www.movieweb.com/david-cronenberg-fly-movie-comic-book-sequel|url-status=live}}</ref> The story is a direct sequel to the events of ''[[The Fly II]]'', and features Seth Brundle's son, Martin, inadvertently causing a [[transgenesis|transgenic]] outbreak while attempting to cure Anton Bartok, to whom he'd previously transferred his mutant genes at the end of ''The Fly II''.
*Much of the concept of the [[1988 in television|1988]] episode "[[Enter The Fly]]" in the [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series)|1987 ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' cartoon]] is based on ''The Fly''. [[Baxter Stockman]] and a [[fly]] mix their [[DNA]] together.
 
*The last portion of ''[[Day of the Tentacle]]'' shows the three [[player character]]s to try to travel in time simultaneously. Dr. Ed warns them 'Haven't you seen ''The Fly''?'. Indeed the characters arrive in a single combined body. However, much later, it is revealed that all three aren't mutated, as they first thought, but that they just have been entangled in one's clothes.
==Canceled projects==
*The ''[[Invader Zim]]'' episode "[[Bolognius Maximus]]" pays tribute to several scenes from ''The Fly''. On the DVD commentary for the episode the creator of the show, [[Jhonen Vasquez]], said it was supposed to be like ''The Fly'', only stupid. A quote from the film is also used in ''[[Johnny the Homicidal Maniac]]'' issue #4, both comic and TV show having been created by the same person.
===Renny Harlin's alternate sequel===
*The ''[[Spongebob Squarepants]]'' episode "[[SquidBob TentaclePants]]" takes its premise from ''The Fly''.
In the 1990s, Geena Davis was involved with an alternate sequel to ''The Fly'', to be directed by her then-husband, [[Renny Harlin]], titled ''Flies''. The script by [[Richard Jefferies (screenwriter)|Richard Jefferies]] featured a story in which Veronica gives birth to twin boys, but survives the ordeal. The paranoid Veronica fears that the boys will begin developing fly-hybrid characteristics. When they eventually do, she uses the teleporter to merge the untainted human genes from each twin into a single, new being. As a result, the authorities believe that she murdered one of the children, since there is now only one child.<ref name= "autogenerated2022">{{Cite book |last=Davis |first=Geena|title=Dying of Politeness:A Memoir|year=2022|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=9780008508111|language=en}}</ref>
*In the episode of ''[[The Venture Bros.]]'', "[[Powerless in the Face of Death]]", after a teleportation goes wrong, Brock suggests putting all of Dr. Venture back in the teleporter and he states "like in that Jeff Goldblum movie".
 
*''The Fly'' was parodied on the popular animated TV show ''[[The Simpsons]]''. The [[Treehouse of Horror VIII|Treehouse of Horror]] [[halloween]] episode from Season 9 had a segment entitled ''Fly vs. Fly'', in which Bart walks into a matter transporter while carrying a fly, thinking he would turn into a ''Superfly''.
===Todd Lincoln's second remake===
*In a sidestory at the end of Volume 8 of the [[manga]] series ''[[Great Teacher Onizuka]]'', a magic-obsessed student named Ruruka Hikita is scared into thinking Onizuka is an insect when a love charm backfires, resulting in an intimate yet purely accidental encounter with the reputedly hormonal teacher. She then fears that Onizuka will impregnate her and referencing the movie, will "give birth to the next generation."
In 2003, it was announced that a second remake of ''The Fly'' was being developed, to be directed by Todd Lincoln, produced by [[Fox Searchlight Pictures]], and released in 2006, but this did not happen.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.horror.com/php/article-20-1.html |title=Another "The Fly" Remake In The Works |publisher=Horror.com |access-date=2012-11-01 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.insomniacmania.com/news/3527/what-fly-remake-could-have-been |title=What The Fly Remake Could Have Been Like... |publisher=Insomniac Mania |date=2006-03-28 |access-date=2012-11-01 |archive-date=2012-04-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422183807/http://www.insomniacmania.com/news/3527/what-fly-remake-could-have-been |url-status=live }}</ref>
*In the ''[[Pokémon]]'' Red/Green/Blue games and their subsequent Fire Red/Leaf Green remakes, the player has to retrieve tickets to board a cruise ship from a house/laboratory on a cape owned by a character named Bill. When the player enters Bill's house, he/she (depending on the player's initial selection) ends up conversing with a Pokémon that actually happens to be Bill. Bill then explains that he was transformed into the "Pokémon" - its species is vague in R/G/B, but is shown to be a [[Clefairy]] in FR/LG - thanks to a malfunction in a teleportation device similar to the telepod used in ''The Fly'', which merged him with the Pokémon that accidentally stepped inside with him. Thankfully, it is an easy matter to reverse the process and attain the tickets by having Bill step back into the device and re-activating it from Bill's computer. It can be assumed that the original Pokémon has also been successfully separated and is stored in the opposite teleporter.
 
* In issue #70 of ''Transformers'' (vol. 1) by ''Marvel Comics'', Ratchet and Megatron become merged in subspace. The issue is an obvious reference to ''The Fly'', even ending with the Ratchet/Megatron fusion silently asking Optimus Prime to end its life with a rifle blast to the face.
===David Cronenberg's sequel===
* In an episode of ''[[Family Guy]]'', Stewie uses a teleportation device, but accidentally leaves his teddy bear Rupert inside with him, thus creating a half-man, half-teddy bear monster. He is back to normal after the theme song, as the scene was a "what if" situation.
In 2009, it was rumored that David Cronenberg himself was preparing to direct a second remake of ''The Fly'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=11945 |title=David Cronenberg Remaking The Fly... Again? |publisher=Shock Till You Drop |date=2009-09-23 |access-date=2012-11-01 |archive-date=2012-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120807063852/http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=11945 |url-status=live }}</ref> but it was not until 2011 that the director addressed the rumors. Cronenberg stated that he had written not a remake, but rather a "sort of" sequel script to his 1986 version, and would film it if [[20th Century Fox]] gave the project the go-ahead:
*The ''[[Big Bad Beetleborgs]]'' episode "Buggin' Out" is a satire of ''The Fly'', with Flabber trying out a teleportation device and gradually evolving into the insect monster that ended up in with him.
{{blockquote|I have written a script that is more of a strange lateral, let's say oblique sequel than it is a true sequel, and it's certainly not a remake of the original. It's financed by Fox, and whether it will get made or not, I cannot say at the moment because there are a lot of up-in-the-air factors that deal with internal studio politics and a bunch of other things that I'm not in control of. But I would make it if they greenlight it, let's put it that way.}}
 
Cronenberg elaborated further when interviewed by ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' in 2012:
{{blockquote|Well, I did talk to Fox, because my agent found out that they were approaching people to do a remake of my film. He sort of said, "Well, you know, what about David?" And they said, "Well, we never thought of that!" I think they'd been to [[Guillermo del Toro]] and [[Michael Bay]]. I said, "Long ago I proposed a sequel to Mel Brooks when he said he wanted to make a sequel." He didn't like what I proposed because he said it wasn't the same as the original movie. "A sequel," he said, "should be more of the same." And I said, "Well, Mel, then I'm not interested." And he went off and did his sequels [sic] and they had nothing to do with me and they weren't very successful. But I still had this idea in mind—which no, I won't tell you—and I said to Fox, "I'll write that idea up because, as I think of it, it could be interesting." And they were excited about it enough to pay me to write a script. And then for various reasons it kind of got bogged down. I don't know exactly why. It seems now that it's not going to happen. But it's a script that I like and would do. It's not exactly a sequel, and it's certainly not a remake. More a meditation [...] it involves teleportation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.readperiodicals.com/201202/2583301841.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201082209/http://www.readperiodicals.com/201202/2583301841.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-02-01 |title=The Big Interview - Empire |publisher=Readperiodicals.com |access-date=2012-11-01 }}</ref>}}
 
In a late 2012 interview, Cronenberg provided additional details on why the project had stalled, citing
{{blockquote|Budget constraints and other things. I think maybe the script that I wrote was a little too radical for Fox, and they felt it really needed to be a very low-budget film at that point. However, what was in it that attracted them could not be done low-budget. So I think that was the problem.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a437534/david-cronenberg-interview-cosmopolis-nightbreed-the-fly-sequel/|title=David Cronenberg interview: 'Cosmopolis', 'Nightbreed', 'The Fly' sequel|website=Digital Spy|date=2012-09-13|access-date=2021-01-16|archive-date=2021-01-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122004559/https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a437534/david-cronenberg-interview-cosmopolis-nightbreed-the-fly-sequel/|url-status=live}}</ref>}} He also described the project as "more of a sequel or a sidebar. It was a meditation on fly-ness. None of the same characters or anything and, of course, with an understanding of modern technology."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/exclusive-david-cronenberg-shares-details-of-canceled-eastern-promises-sequel-and-fly-remake-20121214|title=David Cronenberg Shares Details Of Canceled 'Eastern Promises 2' & 'The Fly' Remake +|work=Indiewire|date=2012-12-14|access-date=2012-12-18|archive-date=2012-12-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121218022107/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/exclusive-david-cronenberg-shares-details-of-canceled-eastern-promises-sequel-and-fly-remake-20121214|url-status=live}}</ref>
 
Despite Cronenberg's prior assertions that he does not make sequels to his films, he returned to ''The Fly'' for the opera ''[[The Fly (opera)|The Fly]]'' in 2008, and his proposed sequel film project would mark a second return to the material, as well as his first sequel to one of his previous movies.<ref>{{cite web |author=Ed |url=http://shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=21268 |title=Exclusive: Cronenberg Has Written a Sequel to The Fly |publisher=Shock Till You Drop |date=2011-10-03 |access-date=2012-11-01 |archive-date=2012-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120807063901/http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=21268 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>''Man is an Insect'', Dave Alexander, [[Rue Morgue (magazine)|Rue Morgue]], 2011</ref> However, the film is not moving forward.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rich|first=Katey|title=David Cronenberg Reveals Details On The Scrapped The Fly Remake, Eastern Promises 2|date=22 November 2011|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/new/David-Cronenberg-Reveals-Details-Scrapped-Fly-Remake-Eastern-Promises-2-28020.html|publisher=Cinema Blend|access-date=2021-01-16|archive-date=2021-01-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122004947/https://www.cinemablend.com/new/David-Cronenberg-Reveals-Details-Scrapped-Fly-Remake-Eastern-Promises-2-28020.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
 
On June 15, 2018, Jeff Goldblum said he would be interested in doing a sequel only if Cronenberg was involved, even though his character died. "I don't think my character would be involved because of course I got tragically mutated with the fly and then the machine, oh boy. But maybe I show up as a grandchild of the original Seth Brundle, or Seth Brundle had a brother. Had a brother that emerges in some ways! Who knows, I don't know but David Cronenberg was a thrill to work with. Boy, if he was involved, I'd like to work with him again, I'll tell you that."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://geeksoncoffee.com/jeff-goldblum-the-fly-sequel/|title=Jeff Goldblum Is Open To Doing The Fly Sequel|work=GEEKS ON COFFEE |date=June 15, 2018|access-date=July 15, 2020|archive-date=July 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716010853/https://geeksoncoffee.com/jeff-goldblum-the-fly-sequel/|url-status=live}}</ref>
 
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
 
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
 
==Works cited==
* {{cite book|last=Cronenberg |first=David |author-link=David Cronenberg |title=David Cronenberg: Interviews with Serge Grünberg |publisher=Plexus Publishing |date=2006 |url=https://archive.org/details/davidcronenbergi0000cron |isbn=0859653765}}
* {{cite book|last=Mathijs |first=Ernest |author-link=Ernest Mathijs |title=The Cinema of David Cronenberg: From Baron of Blood to Cultural Hero |publisher=[[Columbia University Press|Wallflower Press]] |date=2008 |url=https://archive.org/details/cinemaofdavidcro0000math |isbn=9781905674657}}
* {{cite book|editor-last=Rodley |editor-first=Chris |title=Cronenberg on Cronenberg |publisher=[[Faber and Faber]] |date=1997 |url=https://archive.org/details/cronenbergoncron0000cron |isbn=0571191371}}
 
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{imdbIMDb title|id=0091064|title=The Fly}}
* {{mojo title|fly|The Fly}}
* ''[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1007602-fly/ The Fly]'' at ''[[Rotten Tomatoes]]''
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|1007602-fly|The Fly}}
* ''[http://annotatedfly1986.blogspot.com The Annotated Fly]''
* {{Metacritic film|title=The Fly}}
 
{{The Fly}}
{{Mel Brooks}}
{{Footer Movies David Cronenberg}}
{{David Cronenberg}}
 
{{Saturn Award for Best Horror Film 1972–1990}}
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[[Category:1986 films|Fly, The (1986 film)]]
[[Category:20th Century Fox films|Fly, The, (1986 film)]]
[[Category:Best Horror Film Saturn|Fly, The (1986 film)]]
[[Category:Fly films|Fly, The (1986 film)]]
[[Category:Films based on short fiction|Fly, The, (1986 film)]]
[[Category:Films directed by David Cronenberg|Fly, The, (1986 film)]]
[[Category:Film remakes|Fly, The (1986 film)]]
[[Category:Romance films|Fly, The (1986 film)]]
[[Category:Mad scientist films|Fly, The (1986 film)]]
[[Category:Films shot in Toronto|Fly, The (1986 film)]]
 
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[[Category:1986 science fiction films]]
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[[Category:1980s American films]]
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[[Category:1986 science fiction horror films]]
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[[Category:Films about genetic engineering]]
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[[Category:Films adapted into operas]]
[[Category:Films based on short fiction]]
[[Category:Films directed by David Cronenberg]]
[[Category:Films produced by Mel Brooks]]
[[Category:Films scored by Howard Shore]]
[[Category:Films set in Toronto]]
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[[Category:Films that won the Academy Award for Best Makeup]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Charles Edward Pogue]]
[[Category:Horror film remakes]]
[[Category:Remakes of American films]]
[[Category:Saturn Award–winning films]]