Trivia: Part of what made the Coen Brothers agree to make the film for Netflix was that the traditional studio system just isn't funding films like "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" the way they used to. Studios are instead focusing much more on big-budget comic-book movies and reboots, or super low-budget ventures like horror films. The Coens found Netflix to be one of the only companies that seemed to understand the project and be willing to fund it. Although co-director Joel Coen did lament that he wishes the film had a traditional theatrical release, as he feels audiences respond to and respect movies in a different way on the big screen.
Trivia: The director, Carol Reed, is actually Oliver Reed's (portrays Bill Sikes) uncle.
Trivia: Lainie Kazan plays Bette Midler's mother in the film, even though in real life she's only 5 years older than Midler.
Trivia: The encore with Sarah Brightman featured four Phantoms from around the world: Colm Wilkinson, who was in the original Canadian production (and was also the original Jean Valjean in Les Misérables in both London and New York); John Owen-Jones, who, with over 4,000 performances, is the West End's longest-running Phantom; Anthony Warlow, the most famous Phantom in Australia; and Peter Jöback, a singer from Denmark, who made his debut as the Phantom and later took up the role on tour. And while he didn't participate, Michael Crawford, the original Phantom on both the West End and Broadway, was in attendance.
Trivia: When Charlie throws out a Viking in the air, the Viking lets out a Wilhelm scream.
Trivia: After the Justice League go into the Stairportal, it cuts to giant words saying 5 Years Later. This is a joke and jab at the same kind of 5 years later cut in Avengers: Endgame.
Trivia: At the Oscar ceremony in 2017, the film was accidentally named Best Picture, instead of true winner Moonlight, when presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were accidentally handed the wrong envelope. Such a gaffe had never occurred in the Oscars' history before.
Trivia: "Cabaret" holds the record for most Academy Awards won by a film which did not win the Best Picture Award. The film won eight in total.
Trivia: As Finian and Sharon Mc Lonergan make their way across America during the opening credits, one of the recognizable locations they pass is the iconic schoolhouse in Bodega, California, made famous in a memorable scene from Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds." (00:05:06)
Trivia: Despite having only 17 minutes of screen time, Spencer Tracy received the first of his nine Oscar nominations for his performance as Father Mullin in this film.
Trivia: This was the first biographical film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Trivia: Jim Henson's daughter, Heather, has a cameo as the girl serving drinks at the Bavarian Festival.
Trivia: Angela Lansbury plays Elvis Presley's mother in the movie, even though in real life she's only 10 years older than Presley.
Trivia: Part of the genesis of the film was when director Tad Stones became fascinated with the character Iago. He was talking to a producer about the characters he wanted to include and mentioned Iago, and was told that Iago was trapped in a lamp. This made Stones think about how Iago might escape and what he'd do after he got out... which eventually morphed into the plot for the movie. In fact, the working title was originally "Iago Returns," before "The Return of Jafar" was settled on.
Trivia: Shirley Jones plays Julie, mother of Louise Bigelow (Susan Luckey). In real life, Jones is only four years older than Luckey.
Trivia: Nearly all the dialogue, even the song the White Rabbit sings in the court room at the end, is in the book. Also the sets and costumes are just like the John Tenniel illustrations in the book.
Trivia: Despite receiving prominent billing, Jonah Hill is only in the film for three minutes.
Trivia: Even though George Murphy plays Ronald Reagan's father in the movie, he was only 9 years older than Reagan.
