Trivia / The Beach

• Actor-Shared Background: In the novel, Richard is said to have been born in 1974, just like Leonardo DiCaprio.
• Breakaway Pop Hit: While the film made its money, it was panned by critics and has mostly been forgotten. All Saints' "Pure Shores" was a huge hit, selling over a million copies worldwide and getting to Number 1 in four different countries. It became the second most successful single of 2000 and won two BRIT awards.
• Creator Backlash: Danny Boyle was very unhappy with the film because of both the end result and how it affected his relationship with Ewan McGregor, noted below. He later also noted how unlikable the characters were. He did enjoy working with DiCaprio though and praised his talent and for being a good collaborator, stating he'd use his clout with studios to help Boyle get what he needed.
• Dyeing for Your Art: Danny Boyle asked Leonardo DiCaprio to shed 20 pounds before taking on the lead role.
• Fake Nationality: Karl is Swedish but played by a Finnish actor.
• Fatal Method Acting: A near miss. A boat accident during filming endangered the lives of several cast and crew, including Danny Boyle and Leonardo DiCaprio. No one was hurt.
• Inspiration for the Work: Although set in Thailand, Alex Garland wrote the book while living in the Philippines and, in particular, was inspired by similar geography on the island of Palawan.
• Production Posse: The film brings together two of Danny Boyle's most frequent collaborators, Alex Garland and John Hodges, and marks the only time all three have worked together on one thing - the former wrote the novel it's adapted from, and the latter wrote the script. Robert Carlyle has also starred in Trainspotting and its sequel.
• Typecasting: Tilda Swinton as an androgynous villain is pretty standard for her 90s and 2000s typecasting.
• Vacation, Dear Boy: Hélène de Fougerolles auditioned for Francoise, but was told she was not mysterious enough. She however lobbied to be in the film anyway as an extra or "serve coffees" because the idea of three months in Thailand.
• What Could Have Been: Ewan McGregor was Danny Boyle's first choice to play Richard. The studio wanted Leonardo DiCaprio and cast him before Boyle could intervene. While McGregor blamed the studio, he didn't speak with Boyle for many years. McGregor admitted in interviews that he felt betrayed at the time, while Boyle later said that he felt that he handled the situation poorly. Happily, in 2015, McGregor and Boyle made amends and are now on good terms, even reuniting for T2 Trainspotting. DiCaprio himself had been planning to make American Psycho instead but they balked at the $20 million salary he was asking for, and that freed him up to do The Beach.

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