#1 In Erin Brockovich (2000), Erin, Played By Julia Roberts, Is Ordering Food At A Restaurant. She’s Being Waited On By Julia, Played By Erin Brockovich
#2 The Four Hobbit Actors From Lord Of The Rings (2003) All Confirmed On Podcasts That An Orc Leader's Look Was Based On Harvey Weinstein, After He Wanted Miramax To Cut The Trilogy Down To One Film (And All That Other Stuff) Before A Deal Was Made And New Line Cinema Rescued The Epic Saga
#3 In Encanto (2021), The Multicoloured Water Was Inspired By A Real Place In Colombia...the Caño Cristales River. The River Is Commonly Called The "River Of Five Colors" Or The "Liquid Rainbow," And Is Noted For Its Striking Colors
To get to know more about the significance of hidden details and Easter eggs in movies, we reached out to Michael W. Boyce, Ph.D., writer, educator, administrator and host of the podcast, Geek 4.
As it is written on his website, Dr. Michael Boyce has taught a wide selection of literature and film courses, including Film History, British Film, Religion and Popular Culture, Fantasy Literature, and Television Studies, Film Adaptation, Film Noir and Film Genre. He writes, speaks, and tweets about literature, film, media, TV, comics, and multiple aspects of popular culture.
#4 In Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022) You Can See That Dobby The House Elf Became A Model For Gucci After The Harry Potter Series Wrapped
#5 In The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (2019), You Can See Velma From Scooby-Doo In The Crowd. When Asked Why The Other Members Of The Gang Weren’t Included, The Director Said "In A Post-Apocalyptic World, Velma Would Have Been The Only One To Have Survived. The Other Kids Wouldn’t Have Made It"
#6 In The Mummy (1999), Brendan Fraser’s Character Is Shown Loading Individual Rounds Into His Rifle, In Spite Of Its 8 Round Capacity. This Is Consistent With French Military Training, As The Lebel 1886 Was Equipped With A Magazine Cutoff; So That Soldiers Could Hold Rounds "In Reserve"
Firstly, we wanted to know what value Easter eggs add to a movie. Boyce thinks it’s a matter of rewarding fans of these films for spotting something – usually visual references to other works – that other people don’t notice. "This is especially true with large-budget superhero films with highly invested and passionate fandoms who will pay to see a film multiple times to spot as many of these Easter eggs as possible. Many people enjoy that kind of secret knowledge, whether to feel like they’re a better audience member for noticing the minutia of a scene or that they’re a more avid fan of a film than the average filmgoer."
#7 In Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), The Poolside Bartender Is Played By An Actor Credited Under The Nickname Dr. Toad, But His Real Name Was Robert Todd Williams, And He Was Robin Williams’ Older Brother. A Vintner By Trade In Real-Life, This Was His Only Film Appearance
#8 In Forrest Gump (1994), Because Forrest Is So Fast, Nobody Can Tackle Him, Making Him The Only Player On Either Team To Have A Spotless Uniform
#9 In Frozen/Frozen 2 (2013/2019), The Only Time Olaf Bends His Elbows Is During His Own Dreams/Fantasy (See: “In Summer”). Otherwise, His Arms Are Always Straight, As Real Twigs Would Be
Due to the trickiness of Easter eggs, sometimes it's hard to rule out their authenticity. Boyce told us that most generally accepted eggs have a number of people agree that it is indeed an Easter egg. "That typically means the more obvious ones (i.e. the Star Wars references found in the early Indiana Jones or a blue Tobias Funke in Guardians of the Galaxy), more often than not, modern filmmakers are more than happy to confirm them. If the reference seems obscure – a shot that looks a little like a shot from another movie – you could always consider whether the filmmaker has claimed to love that other film and has a history of including such Easter eggs."
#10 In Uncharted (2022) Nathan Drake And Chloe Frazer (Tom Holland And Sophia Ali) Wash Up On A Beach And Meet A Stranger Who Says Something Similar Happened To Him Once. That Actor Is Nolan North, The Original Voice Actor For Nathan Drake In The Uncharted Video Games
#11 In Luca (2021), The First Time Luca Stands On Land He Exhibits A Medical Finding Called Gower's Sign. Classically Seen In Patients With Muscular Dystrophy, It Is Due To A Lack Of Strength In The Hip And Thigh Muscles Causing The Patient To "Walk" Up Their Body To Stand From A Seated Position
#12 Matilda [1996]: Miss Trunchbull Is A Corrupting Influence In A School, A Place Meant To Be Colorful And Joyful. She Competed In The 1972 Olympics, Planned To Be A Colorful And Joyful Celebration... Which Was Marred By Being The Site Of The Munich Massacre
![Matilda [1996]: Miss Trunchbull Is A Corrupting Influence In A School, A Place Meant To Be Colorful And Joyful. She Competed In The 1972 Olympics, Planned To Be A Colorful And Joyful Celebration... Which Was Marred By Being The Site Of The Munich Massacre](https://wsrv.nl/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.boredpanda.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F04%2F62680286c176d_vpzysqbf5du81__700.jpg&w=3840&q=75&output=webp&fit=cover)
But why do filmmakers hide some details that are not necessarily contributing to the plot? Dr. Boyce explained that many modern filmmakers are passionate fans themselves and are the sort of moviegoers that like searching out Easter eggs. "They grew up as rapid consumers of popular culture and their work reflects that love. Also, do it, it seems, to directly appeal to those fans, fans who would be willing to pay for multiple trips to the theatre and (sometimes various versions of) collector’s edition DVDs and Blu-rays."
#13 In A Beautiful Mind (2001), Marcee Runs Through A Group Of Birds
#14 In Coraline (2009), You Can See The Phrase "Stopmo Rulez" On The Back Of The Moving Van. Coraline Was Made With Stop Motion Animation
#15 In The Expendables 2 (2012) Dolph Lundgrens Character, Gunnar, Is Said To Have Achieved A Masters In Chemical Engineering Then Quit To Be A Bouncer In Attempt To Form A Relationship With "This Girl". All Of Which Dolph Lundgren Actually Did In Real Life. The Girl Was Grace Jones
Lastly, Boyce shared that superhero films seem to have an abundance of Easter eggs and probably the most Easter eggs on average right now, in part because of the passion of the fan base and the wealth of material to reference (comics, television adaptation, previous film versions)."
#16 In Hook (1991), The Flying Couple On The Bridge Is Actually George Lucas And Carrie Fisher. Carrie Even Worked On The Movie's Script
#17 In Jaws (1975) - Quint Goes To Hunt The Shark In His Boat Orca. Orcas In Real Life, Otherwise Known As Killer Whales, Actively Hunt Great White Sharks To Kill Them
#18 In Mr Bean's Holiday (2007), The Girl With The Stereo Is Played By Lily Atkinson, The Daughter Of Rowan Atkinson. In The Movie, She Is Also Named Lily
#19 The Horses Of The Nazgul In Lord Of The Rings (2001) Have The Eye Of Sauron On Their Chest Riding Gear
#20 In The Opening Scene Of Forrest Gump (1994), His Shoes Are Worn Out From Running Across The Country For Years, But He Wouldn’t Get Rid Of “The Best Gift You Could Get In The Wide World” From Jenny. But He Kept The Laces Fresh To Keep Them Operable
