Tom Cruise’s 27-Year-Old Erotic Thriller That Took 400 Days to Film

Arthur Schnitzler’s 1926 novella Dream Story inspired Stanley Kubrick’s last film, Eyes Wide Shut, a 159-minute erotic psychological mystery starring Tom Cruise. The movie premiered after Kubrick’s death, won a César Award and grossed $162 million, and remains the best-known adaptation of Schnitzler’s work.

The production became notorious for its 400-day continuous shoot. Kubrick rewrote pages on set and demanded repeated takes to push performances: a simple scene of Cruise walking through a door was filmed 95 times, and Vinessa Shaw’s one-day call stretched into two months.

Tom Cruise developed an ulcer during filming but never told Kubrick, and Guinness later recognized the project for its uninterrupted 400-day schedule. Kubrick’s fear of flying kept the cast in England even though the story is set in New York; he sent workmen to Manhattan to measure streets and note locations so scenes could be recreated precisely.

England, New York

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