Samuel L. Jackson Fought to Keep Snakes on a Plane Title
Veteran actor Samuel L. Jackson revealed that he fought to preserve the iconic title of the 2006 action-horror film, ‘Snakes on a Plane.’
The movie features a thrilling storyline in which passengers battle a horde of venomous snakes that have been intentionally unleashed on the aircraft by a gang boss, with the aim of causing a deadly crash.
However, studio executives initially wanted to change the film’s title to something more generic to keep the plot a secret, a decision that did not sit well with Jackson.
In an interview with Vulture, the 74-year-old actor shared his excitement upon hearing about the project and its distinctive title, which caught his attention.
He recounted reaching out to the director, Ronny Yu, to clarify the premise, saying, “Are you going to do a movie called ‘Snakes on a Plane’? Is it what I think it is?’ He’s like: ‘Yes, it’s a plane full of poisonous snakes turned loose.’ I’m like: ‘Oh s***, can I be in that?'”
However, changes began to occur when the director left the project, prompting Samuel L. Jackson to step in and fight for the preservation of the film’s original name. Despite uncertainties surrounding the film, he remained determined to be a part of it. When he arrived on set, there was an attempt to rename the movie to something like ‘Pacific Flight 121’ to avoid giving away the plot.
The actor vehemently disagreed with the idea, stating, “That’s exactly what you want to do! Hell is wrong with you? I signed up for ‘Snakes on a Plane,’ and I guarantee you that audiences will be way more excited about ‘Snakes on a Plane’ than ‘Pacific Flight 121’.”
In the end, the title ‘Snakes on a Plane’ was retained, and the film was directed by David R. Ellis, known for helming two of the ‘Final Destination’ movies and ‘Shark Night’. The movie gained a cult following and became an iconic entry in the action-horror genre, in no small part due to its catchy and memorable title.
