James Cameron's First Ocean Movie Was a Disaster Behind-the-Scenes

James Cameron has always prided himself on being a filmmaking trailblazer. His breakout hit The Terminator and widely successful movies like Aliens show he's always tinkering with the newest technology and movie effects. He was looking to continue with that pioneering attitude when he took on the 1989 maritime thriller The Abyss starring Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. The story is about a crew of underwater oil drillers who come across a dazzling alien species during a Navy rescue. The setting and creating a new reality are always key to Cameron's filming technique, and The Abyss was no different. He decided to have his cast and crew descend upon an old, abandoned nuclear power plant in rural Gaffney, South Carolina for the principal photography. It was a choice that nearly killed not only Cameron but also members of his cast.