Synopsis
At Pendleton University, a series of murders appears to recreate familiar urban legends. Natalie and her friends grow increasingly suspicious as campus authorities dismiss the killings and fear spreads through the student body. When the crimes begin to expose secrets from the past, Natalie must uncover the killer's identity before another legend becomes reality.
Factoids & Trivia
- Although the story is set at the fictional Pendleton University in New England, much of the film was shot in and around Toronto. The University of Toronto served as the main campus location, with additional photography at Trent University, Humber College, and Trinity College School.
- Principal photography ran from April 20 through June 29, 1998. Post-production was completed in Los Angeles in less than two months so the film could reach theaters on September 25, 1998.
- The opening gas-station sequence was filmed near Toronto with artificial rain. It was also among the first scenes completed, allowing the production to demonstrate its intended visual style to the producers.
- For the climactic scenes inside Stanley Hall, the production used a rundown building scheduled for demolition. Scaffolding covered with black tarps helped create the impression of an interior night setting.
- The filmmakers deliberately kept much of the violence implied rather than fully displayed. Several scripted moments were never filmed, including a shot of the opening victim's severed head rolling onto the road.
- The film's central concept draws on several widely circulated legends, including the killer in the back seat, the babysitter and the man upstairs, substituted birth-control pills, and the campus hatchet-man story.
- The production was made for approximately $14 million and earned about $72.6 million worldwide, making it a substantial commercial success despite mixed critical reactions.
- The film became the first entry in a franchise that continued with *Urban Legends: Final Cut* in 2000 and *Urban Legends: Bloody Mary* in 2005.