You probably think George Clooney just appeared out of nowhere in the mid-90s, head tilted, looking soulful in a set of scrubs. It's a nice story. But the truth about the george clooney first movie is way weirder, involves a giant mechanical bear, and a production that basically went broke in Hungary.
We’re talking about Grizzly II: Revenge. Or Grizzly II: The Predator. Or Grizzly II: The Concert. It’s had more names than a witness protection enrollee, and for a long time, it was Hollywood’s most famous "lost" movie.
The 1983 Disaster You Weren't Supposed to See
In 1983, George Clooney was just a guy with a mullet and a denim vest trying to make it. He wasn't the "Sexiest Man Alive" yet. He was just a struggling actor who hopped on a plane to Hungary to film a sequel to a Jaws rip-off. Honestly, the story of the filming is more dramatic than the actual plot of the movie.
The production was a mess. The executive producer reportedly vanished with the budget on the first day of shooting the big concert scene. We're talking about a guy just disappearing with the cash, leaving the cast and crew stranded. Clooney actually told Empire Magazine that they stopped getting paid entirely. He and his co-stars—who happened to be other future legends like Laura Dern and Charlie Sheen—were basically stuck.
Why It Took 37 Years to Come Out
The movie didn't actually get a proper release until 2020. Think about that for a second. For nearly four decades, this thing sat in a vault because they couldn't finish the special effects. They had these three giant animatronic bears that the Hungarian government eventually seized because the production didn't pay its bills.
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When people ask about the george clooney first movie, they often point to Return to Horror High (1987). It makes sense. That was the first one people could actually go see in a theater. But Grizzly II was the first time he ever stepped onto a professional film set. He plays a character named Ron. He’s in the movie for maybe two or three minutes before—spoiler alert—the bear gets him.
Return to Horror High: The Official Debut?
If we’re being technical about release dates, Return to Horror High is usually cited as the george clooney first movie in most encyclopedias. This was 1987. Clooney plays Oliver, an actor who is playing a cop in a movie about murders that happened at a high school. It’s very meta. It’s also very bad.
Clooney’s character is essentially the "first victim" trope. He goes off into a dark hallway—because that’s what people do in 80s horror—and he never comes back. It’s a classic "blink and you'll miss him" role. He gets second billing on the poster today, but back then? He was just fodder for the script.
The Killer Tomato Phase
Then there’s Return of the Killer Tomatoes (1988). If you want to see Clooney actually lead a film before he was famous, this is the one. He plays Matt Stevens. He’s charming, he’s funny, and he’s fighting sentient vegetables. It’s honestly sort of incredible to watch. You can see the "Clooney Spark" even when he’s staring at a plastic tomato.
Comparing the "Firsts"
Most fans get confused because Clooney’s career didn't follow a straight line. Here is the reality of his early film slate:
- Grizzly II: Revenge (Filmed 1983, Released 2020): His actual first time on a movie set. He plays a camper. He dies quickly.
- Combat High (1986): A TV movie where he plays a cadet. It's often lumped in with his filmography, but it wasn't a theatrical release.
- Return to Horror High (1987): His first movie to hit theaters. He’s the first guy to die.
- Return of the Killer Tomatoes (1988): His first "leading" role in a feature film.
Why the George Clooney First Movie Matters Today
It’s easy to look at a guy who has two Oscars and think he had it easy. But looking back at the george clooney first movie reveals a guy who spent over a decade "failing up." He did the bad horror movies. He did the failed pilots. He was a handyman on The Facts of Life.
The reason Grizzly II matters is because it shows the "redshirt" phase of his career. He wasn't the hero; he was the guy the bear ate to show the audience the bear was dangerous. It’s a reminder that even the biggest stars in the world started out as the guy in the denim vest who didn't get paid.
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If you’re looking to track down these early gems, be warned: they aren't Ocean's Eleven. Grizzly II is barely a movie—it’s more like a collection of footage held together by stock shots of bears. Return to Horror High is a campy relic. But if you want to understand the hustle, you’ve gotta start where the bear started.
Check out the 2020 "restored" version of Grizzly II if you want a laugh. It’s on most VOD platforms. Just don't expect more than five minutes of George. He’s mostly there for the "before they were famous" curiosity factor.
To really see how far he's come, watch Grizzly II and then immediately put on Michael Clayton. It’s a wild ride. You’ll see exactly when the mullet turned into the silver fox.
Next Steps:
If you want to see the exact moment George Clooney became a "movie star," go watch the 1996 film From Dusk till Dawn. While the horror movies of the 80s were his start, that Robert Rodriguez flick was the first time the big screen actually knew what to do with him.