15 Fascinating Facts About 'The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button'

1. Brad Pitt stated that it took about five hours each day to complete the required makeup for his role.

That's definitely not hard to believe considering this was the finished product...

2. Filming began on November 6, 2006, in New Orleans, Louisiana, post-Hurricane Katrina.

New Orleans had such a huge impact on Brad, he purchased a family home there and sponsored a housing development in an effort to help rebuild one of the areas hit hardest by the hurricane, the 9th Ward. The props from the film were also donated to the ward.

3. John Travolta was originally considered to play the role of Benjamin.

I just don't think the movie would've been quite the same without Brad Pitt.

4. There's a scene in which Benjamin and Daisy sail "into the Gulf" and "along the Florida keys."

The background of the scene shows mountains, which do not actually exist in Florida.

5. Cate Blanchett (Daisy) had previously played a couple with Brad Pitt in 2007's Babel.

After filming had wrapped, Cate joked that she no longer wanted to work with Brad because it was "disgusting" how in love he was with Angelina Jolie... As if I wasn't already sad enough about their breakup.

6. Benjamin's character was born on November 11, 1918, referred to as "an especially good night to be born."

The Great War ended on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month when the armistice treaty between Germany and the Allies was signed.

7. Director David Fincher had worked with Brad Pitt twice before the filming of Benjamin Button.

He directed 1995's Seven and 1999's Fight Club.

8. Did you know that Brad and Angelina's daughter, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, had a role in the film?

She played the role of baby Caroline Fuller.

9. At some point after his daughter's first birthday in 1970, Benjamin leaves his family.

But did you notice that a 1973-77 El Camino is parked in front of their house as he rides away on his motorcycle?

10. The film was based off of the 1922 short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The story tells the tale of a man born in his seventies who ages backward.

11. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's original story, Daisy's character is named Hildegarde Moncrief.

The name change is supposedly a nod to the female lead of Daisy in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.

12. Rachel Weisz was originally considered to play the role of Daisy.

She had to turn down the role because of scheduling conflicts with the different filming dates of Benjamin Button.

13. The original setting for the film was meant to be Baltimore, the city that the short story is set in.

Director David Fincher and Screenplay writer Eric Roth changed the location to New Orleans to take advantage of the state's filming discount post-Hurricane Katrina.

14. The film worked closely with Levi's to obtain clothing from their Levi's Vintage Clothing collection.

They wanted to authenticate the various time periods throughout the film to the best of their power.

15. There's a scene in which Mr. Daws (Ted Manson) recalls being struck by lightning while in his car:

"Did I ever tell you I been struck by lightning seven times? Once when I was just sittin' in my truck minding my own business."

This is a nod to Roy Cleveland Sullivan, who held a Guinness World Record for being struck by lightning seven times (one of which happened while he was sitting in his truck!).

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