The Sands Casino at the End of Con Air
Con Air, starring Nic Cage, may contain the most expensive piece of destruction in movie history, but there is a catch. A huge prison transport plane crashes down the Las Vegas strip and slams into the Sands casino throughout the movie. The Sands, one of the Rat Pack's well-known hangouts during the height of Las Vegas, was in no way a replica or a fake. That object was completely demolished by them.
The Sands was sold in 1988 for $110 million, despite the fact that it was owned by several people over the years. By 1996, the Sands had become a relic of a bygone period, and it was decided to demolish it to make room for a contemporary casino and resort. But doing so would mean eradicating what was already there.
Con Air makers persuaded the owners to delay the collapse for a few weeks so they could carry out the stunt that destroys the real lobby in the movie, even though much of the structure was destroyed by implosion. 14 cameras were set up to record the devastation because it had to be done in a single take because you can't put that toothpaste back in the tube. In actuality, a $110 million structure was demolished, but by doing so, space was created for the $1.5 billion Venetian, which stands there today.
- Cost: $110 million
