The story of the creation of The Room is one of the most unique, strange, and fascinating stories in the entire film industry. Tommy Wiseau, who directed, wrote, produced, and starred in the film, also financed it in a mysterious way.
Originally, Wiseau wrote the film as a play in 2001. After the play didn't get made, he adapted his play into a nearly 500-page book. However, he wasn't able to get the book published. This led Wiseau to adapt his book into a film, which he financed himself to avoid any creative conflicts. He wanted to make the next great American masterpiece (like Rebel Without a Cause, which he adored).
Wiseau continued to make strange decisions while the film was being made. He was the first - and likely only - director to film with both digital and 35mm cameras. He also built sets when they were not needed, randomly fired actors, and bought various unnecessary things.
While filming, Wiseau often screwed up his lines, which resulted in a tremendous amount of reshooting and other actors ad-libbing their lines.