Unproduced film projects

Which unmade film projects do you guys actually regret never getting to see?

Stanley Kubrick was planning this whole thing about Napoleon starring Jack Nicholson... everything was lined up, then he just backed out for a bunch of different reasons. Dammit! Honestly, I think it would’ve been a fucking masterpiece. And don't even get me started on what if he had directed AI instead of handing the reins over to Steven Spielberg. That would have been another absolute classic...

Then there's Sergio Leone. He was supposedly working on a film about the siege of Leningrad with Robert De Niro in the lead. Death got to him first. I really feel like we were robbed of another one of his masterpieces because of that. If he had lived just a little longer, who knows how many more legendary movies he would've dropped on us...

Quentin Tarantino was actually looking into making a western for a while. It would've been the perfect genre for him, especially since he's such a huge fan of Sam Peckinpah and Sergio Leone. I truly believe he could've breathed life back into the genre, and maybe even revitalized his own career in the process. (I haven't been feeling his recent stuff much lately, though... just picked up Inglourious Basterds, so we'll see)

Henry Lee84 said:Which unmade film projects do you guys actually regret never getting to see?

Stanley Kubrick was planning this whole thing about Napoleon starring Jack Nicholson... everything was lined up, then he just backed out for a bunch of different reasons. Dammit! Honestly, I think it would’ve been a fucking masterpiece. And don't even get me started on what if he had directed AI instead of handing the reins over to Steven Spielberg. That would have been another absolute classic...

Then there's Sergio Leone. He was supposedly working on a film about the siege of Leningrad with Robert De Niro in the lead. Death got to him first. I really feel like we were robbed of another one of his masterpieces because of that. If he had lived just a little longer, who knows how many more legendary movies he would've dropped on us...

Quentin Tarantino was actually looking into making a western for a while. It would've been the perfect genre for him, especially since he's such a huge fan of Sam Peckinpah and Sergio Leone. I truly believe he could've breathed life back into the genre, and maybe even revitalized his own career in the process. (I haven't been feeling his recent stuff much lately, though... just picked up Inglourious Basterds, so we'll see)

Sadly 😢

Personally, I'd like to see what that planned version would actually look like. Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola So, about that futuristic vision of New York City. I was surfing around and stumbled upon yet another interesting, though unfulfilled, project. It's regarding... Arnold Schwarzenegger's I guess I'm just here. Paul Verhoeven Crusade Paul Verhoeven left to work on Showgirls around that time anyway, and since Schwarzenegger is stuck in politics now, nothing really came of it. I've added a few more from this list that actually caught my eye:

Stanley Kubrick's Napoleon.
Orson Welles' Heart of Darkness
Alfred Hitchcock's Kaleidoscope
Terry Gilliam's... everything.
Carl Dreyer's Jesus
David Lean's Nostromo
Maybe David Lynch's Ronny Rocket.
Ray Bradbury's The Dreamers
Disney's A Princess of Mars
Benjamin Christensen's The Saints and The Spirits
Sergei Eisenstein's Que Viva Mexico
Maybe James Cameron's Spider-Man? I don't know. I guess I'd like to see this. 😁)
Maybe if Orson Welles had directed Batman, we would have actually gotten something worth watching. I guess. It’s hard to say how his style would have clashed or meshed with a superhero flick, but it probably wouldn't have been the polished blockbuster we're used to today. Maybe just something more experimental. Who knows. (And this too...)

I just can't get over what they did... David Fincher I... Morgan Freeman They scrapped the movie adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama... what a waste... Arthur C. Clarke - Rendezvous with Rama

I’ve been keeping a close eye on this project for a long time, mostly because I’m a massive David Fincher fan, plus it's my absolute favorite genre... things have been stuck in limbo for ages, but lately, there's finally some movement again...

Anyway, Morgan Freeman was in a nasty car wreck about a year ago. It pretty much forced him to scrap some of those "questionable" projects he had lined up... including this one...

Word on the street was that the script was a total nightmare to work with... apparently, trying to turn it into a movie was a massive headache...

That's a bummer...

rustyscout34 said:Personally, I'd like to see what that planned version would actually look like. Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola So, about that futuristic vision of New York City. I was surfing around and stumbled upon yet another interesting, though unfulfilled, project. It's regarding... Arnold Schwarzenegger's I guess I'm just here. Paul Verhoeven Crusade Paul Verhoeven left to work on Showgirls around that time anyway, and since Schwarzenegger is stuck in politics now, nothing really came of it. I've added a few more from this list that actually caught my eye:

Stanley Kubrick's Napoleon.
Orson Welles' Heart of Darkness
Alfred Hitchcock's Kaleidoscope
Terry Gilliam's... everything.
Carl Dreyer's Jesus
David Lean's Nostromo
Maybe David Lynch's Ronny Rocket.
Ray Bradbury's The Dreamers
Disney's A Princess of Mars
Benjamin Christensen's The Saints and The Spirits
Sergei Eisenstein's Que Viva Mexico
Maybe James Cameron's Spider-Man? I don't know. I guess I'd like to see this. 😁)
Maybe if Orson Welles had directed Batman, we would have actually gotten something worth watching. I guess. It’s hard to say how his style would have clashed or meshed with a superhero flick, but it probably wouldn't have been the polished blockbuster we're used to today. Maybe just something more experimental. Who knows. (And this too...)

Honestly—no matter how much I might struggle with certain films being made—I just can't help but feel... well, I don't know—it's hard to stay away from them all. Let's try this again—starting from scratch. I'm working on a remake—just trying to get it right this time.Look, you can check it out if you want—no pressure at all—but I honestly don't feel like I'm missing out on this movie. Even though we're talking about one of the greatest stories ever told, you have to wonder how Orson Welles would have handled the adaptation. He had such a string of failed projects—it was a mess, really—and yet, somehow, he still managed to pull off a few absolute masterpieces.

I feel so bad that so many financial doors slammed shut for Cimín after *vrat raj*—it really feels like, if he’d had his way after *lovac* and *vrat*, he could have gifted us a few more epic masterpieces!

Nicholas Walker3 said:Honestly—no matter how much I might struggle with certain films being made—I just can't help but feel... well, I don't know—it's hard to stay away from them all. Let's try this again—starting from scratch. I'm working on a remake—just trying to get it right this time.Look, you can check it out if you want—no pressure at all—but I honestly don't feel like I'm missing out on this movie. Even though we're talking about one of the greatest stories ever told, you have to wonder how Orson Welles would have handled the adaptation. He had such a string of failed projects—it was a mess, really—and yet, somehow, he still managed to pull off a few absolute masterpieces.

I feel so bad that so many financial doors slammed shut for Cimín after *vrat raj*—it really feels like, if he’d had his way after *lovac* and *vrat*, he could have gifted us a few more epic masterpieces!

But then again, Francis Ford Coppola definitely made a masterpiece with Apocalypse Now...

rustyscout34 said:But then again, Francis Ford Coppola definitely made a masterpiece with Apocalypse Now...

I honestly think you couldn't put it better than that........

Nicholas Walker3 said:I honestly think you couldn't put it better than that........

Are we talking about the adaptation or just movies in general? 🙂

To be honest, the book and the movie don't really feel alike to me—I mean, sure, the main premise is there—but those scenes by Francis Ford Coppola in the film just blow me away... even though this is one of the few books I’ve actually finished, I still find the movie way, way more enjoyable. For me, film usually wins because you get the visuals and the soundscape together, whereas when I'm reading, the "sounds" in my head just kind of fall apart—and the mental images can be pretty lackluster (:

ruggedfox28 As specified by Henry Lee84:
I can't even begin to wrap my head around what they've done. David Fincher i Morgan Freeman They’ve decided to scrap the film adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama. Arthur C. Clarke - Rendezvous with Rama

I've been following this project for quite some time, primarily because I'm such a huge fan of David Fincher. It’s also my favorite genre... things seemed to hit a standstill for a while, but there has definitely been some movement again.

In the end, Morgan Freeman was involved in a serious car accident about a year ago. It forced him to pull out of several "questionable" projects, including this one.

Apparently, there were significant issues with the screenplay as well, given how difficult it was to adapt for the screen.

That's a shame.

Exactly... honestly, I can't even begin to imagine how that work could be adapted into a film. Then again, I’m no screenwriter, so it’s hardly surprising I'm drawing a blank. 🤣

Nicholas Walker3 said:To be honest, the book and the movie don't really feel alike to me—I mean, sure, the main premise is there—but those scenes by Francis Ford Coppola in the film just blow me away... even though this is one of the few books I’ve actually finished, I still find the movie way, way more enjoyable. For me, film usually wins because you get the visuals and the soundscape together, whereas when I'm reading, the "sounds" in my head just kind of fall apart—and the mental images can be pretty lackluster (:

Apokalipsa is one of my favorite films, and Heart of Darkness is one of my favorite books, but truthfully... if I hadn't known the movie was based on the book, I doubt I would have ever realized 😬 that on my own...

Tim Burton's Superman Lives, which was written by Kevin Smith and was supposed to star Nicolas Cage.
Bob Twohy's Alien 3 and, as mentioned before, James Cameron's Spider-Man, which he passed up to go work on Titanic

😢

rustyscout34 said:Personally, I'd like to see what that planned version would actually look like. Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola So, about that futuristic vision of New York City. I was surfing around and stumbled upon yet another interesting, though unfulfilled, project. It's regarding... Arnold Schwarzenegger's I guess I'm just here. Paul Verhoeven Crusade Paul Verhoeven left to work on Showgirls around that time anyway, and since Schwarzenegger is stuck in politics now, nothing really came of it. I've added a few more from this list that actually caught my eye:

Stanley Kubrick's Napoleon.
Orson Welles' Heart of Darkness
Alfred Hitchcock's Kaleidoscope
Terry Gilliam's... everything.
Carl Dreyer's Jesus
David Lean's Nostromo
Maybe David Lynch's Ronny Rocket.
Ray Bradbury's The Dreamers
Disney's A Princess of Mars
Benjamin Christensen's The Saints and The Spirits
Sergei Eisenstein's Que Viva Mexico
Maybe James Cameron's Spider-Man? I don't know. I guess I'd like to see this. 😁)
Maybe if Orson Welles had directed Batman, we would have actually gotten something worth watching. I guess. It’s hard to say how his style would have clashed or meshed with a superhero flick, but it probably wouldn't have been the polished blockbuster we're used to today. Maybe just something more experimental. Who knows. (And this too...)

Man, that would have been an incredible movie. Apparently, Schwarzenegger also wanted to do a war film set during WWII. I can't remember where I read that... even if he played an American soldier🤷, he’d still be perfect casting for an SS officer.

And you have to notice how few movies there are about the Crusades. Why is that? It seems to me that when Ridley Scott was filming Kingdom of Heaven, he was getting threats from extremist groups. I hope that isn't the real reason...🤷

Speaking of Schwarzenegger and Ridley Scott... I remember reading somewhere a while back that the two of them were actually looking at doing a new take on "I Am Legend," which honestly would've been such a cool watch. Then you've got James Cameron—who, unfortunately, ended up dropping out of Spider-Man because of all that endless, drawn-out legal tug-of-war over the rights... he eventually just pivoted over to Titanic instead. Word is they were eyeing Michael Biehn for the lead role, too, which... man, that really would've been something special to see.

Back when they were gearing up to shoot the latest James Bond flick, Casino Royale, Quentin Tarantino was actually on the shortlist. He’s always been obsessed with the idea of tackling 007 himself... but apparently, the higher-ups got spooked by his style and played it safe by picking some "reliable" director instead. I can't help but wonder what that movie would have looked like if Tarantino had actually taken the reins.

And then there's the rumor that Stanley Kubrick was actually looking into making a massive, high-budget porn... man, imagine. We really missed out on the greatest adult film ever made.😁

Henry Lee84 said:Back when they were gearing up to shoot the latest James Bond flick, Casino Royale, Quentin Tarantino was actually on the shortlist. He’s always been obsessed with the idea of tackling 007 himself... but apparently, the higher-ups got spooked by his style and played it safe by picking some "reliable" director instead. I can't help but wonder what that movie would have looked like if Tarantino had actually taken the reins.

And then there's the rumor that Stanley Kubrick was actually looking into making a massive, high-budget porn... man, imagine. We really missed out on the greatest adult film ever made.😁

And honestly, maybe we dodged a bullet with that boring one 😁 Once upon a time, Steven Spielberg actually wanted to direct a Bond film, but then George Lucas basically handed him Indiana Jones instead. It’s kind of an open question here since Indiana... well, he's Indiana 😁 but I wouldn't put it past him to have crushed a Bond film too.

Henry Lee84 said:Back when they were gearing up to shoot the latest James Bond flick, Casino Royale, Quentin Tarantino was actually on the shortlist. He’s always been obsessed with the idea of tackling 007 himself... but apparently, the higher-ups got spooked by his style and played it safe by picking some "reliable" director instead. I can't help but wonder what that movie would have looked like if Tarantino had actually taken the reins.

And then there's the rumor that Stanley Kubrick was actually looking into making a massive, high-budget porn... man, imagine. We really missed out on the greatest adult film ever made.😁

In the early eighties, Brian De Palma—arguably one of the most daring directors working in America today—was reportedly set to direct a first high-budget porn.
He was in talks with Trace Lords, who was at the peak of her career at the time, as well as the slightly more seasoned star Annette Heaven.
The producers ultimately couldn't be swayed; the project was scrapped, and De Palma went on to film Body Double, which featured nudity, though certainly nothing beyond what Hollywood typically expects.

Wasn't Caligula actually one of those big-budget productions back in the 70s—it feels like it was? 🤷

Nicholas Walker3 said:Wasn't Caligula actually one of those big-budget productions back in the 70s—it feels like it was? 🤷

I haven't seen it myself, but this De Palma project was intended to be the first high-budget porn featuring actual adult stars making their debut in a "mainstream" film, all under the direction of a man who was considered part of the Hollywood establishment at the time. It was, by all accounts, something completely different.

wiredbison82 said:I haven't seen it myself, but this De Palma project was intended to be the first high-budget porn featuring actual adult stars making their debut in a "mainstream" film, all under the direction of a man who was considered part of the Hollywood establishment at the time. It was, by all accounts, something completely different.

If you're claiming this is totally unique without knowing about the Brass project... well—unfortunately, everything ended up being pretty much the same anyway—though one version could honestly be classified as straight-up pornography!