Movies
• - A Confederacy of Dunces, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, has had a film adaptation announced at least seven times, with some attempting to write a full screenplay and most of the novel's cast of main characters. It always got stuck and abandoned.[9][10][11][12][13][14][9][15][16].
• - Alien vs. Predator: Alien vs. Predator was first planned shortly after the 1990 release of Predator 2, to be released sometime in 1993. It was put on hold for over a decade, with constant casting changes, reboots, and failed promotions for the film until it was finally released in 2004.[17].
• - Love and Mercy")': Named after the song, a 1988 biopic of The Beach Boys was proposed with William Hurt as Brian Wilson. Discussions for a feature-length biopic continued for decades, but production didn't get off the ground until 2011 with director Bill Pohlad") and screenwriter Oren Movermana") at the helm. The film was released in 2014, starring Paul Dano and John Cusack as Wilson.[18].
• - Akira: Warner Bros. acquired the rights to make the American live-action adaptation of the anime film and manga of the same name in 2002, and several attempts have been made to film it.[19] Directors attached to the project since 2002 have included Stephen Norrington, Ruairí Robinson), the Hughes Brothers), George Miller, Christopher Nolan, and Jaume Collet-Serra. In 2019 it was announced that filming would take place later that year, in a production produced by Andrew Lazary, Leonardo DiCaprio, and directed by Taika Waititi. However, in June 2025 The Hollywood Reporter reported that Warner Bros. had lost the exclusive license granted by Kōdansha to make the film, once again leaving the film in a state of indefinite hiatus.
• - Alita: Battle Angel: James Cameron's live-action adaptation of Yukito Kishiro's manga series, Alita: Battle Angel was in development hell in the early 2000s. The project was finally completed under the direction of Robert Rodriguez and released in 2019.[22].
• - Atlas Shrugged: The film and subsequent adaptations of Ayn Rand's novel unfolded in hell for almost 40 years[23] before the novel was finally presented in the first part of a trilogy in 2011. Part II appeared in 2012, and Part III was published in September 2014.[24].
• - Atuk"): A film adaptation of the novel The Incomparable Atuk. Norman Jewison first bought the rights to the film in 1971, and since then there have been several attempts to produce it. One Hollywood legend maintains that the project is cursed, due to the premature deaths of several actors who expressed interest in the lead role: John Belushi, Sam Kinison, John Candy, Phil Hartman and Chris Farley.[25].
• - Austin Powers 4 "Austin Powers (saga)"): The possibility of a third sequel to the film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery was first announced in 2005 by Mike Myers, who said: "There is hope!" and "We're all hanging around and talking to each other. I miss playing the characters."[26] In July 2008, Mike Myers stated that he had begun writing Austin Powers 4, and that the plot is "really about Dr. Malito and his son."[27] In September 2013, when asked about the future of Austin Powers, Myers responded, "I'm still thinking about it."[28].
• - Bajirao Mastani: The film was conceived in the 1990s and was finally announced in 2003, but was shelved indefinitely due to its ever-changing cast. The film was eventually revived in 2014 and went into production immediately, and was released in December 2015.[29].
• - Batman Unchained"): The failure of Batman & Robin in 1997 hampered many attempts to produce a fifth Batman film until Warner Bros. opted to reboot the series in 2005, resulting in the much more successful Batman Begins.[30].
• - Beetlejuice 2: In 1990, Tim Burton commissioned a sequel to Beetlejuice called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, written by Jonathan Gems").[30] After multiple studio rewrites, in 1997 Gems declared that the film will never be made. In 2011, Warner Bros. hired Seth Grahame-Smith to write and produce a sequel.[31] In 2013, Winona Ryder expressed interest in the sequel, saying, "I'm kind of sworn to secrecy, but it feels like it could be happening 27 years later."[32] In January 2015, writer Grahame-Smith said that the script was finished and that he and Burton intended to begin filming before the end of the year, and that both Keaton and Ryder would return in their respective roles.[33] In April 2019, Warner Bros. stated that the sequel had been shelved.[34].
• - Beverly Hills Cop III: It went through several script revisions, including a treatment (a script idea) that had Axel Foley") join a Scotland Yard detective (who was to be played by Sean Connery), until the final version was finally approved, released in 1994.[35][36][37][38].
• - Dallas Buyers Club"): the script was written in September 1992 by Craig Borten"). Throughout the 1990s, he wrote 10 different scripts, hoping they would be picked up. It failed to obtain financial backing, going through three different directors, and was finally launched in 2013, directed by Jean-Marc Vallée.[39].
• - The Dark Tower: An adaptation of The Dark Tower had been in development since at least 2007.[40] The film was released on August 4, 2017.[41].
• - Deadpool "Deadpool (film)"): Deadpool was in development hell for more than 15 years.[42] In May 2000, Artisan Entertainment") announced an agreement with Marvel Entertainment to co-produce, finance and distribute a film based on the American comic books from the publisher Marvel Comics and its character Deadpool.[43] In February 2004, New Line Cinema attempted to produce a Deadpool film with the writer/director David S. Goyer working on the spin-off and actor Ryan Reynolds in the lead role;[44][45] Reynolds himself became interested in the character after discovering Cable & Deadpool, Deadpool referring to his own appearance as "Ryan Reynolds crossed with a Shar-Pei"). In the turn of Deadpool, 20th Century Fox became interested in moving forward with production on the project.[49] Fox considered a Deadpool spin-off early in the development of version in direct.[54] In April 2011, visual effects specialist Tim Miller was hired as director, making the film his directorial debut.[55] In September 2014, Fox gave the film a release date of February 12, 2016.[56] The film was released on that date to positive reviews[57][58] and became the ninth highest-grossing film of 2016 worldwide,[59] as well as the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, until the release of Joker "Joker (film)") in 2019.[60][61].
• - Death Note "Death Note (2017 film)"): This 2017 supernatural thriller film; loosely based on the Japanese manga and anime of the same name, respectively; had been in development since August 2007.[62] American production company Vertigo Entertainment was originally going to develop the remake, with Charley and Vlas Parlapanides as writers and Roy Lee, Doug Davison), Dan Lin, and Brian Witten as producers.[63] On April 30, 2009, Variety reported that Warner Bros., the distributors of the original Japanese live-action films, had acquired the rights for an American remake, with the original screenwriters and producers still attached.[64] In 2009, Zac Efron responded to rumors that he would play the film's lead role by stating that the project was "not in the cards."[65] On January 13, 2011, it was announced that Shane Black had been hired to direct the film, with the script written by Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry.[66] Warner Studios planned to change the backstory. of Light Yagami to one of revenge instead of justice and removing Shinigami from the story. Black opposed this change, and had not been greenlit.[67] Black confirmed in a 2013 interview with Bleeding Cool that he was still working on the film.[68] In July 2014, it was rumored that Gus Van Sant would replace Black as the film's new director, with Dan Lin, Doug Davison), Roy Lee, and Brian Witten") as producers through Vertigo Entertainment, Witten Pictures") and Lin Pictures.[69] The film was ultimately directed by Adam Wingard and was distributed by Netflix in August 2017 to polarizing but mostly negative reviews; Both from critics and from the public, especially from fans.
• - The Wizard of Oz: Since the beginning of American cinema, various adaptations of the classic book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum were made without much success and did not contain the same affection that the book emanated. It was not until 1937 after the success of the film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Walt Disney that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer would decide to buy the rights and make the definitive adaptation, using innovative techniques such as the use of Technicolor. In 1938, after multiple scripts, production would finally begin with the direction of Richard Thorpe and the cast would include Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Buddy Ebsen and Margaret Hamilton "Margaret Hamilton (actress)"). toxic, while in the hospital, Ebsen was replaced by actor Jack Haley, whose makeup was changed to aluminum paste, which caused eye problems. The MGM producers felt that the material filmed by Thorpe was useless and seemed to rush the production, which is why he was fired and relocated to another project and in his place George Cukor was hired, who changed many of the designs from Thorpe's version to those that ultimately remained in the film, however, Cukor abandoned the project and Victor Fleming was hired in his place, who remained as the director of the film. During filming multiple problems occurred:
- Fleming was very strict and impatient and especially became desperate when Judy Garland forgot her lines or got distracted, going so far as to slap her on one occasion in frustration.
- The green makeup of the character of the Wicked Witch of the West contained small copper particles. During the filming of the scene in which the character disappears in the middle of an explosion in the Munchkins' village, the fire reached the side of her face and the right hand of actress Margaret Hamilton and she had to be hospitalized after suffering second-degree burns from the copper particles in the makeup. The studio temporarily replaced her with a double for some risk scenes, but she also suffered from burns during filming in which the witch writes a message. threat in the sky, as the smoke machine overheated and exploded while the stunt double was in the air.
- Bert Lahr, the actor who plays the Cowardly Lion, wore a suit made with the real skin of a lion, which added to the heat of the set due to the enormous amount of lighting for the color of the scenes, Lahr sweated too much and due to the makeup, he could not eat food, it was necessary to hire assistants to hydrate him and dry the sweat, also every time he took off the suit, it gave off a terrible smell due to the sweat, which is why it was necessary to dry the suit with the use of fans industrial.
- Terry "Terry (dog)"), the dog who played Toto, one of her paws was accidentally crushed during filming in which the Witch's henchmen Winkies were chasing her, fortunately she recovered quickly.
- For both Ray Bolger (who plays the Scarecrow) and Margaret Hamilton, the makeup they used caused some allergic reactions, but even after production ended, the makeup was left on their skin and took several months to remove.
- The scene in which the characters were in a poppy field and it started to snow, the snow was made using asbestos, an element that for humans turns out to be highly carcinogenic "Cancer (genre)").
- Several actors who played the flying monkeys were hung with ropes for some scenes, on one occasion the ropes broke and several of these actors suffered serious injuries after falling from a considerable height.
- Judy Garland, the protagonist who played Dorothy Gale, lived on a strict diet to adapt to the character, which consisted of only consuming a bowl of soup and a plate of lettuce, while to activate her on the set if she felt exhausted, she was given amphetamine and to sleep she was given barbiturates. This process ended up making her addicted to these substances, which would eventually end her life thirty years after the film's release.
• - The Brazilian Job"): A sequel to the 2003 remake of The Italian Job "The Italian Job (2003 film)") was in development in the summer of 2004, but has faced multiple delays. Principal photography was scheduled to begin in March 2005, with a projected release date of November or December 2005.[70] However, the script was never finalized, and the release date Release was delayed sometime in 2006,[71] and later to summer 2007.[72] Writer David Twohy approached Paramount Pictures with an original script titled The Wrecking Crew, and while the studio liked the idea, they thought it would work better as a sequel to The Italian Job.[73] Gray was scheduled to return as director, as were most, if not all, of the cast. original.[72][73] At least two drafts of the script had been written by August 2007, but the project had not been illuminated.[74].
• - Foodfight: In 2000, the CGI movie Foodfight was announced. Described as "Toy Story in a supermarket," the film promised to bring together more than 80 famous advertising characters with voice talent, including Charlie Sheen, Christopher Lloyd, Eva Longoria, Hilary and Haylie Duffy. Wayne Brady. Director Lawrence Kasanoff) hoped it would be a commercial success and merchandise from the film would appear in stores before the release date. However, the film ran into many problems.[75] In late 2002/early 2003, Kasanoff reported that hard drives containing unfinished assets from the film had been stolen in what he called an act of "industrial espionage." After several years, a trailer[76] was finally shown on AHM in 2011, a company bought the DVD distribution rights for the film in Europe,[77] and an American video-on-demand release was released in 2012.
• - Gigantic: an animated fantasy comedy film from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Based on the English folk tale "Jack and the Beanstalk," the story would take place in Spain, where Jack befriends a female giant. The project would have been set for release on November 25, 2020, but was shelved in October 2017 during development due to creative difficulties.[78][79].
• - ID Forever Part I and II: The Independence Day aftermath unfolded in hell from 1997 to 2009, when director Roland Emmerich announced pre-production on the films, which were planned to be filmed back-to-back.[80] However, ID Forever Part I was renamed Independence Day: Resurgence for release on June 24, 2016.[81].
• - Jurassic World: In March 2001, Joe Johnston, director of Jurassic Park III, said that he and executive producer Steven Spielberg had discussed the idea of a story for a fourth Jurassic Park film "Jurassic Park (franchise)"), which Johnston was not interested in directing.[82] In May 2001, Spielberg had Amblin Entertainment begin developing ideas for Jurassic Park. IV, which he planned to produce.[83] Late in Jurassic Park III and its production, Spielberg came up with a story idea that he believed should have been used for the third film.[84] In June 2001, Johnston announced that he would not be directing the film and that Spielberg had a story idea that would extend the mythology of the series.[85] In January 2003, Jeff Goldblum said that he had been asked to stay on. available for a possible return of his character, Ian Malcolm").[86] At the end of the month, it was reported that the story would involve dinosaurs migrating to the Costa Rican mainland. A team of experts, including Alan Grant and Ian Malcolm, plan an expedition to an offshore island and discover the freely reproducing dinosaurs. The plot would involve the characters devising a way to restrict the spread of the dinosaurs and prevent an ecological disaster.[87] In December 2008, a The month after Crichton's death, Marshall and Kennedy said that the planned fourth film in the sequence had been abandoned.[88] In early 2010, Johnston said that Jurassic Park IV would essentially be the beginning of a second Jurassic Park trilogy.[89][90][91] Johnston also said that the film would feature new characters and a story that did not involve a dinosaur theme park, and that it would not use the story from the initial draft of Sayles' 2004 film. Johnston hoped to continue developing the project with Spielberg after other projects were completed, including Johnston's 2011 film, Captain America: The First Avenger.[91] Despite this, Spielberg said in October 2011 that the script was being written by Protosevich, and that he felt the story they were working on was stronger than that of Jurassic Park III.[92] On January 11, In 2013, Universal said the film would be made in 3D and released on June 13, 2014.[93] In February, it was reported that Kathleen Kennedy would not produce the film in favor of focusing on Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens for 2015.[94] Frank Marshall took over as lead producer Shortly after, the director of studio operations at Raleigh Studios in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, confirmed that Universal Pictures had booked space there since. April to November 2013, without specifying the reason.[95] The film was released in more than 60 countries as of June 10, 2015.
• - Keith Moon Film: A biopic of The Who drummer Keith Moon was first announced by The Who singer Roger Daltrey in 1994. A competing film by Keith Moon's personal manager Peter "Dougal" Butler, produced by Robert De Niro and written by Dick Clement") and Ian La Frenais"), was canceled in 1998 after Pete Townshend denied The Who's use of the music. Who.[96] Since then, some big names have been attached to the film (a script by Alex Cox[97] among many written, and a starring role for Robbie Williams[98] or Mike Myers[99]) but no script has yet gained the approval of Roger Daltrey.[100] As of 2013, the film is attached to Exclusive Media") and Da Vinci Media Ventures").[101].
• - Mad Max 4: In 1995, George Miller reacquired the rights to future Mad Max films from Warner Bros.[102] The idea for a fourth installment occurred to Miller in August 1998 while walking at an intersection in Los Angeles.[103] About a year later, while traveling from Los Angeles to Australia, the idea came together. Miller conceived a story where "violent bad guys fought, not for oil or material goods, but for human beings."[103] The film was shot in 2001 through 20th Century Fox, but was postponed due to the September 11 attacks of that same year.[104] there was a little window when it was ready.” Mel Gibson, who starred in the previous three films, would not return to his role as the title character. Miller ended up recasting the role due to the controversies surrounding Gibson and because he wanted Max to remain at a younger age, as the "same contemporary warrior".[103] Miller announced in 2003 that a script for a fourth film had been written, and that pre-production was in the early stages.[105] The project was greenlit. To begin filming in the Australian desert in May 2003 with a budget of US$100 million, but the location was ruined by rain. Mad Max 4 then went on hiatus due to security concerns related to its release in Namibia due to stricter travel and shipping restrictions at the beginning of the Iraq War.[106][107] Finally, after a complete restructuring of the project, the film Mad Max: Fury Road was made, which was released on May 15, 2015.
• - The Man Who Killed Don Quixote: a loose adaptation of the Don Quixote tale written and directed by Terry Gilliam. Production originally began in 1998, but during filming in 2000, a significant number of difficulties, such as the facility and equipment destroyed by flooding, the film being released due to illness, problems obtaining insurance for the production, and other financial difficulties, led to a sudden suspension of production and its subsequent cancellation. Part of the development hell is shown in the documentary Lost in La Mancha. Gilliam made several additional attempts to revive the project[108][109][110][111][112] until filming was finally completed in 2017 and the finished film was released the following year.
• - The Jetsons: A live-action adaptation of The Jetsons was first announced in late 1984 by Paramount Pictures. The film was to be directed by Gary Nardino and released in 1985, but was never made.[113] In the late 1980s, Universal Pictures purchased the film rights to The Flintstones and The Jetsons from Hanna-Barbera Productions. The result was the animated film The Jetsons: The Movie, which was released in 1990. In May 2007, director Robert Rodriguez entered into talks with Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. to film a live-action film adaptation of The Jetsons for a possible theatrical release in 2009, having at the time discussed directing a film adaptation of Land of the Lost with Universal. Rodriguez was unsure of what the project would follow next, although the latest script draft for The Jetsons by assigned writer Adam F. Goldberg was further along in development.[114] The film was further along in development.[114] would be released in 2012. However, in early 2012, Warner Bros. indefinitely delayed the film's release. Also in 2012, Warner Bros. hired screenwriting duo Van Robichaux and Evan Susser to rewrite the script. Producer Denise Di Novi said in 2011 that Rodriguez was out of the project because her vision for the film was "not a conventional studio version." Kanye West reported via Twitter in February 2012 that he was in talks to be creative director of The Jetsons.[115].
• - Me and My Shadow "Me and My Shadow (Cancelled 2014 Film)"): An animated fantasy comedy film from DreamWorks Animation that would feature the studio's CG animation combined with traditional hand-drawn animation. The film was announced in December 2010 and is scheduled for a March 2013 release date.[116] It would then see two release date changes, first to November 2013[117] and then to March 2014.[118] In February 2013, it was announced that the film had been returned to development with an unknown release date.[119] After joining with NBCUniversal, DreamWorks announced that it had revived production on the film for a 2019 release, retitled Shadows.
• - Meteor "Speed Racer (film)"): A film based on the live-action Speed Racer anime had been in the works since 1992, when Warner Bros. optioned the rights to make a film version of it in conjunction with Silver Pictures.[120] In October 1994, singer Henry Rollins was offered the role of Racer lead role in Meteor, which is scheduled to begin production next October,[122] In September 2000, Warner Bros. and producer Lauren Shuler") Donner hired writer-director Hype Williams to take the helm of the project.[123] In June 2004, Vince Vaughn spearheaded a revival of the project by submitting a shot for the film that would further develop the characters. Vaughn was cast as Racer and was also attached to the project as an executive producer. With production never activated, Vaughn eventually parted ways with the project.[124] However, The Wachowskis") were brought on board to write and direct the film in October 2006. The film was released on May 9, 2008. Although critics gave it mixed reviews and it was a box office bomb; It was received positively by fans.
• - Midnight Run 2"): In 2010, it was announced that Universal Pictures had hired Tim Dowling") to write a sequel to Midnight Run, with Robert De Niro set to reprise his role as Jack Walsh. In addition to starring, the actor was slated to produce the film with Jane Rosenthal. It was said that it was possible that Charles Grodin would reprise his role and that Martin Brest would return to direct the sequel.[125] De Niro said that the plot would revolve around his character helping to Grodin's son, "who got into trouble."[126]
• - Popeye: In March 2010, it was reported that Sony Pictures Animation is developing a 3D computer-animated Popeye film, with Avi Arad producing.[127] In November 2011, Sony Pictures Animation announced that Jay Scherick") and David Ronn"), the writers of The Smurfs, are writing the script for the film.[128] In June 2012, it was reported that Genndy Tartakovsky had been slated to direct the feature,[129] which he planned to make "as inventive and unrealistic as possible."[130] In November 2012, Sony Pictures Animation set the release date for September 26, 2014,[131] which was pushed back to May 2013.[132] In March 2014, Sony Pictures Animation updated its schedule, scheduling the film for 2016. and announced Tartakovsky as the director of Hotel Transylvania 2, which he was directing at the same time as Popeye.[133] On September 18, 2014, Tartakovsky revealed a "test animation" sequence, about which he said, "It's something that represents what we want to do. I couldn't be more excited about how it turned out."[134] In March 2015, despite well-received test footage, it was announced that the film was not being made. will be released in 2016 because Tartakovsky stopped working on the project and would instead direct Can You Imagine?"), which is based on his own original idea, but was scrapped.[135][136] In January 2016, it was announced that TJ Fixman") would write the film.[137].
• - Jaws "Jaws (film)"): In 1973, a year before the publication of the novel Jaws "Jaws (novel)") written by Peter Benchley, a manuscript was sent to the Universal Pictures office, which caused producers David Brown Baren and Richard D. Zanuck to buy the rights, believing that it had enormous potential for a film. A young Steven Spielberg was hired to direct, who had recently finished filming his first Hollywood film The Sugarland Express, and with that an agreement was reached to film the film even before the publication of the book. The filming would take place on the island of Martha's Vineyard but also at sea and would feature the actors Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw "Robert Shaw (actor)"), Richard Dreyfuss and Lorraine Gary, however, for Spielberg the real star of the film had to be the shark, three animatronic models of a great white shark were manufactured (which was nicknamed Bruce in honor of Spielberg's lawyer), although the tests were successful, they were carried out with water of swimming pools, because the filming of the scenes would take place at sea, the mechanical shark constantly failed due to the salt water quickly rusting the mechanical components or breaking them under the pressure, this led to filming being delayed many weeks and the film's budget increasing to $9 million dollars. Filming at sea was not a good experience either, many of the crew and actors got dizzy due to the constant movement of the boats, the movement also made it difficult to put a good frame on the cameras, several cameras ended up being damaged due to the water, although saving the tapes with which they were filmed, but also when a sailboat or a boat appeared where they had to film, the filming would stop until the barges left, sometimes delaying the filming for more than 1 hour. filming day. Due to the mechanical shark malfunctioning, Spielberg changed the film's plan to make it a thriller and show as little of the shark as possible. The film was released in 1975 and was a huge success at the box office and critics and was nominated for multiple awards. Despite this, Spielberg himself admitted that even after that bad experience, he suffered from nightmares and argued that the experience caused him post-traumatic stress disorder. Despite this, the success of this film began Spielberg's streak of successes that were seen in later years.
• - The Postman "The Postman (1997 film)": Author David Brind wrote the ten-year effort to get his novel produced as a film. Production began in 1987, but the final film was not released until 1997. In the process, the script went through so many revisions that the shooting script barely resembled the book, and then the writers "borrowed" elements from the book to improve the film. The film was a box office bomb and was negatively reviewed.[138].
• - Sin City: A Lady to Kill: A sequel to Sin City, announced for a 2008 release, did not enter production until 2012,[139] and was released in 2014.
• - The Strangers: Prey at Night: After the success of the 2008 horror film, The Strangers, one of the studios that produced it, Intrepid Pictures, began working on a sequel.[140] The writer/director of the first film, Brian Bertino"), co-wrote a script with Ben Ketai").[141] The project was originally scheduled to enter principal photography in 2009,[141] during which time it was Tentatively titled The Strangers: Part II.[140] Directors Laurent Briet") and Marcel Langenegger") were considered to direct, but Johannes Roberts was ultimately cast.[142] In 2010, Relativity Media") put The Strangers: Part II on hold because they decided they might not be interested in the film, even though Universal Pictures was willing to distribute it. However, Rogue Pictures confirmed in January 2011 that the sequel was back in production, and was then scheduled to begin filming beginning in April 2011; In a press release, Rogue revealed that the plot would concern "a family of four who have been evicted from their home due to the economy, and are visited by the same three strangers from the first film."[143] After a period of troubled development,[142] filming on the sequel began on May 30, 2017.[144] Now titled The Strangers: Prey at Night, the film was released on May 9, 2017. March 2018.[145].
• - Superman Lives"): the name given to a project started by producer Jon Petersen") in 1993 as Superman Reborn. The proposed film would have followed the comic book story line known as The Death of Superman. Jonathan Lemkin") was hired to write the initial script, but Peters hired a number of additional screenwriters to revise the script, including Gregory Poirier") in 1995 and Kevin Smith in 1996. Director Tim Burton joined the film, with Nicolas Cage cast as the Man of Steel"), and several more screenwriters were brought on board for several more rewrites. Burton retired in late 1998 citing differences with producer Peters and the studios, opting instead to direct Sleepy Hollow. Additional writers and directors were attached to the project at various times over the next few years. Peters' project went through several more permutations before evolving into Superman Returns, released in 2006, 13 years after initial development began.[146][147] The film's journey through development hell was later explored by a documentary on the subject, The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened?, released in 2015.[148].
• - Timeless: Timeless is a story written by Michael Bartlett ("author of The Zombie Diaries"). Timeless.[152].
• - Venom "Venom (2018 film)"): Development of a live-action film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name began in 1997, when David S. Goyer wrote a script for a 'Venom' film for New Line Cinema. But it never took off, but would later be revived by Sony Pictures after Venom's first appearance in Spider-Man 3 in 2007, it would go through various stages of development for over a decade before being released in October 2018 directed by Ruben Fleischer.
• - Warcraft "Warcraft (film)"): A live-action adaptation of the Warcraft series was first announced in 2006.[153] The film spent several years in development hell before the project moved forward. It was scheduled for a 2016 release.[154] The film was released in June 2016 worldwide with a premiere in Paris in May.[155]
• - Watchmen "Watchmen (film)"): the 2009 film based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore from DC Comics had several problems; such as four different studios and several directors and screenwriters attached to the project; He stopped the development of the adaptation through twenty years. That was until 2006, when Zack Snyder was hired as the film's director. It was finally released on March 6, 2009.
• - Wild Wild West: The 1999 film based on the 1960 television series The Wild Wild West began production when Warner Bros. acquired the film rights to the television series in 1992, in which Richard Donner was hired to direct from a script by Shane Black. That would have starred Mel Gibson as Jim West (Donner, coincidentally, directed three episodes of the original series). However, Donner and Gibson left the project to work on a film adaptation of Maverick in 1994. After Tom Cruise withdrew from the project (after being cast to star in Gibson's absence) to star in Mission: Impossible (1996), Will Smith and director Barry Sonnenfeld collaborated to begin production on Wild Wild West in 1997; The film was finally released on June 30, 1999 as a major critical and commercial failure.
• - The Works: A planned computer-animated film developed sporadically at the New York Institute of Technology between 1979 and 1986. If released, it would have been the first computer-animated film, predating Toy Story (1995). Due to limited technology at the time, as well as financial reasons and lack of interest, only 10 minutes of the film were completed.[156].
• - The X-Files: I Want to Believe: The second film based on the popular American television show The