Topic: The Greatest Films Never Made

[ads82]

I've always been fascinated by never made movies, such as Stanley Kubrick's Napoleon and David Lynch's Ronnie Rocket. I'm also interested in "what could've happened film history". I would've loved to see Paul Verohven or David Lynch take on Return of The Jedi. Is there any film project that you would've like to have seen made or films that you wish were completed by a different director?

[Mildly Diverting]

I really would love to have seen The Beatles in Joe Orton's Up Against It. Not terribly surprising that it got shelved though.

[Popshed]

I don't think you need to look much further than Jodorowsky's fabled (and ultimately doomed) 1970s production of Dune -  Orson Welles, Salvador Dali, Mick Jagger, David Carradine, H R Giger's designs, Dan O'Bannon (who wrote Alien), a soundtrack by Pink Floyd, Stockhausen and Henry Cow, millions spent on two years worth of pre-production and a ‘fairly’ liberal 14-hour re-wiring of Herbert's books that the author rejected out of hand for some reason:

In my version of Dune, the Emperor of the galaxy is insane. He lives on an artificial gold planet, in a gold palace built according to not-laws of antilogical. He lives in symbiosis with a robot identical to him. The resemblance is so perfect that the citizens never know if they are opposite the man or the machine

I believe there's a documentary been released about it recently which I must get round to watching. You suspect the finished product couldn't possibly have lived up to the subsequent mythology. And if critics dismissed Lynch's version for being a 'perilously overloaded' mess (I quite like it, actually), you have to wonder what the fuck they would have made of Jodorowsky's. Sadly, we'll never know.

[Johnny Townmouse]

Orson Welles' ill-fated Heart of Darkness adaptation, shot entirely in POV, would be a flawed masterpiece.

I would love it if Bruce Robinson's High Rise adaptation had also gone into production - although there is a script knocking around (I haven't managed to find it).

[Phil_A]

The obvious one for me is Vincent Ward's Alien 3, the version that's essentially "The Name Of The Rose" in space. I don't dislike the Fincher version by any means, and it does seem astonishing now that such a grim, nihilistic film was ever a part of this franchise - but it was very much a mish-mash of lots of earlier drafts when it could've potentially have been something much more interesting.

Just reading about all the abandoned projects Terry Gilliam has been attached to over the years is enough to make you wonder what might've been. I'd be fascinated to've seen his versions of Gormenghast, Watchmen and A Scanner Darkly.

[lazarou]

Just reading about all the abandoned projects Terry Gilliam has been attached to over the years is enough to make you wonder what might've been. I'd be fascinated to've seen his versions of Gormenghast, Watchmen and A Scanner Darkly.

Or even his version of Harry Potter, given he was Rowling's first choice (even if it was a first choice that was never going to happen). Or that adaptation of Good Omens he was working on a little while back. His recent history just seems to be one long list of potentially amazing things that never happened.

[Thomas]

Quentin Tarantino's Casino Royale.

Before the (I reckon great) reboot of Bond in 2006, Tarantino was thinking about an adaptation of the first 007 novel. He would have done it all film noir like, black-and-white and set in the 1950s, and as a film of his own, without the Monty Norman theme or any canonical ties to the main series (though he would have put Pierce Brosnan in the role of Bond).

The Kill Bills of 2003 and 2004 feel like a bit of a waste to me,[nb]I've not 2007's Grindhouse, but I understand that it hasn't fared well.[/nb] two films that he needn't have bothered making. But I love Inglourious Basterds, so a stylish, black-and-white, 1950s James Bond would have been something to see. As long as Tarantino didn't cameo as Felix Leiter.

[vrailaine]

Inferno by Henri-Georges Cluozot looks like it could've been something really cool.

[Brundle-Fly]

Dredd 2

A suggestion that should probably be a tag but I'm gutted that this didn't become a franchise.

And as I've been led to believe, the follow up to Day Of The Dead,, George A Romero's Dead Reckoning script that got butchered and became the disappointing Land Of The Dead.

[Chichester Cathedral]

Nicholas Cage as Superman.

[Necrophagism]

And as I've been led to believe, the follow up to Day Of The Dead,, George A Romero's Dead Reckoning script that got butchered and became the disappointing Land Of The Dead.

I rued the fact that his version of Resident Evil was never made. From what I remember after reading his script a few years ago, it seemed to be an earnest and fan boy friendly treatment of the original game. Which was great!

[prwc]

Not exactly the same thing, but this list of the most tantalising lost films is interesting reading. It should be noted a lot of them (at least 10 or so to my knowledge) have shown up since, so that gives me some hope to see the rest.

[TrevorDistance]

would have loved to have seen Fassbinder's Rosa L.

[Mini]

David Cronenberg's American Psycho (starring Brad Pitt) or his Total Recall. Actually those films are probably better off without Cronenberg, but still though http://io9.com/5907260/never+before+seen-concept-art-from-david-cronenbergs-total-recall/

[Pepotamo1985]

Dredd 2

A suggestion that should probably be a tag but I'm gutted that this didn't become a franchise.

Is this definitely not flying as a franchise, then? I'd heard it was doing really fucking well on Blu Ray and DVD sales and there were mutterings of a sequel.

Shame, because it's fucking mental good.

David Cronenberg's American Psycho (starring Brad Pitt)

Wasn't there also a mooted version of AP which was to be all in black & white, starring Johnny Depp, that'd be very faithful to the book? I'd like to see that.

[Thomas]

Wasn't there also a mooted version of AP which was to be all in black & white, starring Johnny Depp ...

I read this line first, and thought you were talking about Alan Partridge.

[Hangthebuggers]

Or even his version of Harry Potter, given he was Rowling's first choice (even if it was a first choice that was never going to happen). Or that adaptation of Good Omens he was working on a little while back. His recent history just seems to be one long list of potentially amazing things that never happened.

M.Night Shymalan was in talks regarding Harry Potter.

Oh and Dan Akroyd and Bill Murray were allegedly planned to be involved in a 'Hitchiker's guide to the galaxy' film too, but instead we got Ghost busters.

[zomgmouse]

Orson Welles' ill-fated Heart of Darkness adaptation, shot entirely in POV, would be a flawed masterpiece.

Also see: his The Merchant of Venice, Moby Dick...

[Phil_A]

Is this definitely not flying as a franchise, then? I'd heard it was doing really fucking well on Blu Ray and DVD sales and there were mutterings of a sequel.

I have a feeling the ship may've already sailed when it comes to "Dredd 2", and to be honest it was probably already miles out to sea by the time the US Box Office came in. It's true that's there's a Rebellion-backed campaign to get a sequel green-lit, but I guess they probably wouldn't have got involved if there was any chance of it happening through the usual means.

There is a sequel of sorts running in the pages of Judge Dredd Megazine, which might be the best we're going to get for the time being.

[Marty McFly]

Wasn't there also a mooted version of AP which was to be all in black & white, starring Johnny Depp, that'd be very faithful to the book? I'd like to see that.

I don't know if that version was based on this 1998 script but it's a good read nonetheless:

http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/american_psycho_unproduced.html

[SteveDave]

I really would love to have seen The Beatles in Joe Orton's Up Against It. Not terribly surprising that it got shelved though.

Yes! The play was rejigged by Orton after it was rejected & Ringo & George were amalgamated into one character but it still seems like it would've been a mental film & would've done for them possibly what "Head" did for The Monkees.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

it still seems like it would've been a mental film & would've done for them possibly what "Head" did for The Monkees.

Ended their career?

[SteveDave]

Ended their career?

Yep

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

It would've been fun to watch, though.

[biggytitbo]

The original version of Basic Instinct with Nicholas Lyndhurst would have been something to see. In the end they co portly rewrote it and cast Sharon Stone instead.

[SteveDave]

It would've been fun to watch, though.

You can sort of hear it here- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9QGhkMONvI

[Santa's Boyfriend]

Is this definitely not flying as a franchise, then? I'd heard it was doing really fucking well on Blu Ray and DVD sales and there were mutterings of a sequel.

Shame, because it's fucking mental good.

There are no current plans, but the film-makers are aware that it's gained a strong cult following who are being quite vocal about wanting a sequel, so you never know.  It's not up to them of course, it's up to the money men, but if the film carries on doing well and gaining a following as it has been, then a sequel may well happen.

[biggytitbo]

Carry on Dallas with Kenneth Williams as R.U. Screwing is one of the great missed opportunities  in cinema history.

[Brundle-Fly]

You can sort of hear it here- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9QGhkMONvI

And there is also Ed Ball's imaginary soundtrack (1986)


 

[Hodgson]

 Ralph Bakshi's animated versions of Grease and Blade Runner

 Don Bluth and Michael Jackson's proposed mid 80s all CGI project that would have been similar to Fantasia but based around Beatles songs

 The late 70s / early 80s Batman movie that would have been a companion piece of sorts to the 1978 Superman

 David Fincher's Spider-Man movie that would have had a ten minute pre credit montage that dealt with the origin and first eight or so years of his superhero career getting it out of the way for the main plot

There was an idea for a Muppet film that would feature Gonzo spending the entire budget on the title sequence meaning that the rest of the film would feature increasingly shoddy sets and props

Russ Meyer's Sex Pistols movie

Alex Cox's black and white version of Let Him Have It

On his commentary for The Krays movie Peter Medak talks about an idea he had for another Kray film from the POV of Nipper Read and the other detectives who finally brought them down