Many screenplays have been written with the potential to dominate the box office, but for various reasons, they never saw the light of day. These unproduced films would have attracted major stars and directors and captivated audiences around the world. Discover these fascinating screenplays that could have been blockbuster hits.
Stanley Kubrick’s Napoleon
Stanley Kubrick once called Napoleon the greatest movie he never made. He spent years researching, even compiling a 15,000-page biography on the famous French leader. The project was ambitious, set to involve massive battle scenes and detailed historical accuracy. But Hollywood deemed the project too costly, and it was eventually shelved. If it had been produced, it could have been an epic in the same league as Ben-Hur or Lawrence of Arabia.
Darren Aronofsky’s Batman: Year One
Before Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, Darren Aronofsky had his own dark vision for a Batman reboot called Batman: Year One. It was gritty and grounded in a very realistic Gotham. The screenplay was based on Frank Miller’s comic and focused on a young, inexperienced Bruce Wayne. Aronofsky’s take was so intense and raw that Warner Bros. feared it wouldn’t resonate with a mainstream audience. This bold project could have reshaped the superhero genre before Nolan did.
Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Dune
Alejandro Jodorowsky’s planned adaptation of Dune in the 1970s was one of the most ambitious unmade films in history. The project featured a surreal 10-hour vision with stars like Mick Jagger and Salvador Dalí. However, it was ultimately canceled due to its massive budget and experimental approach, which scared off studios. Despite never being made, Jodorowsky’s ideas influenced later sci-fi classics like Star Wars and Alien, leaving a lasting legacy in film history.
Joss Whedon’s Wonder Woman
Long before Gal Gadot took on the role, Joss Whedon had been hired to write and direct a Wonder Woman film. His script aimed to modernize the iconic character while balancing action and humor. But creative differences between Whedon and the studio led to the project being scrapped. With Whedon’s talent for crafting strong female characters, this version of Wonder Woman might have been a fresh, fun take on the superhero.
George A. Romero’s Resident Evil
Before Paul W.S. Anderson turned Resident Evil into a blockbuster film series, George A. Romero was hired to adapt the popular video game. Known for his work on Night of the Living Dead, Romero’s version was faithful to the horror elements of the game. However, the studio didn’t agree with his dark tone and went in a different direction. Romero’s Resident Evil could have been a zombie thriller unlike any other.
Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit (Before the Trilogy)
Years before The Lord of the Rings became a phenomenon, Peter Jackson wanted to direct The Hobbit as a single film. However, rights issues with the studio delayed the project. By the time it was ready to go, The Lord of the Rings had already been made, and the studio decided to turn The Hobbit into a trilogy. If Jackson’s original vision had been made, we might have seen a tighter, more focused adventure.
Guillermo del Toro’s At the Mountains of Madness
Guillermo del Toro is a master of dark fantasy, and his adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness could have been a game-changer for horror. The screenplay was written, and Tom Cruise was attached to star, but the studio pulled out due to concerns over its R-rated content and high budget. If it had been made, it could have been a visual masterpiece combining Lovecraft’s cosmic horror with del Toro’s unique style.
Frank Darabont’s Indiana Jones and the City of the Gods
Before Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was made, Frank Darabont wrote a script called Indiana Jones and the City of the Gods. His screenplay was well-received by Steven Spielberg, but George Lucas didn’t approve, and it was ultimately scrapped. Many believe Darabont’s version was more in line with the spirit of the original trilogy. It could have avoided the criticisms that the final film received.
David Fincher’s Rendezvous with Rama
David Fincher had long been attached to adapt Arthur C. Clarke’s classic sci-fi novel Rendezvous with Rama. The story revolves around a mysterious alien spacecraft entering the solar system, and it had the potential to be a visually stunning and intellectually stimulating film. However, despite years of development, the project never got off the ground. Fincher’s reputation for crafting atmospheric, cerebral films would have made this an unforgettable sci-fi epic.
David Lynch’s Ronnie Rocket
David Lynch’s Ronnie Rocket is a surreal, unmade film about a deformed man who controls electricity. Written after Eraserhead, Lynch envisioned it as an industrial fantasy filled with strange characters and settings. Despite several attempts to get the film funded, studios found the concept too bizarre to back. Lynch has called the project “hibernating,” leaving fans to wonder if it will ever be produced.
Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
Terry Gilliam has been trying to make The Man Who Killed Don Quixote for decades, but the production has been plagued with endless setbacks. While a version of the film was eventually released in 2018, it was a much-altered take from Gilliam’s original vision. His first attempt involved time travel and was filled with the surreal, imaginative style that he’s known for. The unproduced version had the potential to be a whimsical masterpiece.
James Cameron’s Spider-Man
Before Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, James Cameron was attached to direct a version of the superhero’s origin story. Cameron’s screenplay was darker, with a more complex Peter Parker and intense action sequences. But studio disagreements and legal issues prevented it from moving forward. With Cameron’s vision and groundbreaking special effects, this version of Spider-Man might have redefined the superhero genre even earlier.
Ridley Scott’s I Am Legend
Before the Will Smith version of I Am Legend, Ridley Scott was set to direct an adaptation of the Richard Matheson novel, with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead. The screenplay was darker and more faithful to the novel’s grim tone. However, the studio balked at the high budget and ultimately went with a different approach years later. Scott’s version could have been a haunting, post-apocalyptic classic.
Paul Verhoeven’s Crusade
In the 1990s, Paul Verhoeven and Arnold Schwarzenegger were developing Crusade, an epic set during the medieval Crusades. The screenplay was bold and violent, as Verhoeven’s films often were, but the project was canceled due to its escalating budget. Had it been made, Crusade would have likely been a massive, controversial epic with stunning battle sequences.
Wolfgang Petersen’s Batman vs. Superman
Long before the 2016 Batman v Superman movie, Wolfgang Petersen was set to direct a version of the superhero showdown in the early 2000s. The script had a darker tone, with both heroes initially at odds before teaming up. But Warner Bros. decided to focus on rebooting the individual franchises instead. If it had been made, it could have changed the course of superhero films entirely.
Steven Spielberg’s Night Skies
In the late 1970s, Steven Spielberg developed Night Skies as a dark follow-up to Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The story revolved around a family terrorized by hostile aliens, but one alien befriends a young boy. This horror-sci-fi film was scrapped after Spielberg shifted towards a more uplifting tale, which eventually became E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Elements of Night Skies also inspired Poltergeist. Although it was never made, the project had a significant influence on Spielberg’s later successes.
This article originally appeared on UnifyCosmos.
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