Author Douglas Adams once said, “The Hollywood process is like trying to cook a steak by walking into a room and blowing on it.” Adams, as his novel, should know the following: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxyspent years in what became known, less affectionately, as “development hell.” Selling your script or buying the rights to your book is just the first step in a difficult process. Movies often wilt before they hit the silver screen.
This underworld of development resembles a Catholic purgatory, where filmmakers’ best-laid plans often go awry and years of their careers are wasted.Major studios are often reluctant to part with intellectual property, so movies like live-action versions are Akira, it seems inevitable and we get caught up in the concept. The longer a movie stays in this purgatory, the less likely it is to be made.Anyway, there are movies like this too. dead pool After years of delays, we managed to get out of the predicament. Below are 10 movies that haven’t been released yet.
Ten neuromancer
neuromancer Since its publication in 1984, it has gone through various stages of development. Author William Gibson’s works have been adapted into films in the past, but the results were lackluster. johnny mnemonic and New Rose Hotel.but neuromancer This is a special case considering Gibson’s watershed moment in establishing cyberpunk as a movement with this novel. Since the 1980s, several prominent directors have been appointed, including Chris Cunningham, Joseph Kahn, and Denis Villeneuve, all of whom are rumored to be involved.
Director Cunningham’s concept neuromancer The music video director once made a splash with the incredible robotics and CGI in Björk’s “All Is Full of Love” video, which had cyberpunk fans drooling. Villeneuve seems like the best fit these days, as Cunningham has moved on to other art forms. arrival and dunes made him of An outstanding science fiction director.
There hasn’t been any news since the initial AppleTV+ announcement, but you never know.
AppleTV+ was announced to be in development in 2023. neuromancer It became a 10-episode series, but there has been little movement since then. A 10-episode series may alleviate some of the headaches associated with this expansive storytelling, but if Gibson’s signature work ultimately makes it to the big screen, it’s important to note that the project It’s hard not to support Becoming (as written by Philip) K. Dick secured with Ridley Scott’s weapons blade runner).
9 bioshock
Since video games bioshock The game changed what story-based first-person shooters could be in 2007, and gamers on many message boards asked for a movie adaptation. The year after its release, the game was optioned by Universal Pictures for Gore Verbinski to direct, but development plans were scrapped when Verbinski left the film.
Netflix finally bioshock film comes to life
With the success of recent game-to-series adaptations, the last of us and HelloNetflix finally bioshock movie. Given the genre’s popularity and Netflix’s incredible production structure, it’s fair to say: bioshock It is inevitable that it will be removed from development. Without a release date or casting information from the streaming giant, it’s pure speculation…for now.
8 call of duty
call of duty has sold over 400 million copies of its games, ranging from World War II to modern-day tactical combat, and has come to dominate the world of first-person shooters. Being the best-selling game of all time in the United States, it may seem like a financial no-brainer to adapt it into a movie, but game producer Activision has decided to launch a studio specifically created to adapt it into a movie. I’ve been having a hard time. cash on delivery movie.
in spite of call of dutyhas revenue potential, but Activision has other priorities.
After Activision hired director Stefano Sollima (Sicario: Day of the Soldado) to direct what they envisioned. cash on delivery Development in the world of movies has stalled. After two years of development, Sollima began to grow frustrated and commented on his Italian website that the film was no longer an “industrial priority” for Activision. Simply put, video games are far less financially risky than movies these days, and are likely to continue to be. cash on delivery The film will remain in the bottle until further notice.
7 union of dunces
union of dunces It may be the most frequently rumored property ever talked about in Hollywood. First, Harold Ramis attempted an adaptation of the script in his ’80s, with John Belushi scheduled to play Ignatius. When Belushi passed away, Ramis abandoned the project, but that didn’t stop several more attempts to revive his IP as a movie.
After Belushi’s death, an oil tycoon bought the rights and presented the project to screenwriter John Candy, who ultimately rejected it. Even the “Pope of Trash” John Waters tried to buy the project in the late ’80s. Then there were rumors of Chris Farley, and after his death, the word “curse” began to be associated with this purgatory-prone project.
Soderbergh came close to getting the green light, but the project could be dead.
The most enthusiastic attempts at development are union of duncesThe film was suggested by Steven Soderbergh, a Louisiana native and longtime fan of the book, which is set in New Orleans. Soderbergh’s script was once again in the works, with David Gordon Green attached to direct, but it’s been years since any credible rumors surfaced. In a 2013 interview, Soderbergh said, “I think it’s cursed…I don’t tend to be superstitious, but there was a dark side to that project.”
6 legend of zelda
Based on the idea of Shigeru Miyamoto, a leading figure in Nintendo design, legend of zelda became the most famous quest game of all time, with over 20 video games and two animated television adaptations. In November 2023, Nintendo announced the development of a live-action film with Sony Pictures.This announcement can still be seen on the website and apparently maze runner Director Wes Ball is already working on the development.
Super mario bros. may warp zelda To the production environment
Live-action adaptations of video games don’t always go smoothly (see: 1993 Super mario bros movie). Such fears may be allayed by the recent success of computer animation. Mario But Zelda is a small-scale production, with little guarantee of success. Still, in the meantime, game of thrones– With the fantasy series’ renewed bankability and numerous development rumors, we can expect to see Link eventually make it to the big screen.
It is difficult to predict whether metal gear solid The day will come when the movie will be greenlit. Meanwhile, the appearance of hot-blooded Oscar Isaac seems to be a boon to the film’s prospects, but Isaac’s busy schedule could create new hurdles between him and the role of Solid Snake. Adaptation from another game to the screen, the last of ushad similar problems with Pedro Pascal, but managed to fit his schedule into a second season.
Oscar Isaac’s Attachments May Keep metal gear solid alive
Despite there being almost no rumors since the announcement in 2020, metal gear solid Isaac said at a recent red carpet event that the project is alive despite not having a script.Unlike call of dutyThe number of gamers is much larger; metal Gear There’s a lot more to be gained from the potential movie.
Four Mine Craft
Of the many video game adaptations on this list, Mine Craft So-called sandbox games may seem the most difficult to adapt for the screen, as they lack a recognizable protagonist and lack a story. That may explain the now 10-year development process. As soon as the Java Script giant redefined his 21st century game, rumors of a movie began to spread, and Warner Bros. eventually bought his rights in 2014, but a prolonged period of underperformance followed. I did.
All systems appear to be ready Mine Craft movie
Although moving into production does not necessarily guarantee that a film’s release is imminent. Mine Craft In fact, the film began principal photography in New Zealand earlier this year. With Jason Momoa and Jack Black in the lead roles, it seems unlikely that anything will prevent the film from being released in 2025. Still, this project has already been in development for 10 years… you never know.
3 tomb raider reboot
The tale of tomb raiderreboot It has gone through many stages. After Angelina Jolie’s blockbuster hit, the series sat dormant for nearly two decades, with talks for a sequel or reboot always stalled. Later, early photos of Alicia Vikander in Lara Croft’s regalia were released, making a return all but certain, but subsequent delays put the release back in doubt.
Those concerns were quashed upon its 2018 release, which initially grossed nearly $300 million at the box office. Early plans were for a Vikander sequel, but the pandemic and the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike derailed those plans.
Amazon has big plans for Lara Croft
As of this writing, Amazon’s tomb raider Movie confirmed. The film reboot will be part of a broader shared universe created by Amazon and dj2 Entertainment, and will be tied directly to Phoebe Waller-Bridge. tomb raider ‘ series is also being developed for Prime Video. It’s unclear who will star in the movie, but we’ll likely see Lara Croft flying around the big screen once again.
2 Who made Roger Rabbit 2?
Fans of the original have been waiting for an enthusiastic attempt at development. Who made Roger Rabbit 2?, the project has been rumored for 30 years. Shortly after the success of the original film, Steven Spielberg wanted to develop a sequel, but the draft was put on hold as he became busy with founding DreamWorks Pictures. Since then, everyone from J.J. Abrams to original director Robert Zemeckis has attempted to revive the series.
roger rabbit‘s animation medium may ultimately decide its fate
Some of the development issues roger rabbit Whether it’s a sequel or a reboot depends on how you approach animation. When director Zemeckis was reportedly interested in developing a sequel in the mid-2000s, he insisted on maintaining the use of traditional animation. This stance may have changed in the intervening years, as much as Zemeckis’ reluctance. back to the future The reboot has been softened, and Abrams is reportedly planning to reinvent the series.
we do not consider it, but roger rabbit With a reboot imminent, the series has tremendous value as a potential showcase for Warner Bros. ” Lots of animated characters (just Space Jam: A New Legacy did). We can only hope that this movie still gets made so that voice actor Charles Fleischer can bring Roger Rabbit to life again (Kathleen Turner, who played the femme fatale Jessica Rabbit) Needless to say).
1 Akira
It’s like every time Akira With a big move towards a live-action film adaptation, the incredible manga masterpiece suddenly explodes like Neo-Tokyo. So far, directors legitimately attached to the project include the Hughes brothers, Jordan Peele (remember the bike-sliding tribute in the movie) no?), and more recently, Taika Waititi.
The main reason Akira keep pushing
Unfortunately, Warner Bros. owns the rights and ultimately has the say, leading to Waititi directing both films. saw movie before he pursues Akira. There’s been a lot of curse word going around about this movie, but if there’s anyone who can bring this project out of obscurity, it’s Leonardo DiCaprio, whose production company Appian Way will produce the film. Deaf…if the movie is ever made. Is there one thing that still gives us hope? Incredibly comprehensive and cinematic source material.
