List of abandoned and unfinished films

This is a list of abandoned and unfinished films.

Films may not be completed for several reasons, with some being shelved during different stages of the production. Some films have been shut down days into production. Other unfinished films have been shot in their entirety but have not completed post-production where the film is edited and sound and score added. This is different from unreleased films which are finished but have not yet been released and shown in theatres or released on DVD. In some instances these films cannot be shown due to legal reasons. Withdrawn films are similar except they did have brief showings but cannot be shown again, also usually for legal reasons.

According to the Film Yearbook, "history has shown that the unfinished film is with few exceptions designed to remain that way."[1] Exceptions do exist: these include Gulliver's Travels and The Jigsaw Man, both of which shut down when they ran out of funds but after a year or more found new financing and were able to finish shooting.

Films abandoned during pre-production

Films that were abandoned during the pre-production stage before principal photography began, and significant preparations had been made such as a completed script, hiring of key cast and crew, scheduled start date for filming, and construction of sets.

FilmYear production was to beginDirectorScreenwriterProducerCastNotesReferences
The Dancer1970Tony RichardsonEdward AlbeeHarry SaltzmanRudolf Nureyev as Nijinsky, Claude Jade as Romola and Paul Scofield as DiaghilevProducer Harry Saltzman canceled the project during pre-production several weeks before shooting was to begin. Saltzman claimed Albee's script was amateurish. Tony Richardson believes Saltzman used this as a pretext to avoid making the film. According to Richardson, Saltzman had overextended himself and did not have the funds to make the film. Saltzman eventually made the film in 1980 as Nijinsky, directed by Herbert Ross.[2]
The Double1996Roman PolanskiJeremy Leven (from the Fyodor Dostoevsky novel of the same name)Lili Fini Zanuck, Todd BlackJohn Travolta, Isabelle Adjani, John Goodman, Jean RenoTravolta reportedly stormed out of rehearsals thereby shutting down pre-production. Shooting to have begun in May 1996. Travolta was being paid US$17M. Robert Richardon was signed to photograph the film and Pierre Guffroy design the sets.[3]
Dune 1974–1976 Alejandro Jodorowsky Alejandro Jodorowsky Michel Seydoux Brontis Jodorowsky, Salvador Dalí, Orson Welles, Gloria Swanson, David Carradine, Mick Jagger Jodorowsky spent two years developing a film version of Frank Herbert's novel Dune. The project was abandoned in 1976. The attempt was the basis of the 2013 documentary Jodorowsky's Dune. [4]
The First Day (Russian: Первый День Pervyj Dyen)1979Andrei TarkovskyBased on a script by Andrei KonchalovskyGoskino USSRNatalya Bondarchuk and Anatoli PapanovThe film was set in 18th-century Russia during the reign of Tsar Peter the Great. As the film was critical of the USSR's state atheism, Tarkovsky submitted a different script to Goskino USSR than the one he actually filmed, with several extra scenes criticizing state atheism. After shooting about half of the film, this was discovered by censors and the project was halted by Goskino. Infuriated, Tarkovsky reportedly destroyed most of the footage he had shot.[5]
Flamingos ForeverMid-to-late 1980sJohn WatersJohn WatersJohn Waters for New Line CinemaDivine, Mary Vivian Pearce, Edith Massey, Mink Stole, Jean HillThe unfilmed sequel to Pink Flamingos would have taken place 15 years after the events of the first movie. Troma Entertainment offered to finance the film at $600,000. However, the film was cancelled because Divine wanted to focus on more serious, male roles and Edith Massey died in 1984. Waters did not feel comfortable with Troma's post-editing facilities. The original screenplay can be found in his 1988 book "Trash Trio".[6]
Flora Plume 1999–2005 Jodie Foster Steven Rogers Jodie Foster, Barry Mendel Claire Danes, Russell Crowe (left project), Ewan McGregor Foster planned to direct the romance film set among 1930s circus performers, and the start of filming was delayed after Crowe sustained a shoulder injury and left the project. McGregor replaced Crowe, but the project was abandoned in 2005. [7][8]
The Freak1966–1975Charlie ChaplinVictoria ChaplinThe Freak was a dramatic comedy from Charles Chaplin. The story revolved around a young South American girl who unexpectedly sprouts a pair of wings. She is kidnapped and taken to London, where her captors cash in by passing her off as an angel. Later she escapes, only to be arrested because of her appearance. She is further dehumanized by standing trial to determine if she is human at all. Chaplin began work in and around 1969 with his daughter Victoria in mind for the lead role. However, Victoria's abrupt marriage and his advanced age proved roadblocks, and the film was never made.
Frenzy (a.k.a. Kaleidoscope)c. 1967Alfred HitchcockBenn LevyAlfred HitchcockConsiderable test footage was shot. Not to be confused with Hitchcock's 1972 film Frenzy.
Gambit 2014–2019 Various Josh Zetumer Lauren Shuler Donner Channing Tatum This was to be based on the Marvel Comics character Gambit. Numerous directors were announced for the project including Rupert Wyatt, Doug Liman and Gore Verbinski. Production was scheduled to begin numerous times in New Orleans, until Disney cancelled the project in 2019. [9]
Leningrad: The 900 Days Late 1980s Sergio Leone Based on Harrison Salisbury's non-fiction The 900 Days: The Siege Of Leningrad Sergio Leone Robert De Niro After Once Upon a Time in New York Sergio Leone spent the remainder of his life preparing to produce and direct an epic war film set during the Siege of Leningrad with Robert De Niro playing an American journalist inside the city. Having raised $100 million in funding and discussed location filming with the Soviet government, Leone died of a heart attack before production could begin in earnest. [10]
The Micronauts1975–1978Don Sharp, Richard Loncraine and othersJohn Gay, Gordon Williams and othersHarry SaltzmanGregory Peck, Lee Remick, James Mason, Honor Blackman, Stacy KeachAdaptation of novel Cold War in a Country Garden. Some test and special effects footage was shot. Principal photography did not begin. No scenes with the leads were shot.
Midnight Rider 2013–2014 Randall Miller Randall Miller, Jody Savin Randall Miller, Jody Savin William Hurt Based on the life of musician Gregg Allman, the film was cancelled after camera assistant Sarah Jones was killed and seven others injured by a train while the production was filming a camera test on an active railroad trestle bridge. [11]
Napoleon1968–1969Stanley KubrickStanley KubrickJack NicholsonKubrick's film about Napoleon was well into preproduction and ready to begin filming in 1969 when MGM cancelled the project. Numerous reasons have been cited for the abandonment of the project, including its projected cost and a change of ownership at MGM.[12][13]
The Prometheus Crisis/Meltdown 1973-1997 John Dahl (1994) John Carpenter from the novel by Frank M. Robinson and Thomas N. Scortia Peter Bart and Max Palevsky (1970s) Dolph Lundgren (1994)

Casper Van Dien (1997)

 Originally planned as a disaster film about a meltdown at a newly-built nuclear power station based on a novel by two of the authors responsible for The Towering Inferno for release by Paramount. John Carpenter's script, retitled Meltdown, was a straight horror film he described as "kind of Halloween in a nuclear power plant." Carpenter's script came close to production in 1994 with Dolph Lundgren starring, and again in 1997 with Casper Van Dien, but fell through both times. [14][15][16][17]
The Short Night1979 or 1980Alfred HitchcockDavid Freeman from Ronald Kirkbride's novelAlfred Hitchcock for Universal StudiosProject cancelled due to Hitchcock's advanced years and ill-health.
Silver & Black 2017–2018 Gina Prince-Bythewood Lindsey Beer, Geneva Robertson-Dworet Amy Pascal, Matt Tolmach Based on the Marvel characters Silver Sable and Black Cat. Filming was delayed indefinitely before the planned start of production in March 2018 because Prince-Bythewood was not happy with the script. The film was cancelled in August 2018. [18]
Superman Lives 1996–1998 Tim Burton Kevin Smith, Wesley Strick, Dan Gilroy Jon Peters Nicolas Cage A film based on DC Comics superhero Superman was developed by Warner Bros. for two years, with Burton directing. Smith, Strick and Gilroy wrote scripts; Cage was hired to play Superman. Filming was scheduled to begin in early 1998 but was repeatedly pushed back. The studio had spent $30 million on the film by the time it was cancelled in 1998. The attempt was the basis of the documentary The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened? [19]
Warhead (a.k.a. James Bond of the Secret Service)1976–1979[20]Len Deighton, Sean Connery, Kevin McCloryKevin McClory for Paramount PicturesSean Connery (reportedly being paid US$5M)[21]Financing and legal troubles doomed the project. McClory eventually licensed his rights to Jack Schwartzman who made Never Say Never Again, which has an entirely different screenplay. McClory continued his attempts to produce versions of Warhead into the 2000s.[22][23]

Films abandoned during filming

Films that were abandoned after principal photography had commenced, or in the case of animated films, after animation had begun.

Year of productionFilmDirectorScreenwriterProducerCastNotesRef
1922Number 13 (a.k.a. Mrs. Peabody)Alfred HitchcockAnita RossAlfred Hitchcock for Gainsborough PicturesClare Greet, Ernest ThesigerProduction stopped when funding ran out.
1931 Creation Willis H. O'Brien Story by Edgar Rice Burroughs Merian C. Cooper, David O. Selznick Ralf Harolde
1935–1937Bezhin MeadowSergei EisensteinIsaak Babel, Sergei M. Eisenstein, Aleksandr Rzheshevsky, based on a story by Ivan TurgenevV. Ya. BabitskyVitya Kartashov, Nikolai Khmelyov, Pavel Ardzhanov, Yekaterina Teleshova, Erast Garin, Nikolai Maslov, Boris Zakhava
1937I, ClaudiusJosef von SternbergAlexander KordaCharles Laughton, Emlyn Williams and Merle OberonProduction was dogged by ill-luck. A car accident involving Oberon caused filming to be abandoned.
1942 It's All True Orson Welles Orson Welles, John Fante, Norman Foster, Robert Meltzer Orson Welles Ensemble RKO cancelled the project after Welles had filmed for over five months. The project was the basis of the documentary It's All True: Based on an Unfinished Film by Orson Welles. [24]
1967Monsieur LeCoqSeth HoltIan McLellan Hunter, Zero MostelAdrian ScottZero Mostel, Julie Newmar, Akim Tamiroff, Ronnie CorbettOfficially abandoned due to "poor weather conditions"[25]
1962 Something's Got to Give George Cukor Nunnally Johnson, Walter Bernstein Henry T. Weinstein Marilyn Monroe, Dean Martin The film had shot for over a month when Monroe was fired, but she was later rehired but died before filming could resume. [26]
1971A Glimpse of TigerAnthony HarveyJack Brodsky, Elliott GouldElliott Gould, Kim DarbyBased on Herman Raucher's novel of the same title. Warner Brothers shut down the film being shot in New York City on Friday 6 March 1971.[27][28]
1972Game of DeathBruce LeeBruce LeeBruce Lee died during filming. Several years later, a new story was crafted around the existing footage with other actors standing in for Lee.
1974–1975JackpotTerence YoungMillard KaufmanWilliam D. Alexander for Paramount PicturesRichard Burton, James Coburn, Charlotte RamplingRobert Mitchum was originally signed to co-star. Audrey Hepburn declined an offer to co-star. Burton played Reid Lawerence, an actor "paralysed by a falling lift." A media report claims that Burton would play an academy award-winning actor down on his luck who suddenly wins another academy award. The film was to be shot in Rome and Nice.[29] Another media report claims that the story was about "a famous actor" who "fakes a grave illness" to collect insurance money.[30] An article claims that "insurance swindle thriller" stalled due to a lack of funds.[31] Terence Young claimed that he could have finished the film if he could have gotten the three stars together for one more week.[1][32]
1975Bogart Slept HereMike NicholsNeil SimonHoward W. KochRobert De Niro, Marsha MasonProduction shut down after a week of filming, when Nichols realized that De Niro was unable to adjust his intense Method style of acting to Neil Simon's precise dialogue. Simon reconceived the story, which was filmed two years later as The Goodbye Girl.[33]
1975The New SpartansJack StarrettOliver Reed (as a Colonel), Susan GeorgeProduction shut down after nine days of filming.[1][34]
1975Closed-Up Tight (a.k.a. Fermeture Annuelle)Cliff OwenProbably Peter Welbeck (a.k.a. Harry Alan Towers)Harry Alan Towers for Barongreen and Canafox Films (Montreal).Marty Feldman (cat burglar), Annie Belle (his daughter), Ron Moody, Robin Askwith, Terry-Thomas, Yvon Dufour, Jacques Dufilho.Production began in August 1975. Filmed for two weeks. A British-French-Canadian co-production. Rémy Julienne was stunt co-ordinator.[35]
1975Trick or TreatMichael Aptedbased on Ray Connolly's novelDavid Puttnam and Sandy Lieberson for Goodtimes Enterprises; also EMI Films and Playboy ProductionsBianca Jagger, Jan SmithersShot in Rome and about forty minutes of usable footage was shot before the shoot was cancelled.[36]
1972–1976Vileness FatsGraeme Whifler & The ResidentsThe ResidentsThe ResidentsJay Clem, George Ewart, Marge Howard, Sally Lewis, Hugo Olson, Margaret Smik & Danny WilliamsFrom 1972 to 1976 multi-media group The Residents worked on a film called Vileness Fats. It was to be 'The Ultimate Underground film' and was teased in a number of their musical releases from that period, however in 1976 the project was unexpectedly abandoned by the group. In 1984 a short cut of scenes from the film was released on VHS as "Whatever Happened to Vileness Fats?"[37]
1977 Who Killed Bambi? Russ Meyer, then Jonathan Kaplan Roger Ebert and Malcolm McLaren The Sex Pistols

Marianne Faithfull

 Intended partly as a vehicle to bring the Sex Pistols to American attention, Russ Meyer was three days into principal photography in October 1977 when production studio 20th Century Fox withdrew, dooming the project.
1985The Two JakesRobert TowneRobert TowneRobert Evans for Paramount PicturesJack Nicholson, Robert Evans, Kelly McGillisShut down during production because of disputes between writer-director Towne and producer/co-star Evans. The film was eventually shot and released in 1990 with Nicholson directing; this version co-starred Harvey Keitel and Meg Tilly.
1988AtukAlan MetterTod CarrollElliot Abbott, Charles Roven, Don Carmody for United ArtistsSam Kinison, Christopher Walken, Ben AffleckBased on Mordecai Richler's 1963 novel The Incomparable Atuk. Apparently one scene was shot before Kinison demanded re-writes and the production was shut down.[38][39]
1990Arrive AliveJeremiah S. ChechikMichael O'Donoghue, Mitch GlazerArt Linson for Paramount PicturesWillem Dafoe, Joan CusackCancelled by Paramount executives after they watched the first few days of dailies.[40]
1991DylanDavid DruryJonathan BrettPatrick DromgooleGary Oldman, Uma ThurmanA biography of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, the film was shut down after nine days of shooting when Oldman "collapsed on the set," suffering from "nervous exhaustion."[41][42]
1991-1997 Dimension Lars von Trier Lars von Trier and Niels Vørsel Peter Aalbæk Jensen Jean-Marc Barr, Udo Kier and Stellan Skarsgård In 1990, it was originally intended to produce only in three and four-minute segments every year for a period of 33 years for a final release in 2024, but von Trier lost his enthusiastic in the project due to his struggle in recent works, notably the "Golden Heart" trilogy (consists Breaking the Waves, Idioterne, and Dancer in the Dark). Later in 2010, the filmmaker decided to complete all of the unfinished footage into a short film at the time as the rest of the film's development was abandoned. The short film was released on August 25, 2010. [43]
1992 Sleepaway Camp IV: The Survivor Jim Markovic Tom Clohessy Krishna Shah Carrie Chambers, Victor Campos, John Lodico Principal photography commenced in 1992 in upstate New York before being abandoned when the film's production company, Double Helix Films went bankrupt. The film was intended to go into production again in 2004. However, the surviving footage, which runs at a mere 34 minutes, was made available for the first time when released via the original Region 1 DVD trilogy boxset, now out-of-print. Production was never officially completed, but select clips from the first three Sleepaway Camp films were edited together with the footage of The Survivor as "flashback" sequences, and it was released in 2012 as a stand-alone set. [44]
1993 Dark Blood George Sluizer Jim Barton Daniel Lupi, JoAnne Sellar River Phoenix, Judy Davis, Jonathan Pryce Phoenix died during production, after approximately 80% of the film had been shot. In 2012, a cut of the film was screened at several film festivals with director Sluizer providing narration for the scenes that were not shot. [45]
1997Broadway BrawlerLee GrantunknownJoseph FeuryBruce Willis, Maura Tierney, Daniel BaldwinA sport-themed romantic comedy about a washed up ice-hockey player. Production was halted after 20 days of principal photography due to an acrimonious relationship between Bruce Willis and director Lee Grant and other crew. The financial loss incurred by the production's implosion obliged Willis to take on three roles at reduced salary for the production company: Armageddon, The Sixth Sense, and Disney's The Kid.[46]
1999–2000 The Man Who Killed Don Quixote Terry Gilliam Jean Rochefort, Johnny Depp During the first week of shooting, the actor playing Don Quixote (Jean Rochefort) suffered a herniated disc, and a flood severely damaged the set. The film was cancelled, resulting in an insurance claim of US$15 million. The production of the film was the basis of the 2002 documentary Lost in La Mancha, and Gilliam ultimately completed the film nearly two decades later, as 2018's The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. [47]
2001Lily and the Secret PlantingHettie MacdonaldLucinda CoxonSarah RadclyffeWinona Ryder, Gael Garcia BernalShut down after four days when Winona Ryder was taken to the hospital with "a gastric infection." Kate Winslet was announced as her replacement, but the film was never restarted.[48]
2006Revenge of the NerdsKyle NewmanGabe Sachs and Jeff Judah, Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson, and Adam F. GoldbergAdam Brody, Dan Byrd, Katie Cassidy, Kristin Cavallari, Jenna Dewan, Chris Marquette, Ryan Pinkston, Efren Ramirez, and Nick ZanoA remake of the first film in the 1980s comedy series was canceled after two weeks of shooting, when Emory University officials read the script and revoked the permission they had given to film; studio executives were disappointed in the dailies.[49][50]
2009–2011Yellow SubmarineRobert ZemeckisDean Lennox Kelly, Peter Serafinowicz, Cary Elwes, Adam Campbell, and David TennantThe CGI remake of the 1968 animated Beatles classic film was cancelled following the closure of ImageMovers Digital and the poor box-office results of that studio's last film Mars Needs Moms. Zemeckis considered shopping the remake around to other studios, before he himself gave up on the project.[51][52][53]
2012–201410 Things I Hate About LifeGil JungerJeannette Issa, Gil Junger and Tim McGrathAndrew Lazar, Tim McGrath and Gary SmithEvan Rachel Wood, Thomas McDonell, Billy Campbell and Élodie YungProduction began on the romantic comedy film in 2012. Despite a similar title to popular teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You, also directed by Junger, the films share no continuity. A third of the film had been shot when it was shut down after Smith abruptly resigned as head of the production company and Wood became pregnant. She returned briefly for an attempt to resume in late 2013, but left soon afterwards, claiming the producers had not raised enough money to pay her for the work she'd already done. A lawsuit against her by the studio remains unresolved and the film as begun will never be finished.[54]
2015 Wake John Pogue Christopher Borrelli Bruce Willis, Ben Kingsley, Piper Perabo, Cameron Monaghan, Ellen Burstyn Production on the film shut down after a week of filming due to financial problems. Willis and Pogue left the project due to financial and schedule issues. [55]
2018 Nicole & O.J. Joshua Newton Joshua Newton Boris Kodjoe, Charlotte Kirk Based on the relationship of O. J. Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson, filming began in 2018 but was never completed. [56][57]

Films abandoned during post-production or completed and never released

Films that completed principal photography, or in the case of animated films, after most animation had been completed, but were abandoned during the post-production phase or were completed and never released.

Year of productionFilmDirectorScreenwriterProducerCastNotesRef
1926 A Woman of the Sea Josef von Sternberg Josef von Sternberg Charlie Chaplin Charlie Chaplin The film was completed, and given a preview screening, but Chaplin was unsatisfied with it and destroyed all known copies in front of witnesses as a tax write-off in 1933. [58]
1927The AmericanJ. Stuart BlacktonMarian Constance BlacktonGeorge K. SpoorBessie Love, Charles RayUpon viewing the film, which had been made using the experimental Natural Vision process, producer Spoor decided the production was so bad that he would not release it.[59][60]
1966–1969 The Deep Orson Welles Orson Welles Jeanne Moreau, Laurence Harvey, Orson Welles Welles filmed The Deep, an adaptation of the novel Dead Calm, but abandoned the film. A rough edit was assembled by the Munich Film Archive and screened in 2015. [61]
1972 The Day the Clown Cried Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis Nat Wachsberger Jerry Lewis Filming completed in 1972 and a rough cut was made, but the film was never released due to various disputes. The film was met with controversy regarding its premise and content, which features a circus clown who is imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp. Lewis submitted an incomplete print to the Library of Congress under an agreement it not be screened until 2024. [62]
1992–1993 The Fantastic Four Oley Sassone Craig J. Nevius, Kevin Rock Steven Rabiner Alex Hyde-White, Jay Underwood, Rebecca Staab, Michael Bailey Smith, Carl Ciarfalio, Ian Trigger, Joseph Culp, Kat Green, George Gaynes Filming completed in 1993 and a Labor Day weekend release was planned before being pushed to January 19, 1994, only to be cancelled at the last minute. The film's reels were confiscated and cease and desist letters were sent to the cast to halt marketing. Franchise creator Stan Lee claimed that the film was an ashcan production that was never meant to be released in the first place. [63][64][65][66][67]
2004 Big Bug Man Bob Bendetson, Peter Shin Bob Bendetson Brendan Fraser, Marlon Brando, Michael Madsen The animated film was planned for release between 2006 and 2008. It was Brando's final performance before his death in July 2004. [68]
2007 Hippie Hippie Shake Beeban Kidron Lee Hall Tim Bevan Cillian Murphy, Sienna Miller Based on the memoir of the same name by Richard Neville, the film was shot in 2007 and a rough cut was test screened, but director Kidron left the project during post-production and the film was never released. [69]
2008 Queen of Media Furqaan Clover Kimba Henriques, Furqaan Clover Richard Miller Robin Givens, Oliver "Power" Grant Based on Wendy Williams' biography Wendy's Got the Heat, the film was shot in 2008 with a $3 million budget, but was never released. [70]
2008–2009 Black Water Transit Tony Kaye Matthew Chapman Laurence Fishburne, Karl Urban Budgeted at $23 million, the film was shot in 2008 and a rough cut was screened, but it was never completed due to financial and legal disputes. [71]
2010 Prankstar Tom Green Tom Green Katy Wallin Tom Green The mockumentary written by, directed by, and starring Tom Green was completed in 2010 and announced for release later than year, but never materialized. [72][73]
2012 Killing Winston Jones Joel David Moore Justin Trevor Winters Albert Sandoval, Daemon Hillin, Tom Somerset, Peter Winther Danny Glover, Richard Dreyfuss, Jon Heder, Danny Masterson The dark comedy was shot in late 2012 and was originally scheduled to be released in theaters in 2014. However, no release was announced and the studio has not made any statements about the film since 2014. The release was reportedly cancelled due to the rape allegations and criminal trial against Danny Masterson, who plays a prominent role. [74][75]
2015 The Long Home James Franco Vince Jolivett, Steve Janas James Franco, Vince Jolivett, Jay Davis James Franco, Josh Hutcherson, Tim Blake Nelson, Courtney Love, Timothy Hutton, Giancarlo Esposito, Ashton Kutcher, Josh Hartnett Filmed in 2015 and planned for release in 2017, it has yet to be released in any format as of 2022. [76][77]
2016 All-Star Weekend Jamie Foxx Donald Caldwell Jr., Jamie Foxx Jamie Foxx, Deon Taylor Jamie Foxx, Jeremy Piven, Jessica Szohr, Eva Longoria, Robert Downey Jr., Ken Jeong, Gerard Butler, Benicio del Toro The directorial debut of Jamie Foxx, the film was scheduled for release in 2018. In August 2022, Foxx confirmed the film will not be released, due to it "trying to break open the sensitive corners with Robert Downey Jr. playing a Mexican man". [78]
2016 El Señor de la Sierra Alejandro Irias Alejandro Irias Jefferson Sierra Based on the historical novel of the same name, written by Ramon Amaya. The film was set during the conquest of Honduras, focusing on the life of the indigenous leader Lempira. The film was completed, however, there were delays in its release in national theaters of its country of origin. Currently there is not much information due to its delayed release, although the lack of a release date could be attributed to a lack of budget. [79]
2016–2017 Elizabeth, Michael & Marlon Ben Palmer Neil Forsyth Joseph Fiennes, Brian Cox, Stockard Channing The film, based on an urban legend of Michael Jackson, Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor embarking on a road trip to Ohio following the September 11 attacks, was shot in 2016. It was later announced that the film would be repackaged as an episode of the British TV series Urban Myths, but never aired due to controversy surrounding white actor Fiennes playing Jackson. [80][81]
2017GoreMichael HoffmanAndy PatersonMichael Hoffman and Jay PariniKevin Spacey, Michael Stuhlbarg and Douglas BoothBased on Jay Parini’s biography of Gore Vidal, Empire of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal, the film was in post-production when Netflix decided to cancel it following the sexual assault allegations against Kevin Spacey.[82]
2022 Batgirl Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah Christina Hodson Kristin Burr Leslie Grace, J. K. Simmons, Jacob Scipio, Brendan Fraser, Michael Keaton The film was originally intended to be released on streaming platform HBO Max, with discussions internally about potentially giving the film a theatrical release, especially with the film's estimated $90 million budget. The film was in post-production and had been test screened when Warner Bros. Discovery decided to shelve the film, stating that it would not be released in theaters nor on streaming platforms and saying that the film "simply did not work" and went against the new desire and mandate from CEO David Zaslav to make DC films "big theatrical event films". [83]
2022 Scoob! Holiday Haunt Bill Haller, Michael Kurinsky Tony Cervone, Paul Dini Frank Welker A prequel to 2020's Scoob!, the film was in late stages of post-production and scheduled for a December 2022 release on HBO Max when Warner Bros. Discovery cancelled its release. [84]

Most expensive abandoned films

The most expensive films with information available from reliable sources regarding how much money had been spent on the film when it was abandoned.

Year of productionFilmLossInflation Adjusted Loss [85]State when abandonedStudioRef
2022 Batgirl $90 million $90 million Post-production Warner Bros. [86]
2022 Scoob! Holiday Haunt $40 million $40 million Post-production Warner Bros. [87]
2017 Gore $39 million $42.8 million Post-production Netflix [88]
1999–2000 The Man Who Killed Don Quixote $32 million $48.5 million Filming Various [89]
1996–1998 Superman Lives $30 million $47.2 million Pre-production Warner Bros. [90]

See also

References
  1. Clark 1983, p. 139.
  2. Richardson 1993, p. 273.
  3. "Roman Polanski Abandons Production of 'The Double'". Orlando Sentinel. 30 June 1996.
  4. "Why Filmmakers From David Lynch to Denis Villeneuve Have Struggled to Adapt Dune". Time. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  5. Мир и фильмы Андрея Тарковского. Сост. А. Сандлер. [Andey Tarkovsky's world and films] (in Russian). Moscow: Iskusstvo(Искусство). 1990. ISBN 978-81-7046-083-1.
  6. Waters, John (October 1988). Trash Trio. New York: Random House, Inc. pp. xi–xii. ISBN 9780394759869.
  7. Carver, Benedict (12 January 1999). "Foster to helm 'Flora Plum' pic". Variety. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  8. Linder, Brian (28 February 2005). "Flora Plum Is Dead". IGN. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  9. Goldberg, Matt (7 May 2019). "Gambit Movie Dead: The X-Men Spinoff Drops off the Calendar". Collider. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  10. Feinberg, Hugh (27 October 2021). "LENINGRAD: THE 900 DAYS – Sergio Leone's Unmade Epic". Cinema Scholars.
  11. "William Hurt describes fatal Midnight Rider train accident". The Guardian. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  12. Meenan, Devin (2022-02-10). "Why Stanley Kubrick's Epic Napoleon Film Was Never Made". SlashFilm.com. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  13. Lawley, George (2022-04-16). "Every Unmade Stanley Kubrick Movie (& Why They Didn't Happen)". ScreenRant. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  14. A.H. Weiler, "Paramount Signs for Six—New Films Under Way", The Shreveport Journal, 13 December 1973, 8B.
  15. "'The Prometheus Crisis' to go into production", The Greeley Daily Tribune, 28 December 1973, p. 19.
  16. "Meltdown: Screenplay by John Carpenter". Scriptfix. 7 May 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  17. "COVERAGE CASE STUDY: Meltdown by John Carpenter". Scriptfix. 7 May 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  18. Thompson, Anne (2020-07-13). "Making 'The Old Guard': Gina Prince-Bythewood Turned Her Marvel Loss Into Her Own Netflix Franchise". IndieWire. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  19. "The $30M Tim Burton 'Superman' film you'll never see". New York Post. 4 July 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  20. Film Bulletin, Volumes 47-48, 1978, page xxvii claims "aim is a spring '79 start"
  21. "New York". Newyorkmetro.com. New York Magazine Company. 11: 9. 1978. ISSN 0028-7369. LCCN 76012785.
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  27. Haber, Joyce (8 March 1971). "Connery Back as 007; Jill St. John Co-Star". The Evening News. Newburgh, New York. p. 5B.
  28. "Elliott Gould: His Goodbye Was Longer Than He Planned". News.google.com.
  29. anonymous (7 October 1974). "Of Interest To Women". The Virgin Islands Daily News. p. 11.
  30. anonymous (27 December 1974). "Jackpot Shooting Begins". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. p. 6.
  31. Otterburn-Hall, William (5 July 1975). "World of Stars: Young Connoisseur of Rough Years". The Star-Phoenix. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. p. 16.
  32. "Jackpot". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 2012-07-13.
  33. Levy, Shawn (Dec 28, 2014). "When Mike Nichols Fired Robert De Niro: Excerpt from 'De Niro: A Life'". IndieWire. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  34. "The New Spartans". Explore.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2012-07-20.
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Bibliography
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