Game of Death (1972)
The Game of Death was Bruce Lee’s last ever film project, and it was unfinished at the time of his unexpected death in 1972. With the 100 minutes of footage that Lee managed to complete, a documentary named Bruce Lee: A Warrior’s Journey was pieced together and released in 2000.
Something’s Got to Give (1962)
This screwball comedy was left unfinished after the death of its leading lady, Marilyn Monroe, in 1962. The film was meant to be about a photographer named Ellen Arden, who becomes lost at sea and is presumed dead, leading her husband to move on and remarry. Ellen returns in disguise after being stranded on a desert island and hijinks ensue.
The Thief and the Cobbler (1960)
A classic example of ‘development hell’, The Thief and the Cobbler is an incomplete animated fantasy film financed by Warner Bros., and it took over three decades to produce. The film reportedly suffered from lots of repetitive scenes and poor storytelling. The failed film did spawn two releases in the 90s, named The Princess and the Cobbler and Arabian Knight.
Creation (1931)
This unfinished stop-motion animation film was the brainchild of Willis O’Brien, who also worked on King Kong and The Last Days of Pompeii. Creation tells the tale of modern humans discovering dinosaurs on a remote island. The film was reportedly cancelled by its studio, RKO, for being too boring.
The Deep (1969)
The Deep, directed by Orson Welles (pictured), was filmed in Yugoslavia in the 60s but never reached the big screen due to technical and financial difficulties. “My hope is that it won’t be an art-house movie,” was Welles’ ill-fated comment on his film. “I hope it’s the kind of movie I enjoy seeing myself. I felt it was high time to show that we could make some money.”
I Loved A Soldier (1936)
I Loved a Soldier follows the tale of a young servant at Hotel Imperial who falls in love with a visiting soldier. It was left unfinished in 1936 after the female lead, Marlene Dietrich (pictured) got into a row with director Hathaway and was later replaced by Margaret Sullavan. Before production was cancelled, the male lead Charles Boyer narrowly missed a bullet during a scene that involved a gun.
It’s All True (1942)
This film about Latin America fell apart due to studio issues, a fact that director Orson Welles found very frustrating. Much of the footage was ultimately dumped in the ocean, with Welles commenting: “It was a tax write off, so they lost nothing. Otherwise they would have been struggling to get something out of it. However bad, they could have made a bad musical out of just the nightclub footage. ”
Great Day (1930)
It’s unclear what the plot of this American pre-Code musical was ever meant to be. Despite hiring an impressive cast including Joan Crawford, Johnny Mack Brown and Anita Page, the filmmakers struggled to keep this production afloat and it was binned after they had spent around $280,000 on their idea.
The Magic 7 (1997)
In this spectacularly star-studded animation, we were meant to see the story of two children who protect the Earth with the help of a dragon. The voice actors included John Candy, Madeline Kahn, Ted Danson, Ice-T, Jeremy Irons, Bette Midler, Demi Moore and James Earl Jones. The film, which was meant to air on TV for Earth Day in 1997, fell through due to repeated delays and insufficient funding.
Moby Dick (1971)
In 1971, Orson Welles tried his hand at filming an adaptation of Moby Dick – a tale that he had previously starred in for a 1956 film production. The footage from this attempt, which he never got round to editing, featured several optical illusions to create the impression of the sea.
Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Inferno (1964)
This French film is about a hotelier who develops a pathological jealousy around his much younger wife, Odette. Astonishingly, the film was given an unlimited budget by Columbia Pictures but still fell through due to non-financial reasons. The cast and crew suffered heatstroke while filming, the lead actor fell sick and the director suffered a heart attack.
Trick or Treat (1976)
This film about a lesbian couple and a straight couple was set to star Bianca Jagger and Nigel Davenport. “It was, in my mind, a love affair between four people, a sort of erotic Chabrol piece about sexual relationships and emotional ambivalences,” said writer Ray Connolly. Jagger was reportedly a challenging co-star, and the film collapsed in 1976. The failed movie cost over $480,000 to make.
Worst Case Scenario (2009)
In 2009, the Dutch director Richard Raaphorst was busy making Worst Case Scenario, a comedy horror film about Nazi zombies. It was left unfinished due to financial problems, and Raaphorst went on to make the more successful horror film Frankenstein’s Army (2013).
The Works (1986)
In what would have been the world’s first entirely 3D CGI film, The Works was made between 1979 and 1986. It was created by staff who went on to form Pixar and DreamWorks Animation. The planned story was about a friendly robot named Ipso Facto who encounters a female pilot named T-Square.
Batgirl (2022)
Batgirl is another example of an extremely expensive film that was nevertheless cancelled during production, reportedly because the filmmakers lacked faith in the story. The cancellation was so abrupt that it prompted the director to reflect to the press: “At that time, it was pretty unprecedented, so it was like movie history, but in a crazy way.”
Behind the Sightings (2017)
Behind the Sightings was an American found-footage-style horror movie based on the real-life public panic around creepy clown sightings in 2016. “This is not fake news. Behind the Sightings is centred around the terrifying clown sightings that shook the world last year, and an eager couple swept up in all the phenomenon,” the executive producer said. The film was cancelled because of a disagreement over the final cut.
My Brother, Borat (2010)
Not all Kazakh people were thrilled with the portrayal of their cultural in the American mockumentary Borat. So the Kazakh director Erkin Rakishev took matters into his own hands and planned an unauthorised sequel, entitled My Brother, Borat. The controversial project was cancelled sometime around 2010.
Shoebite (2012)
Shoebite was a planned Indian movie about an elderly man who embarks on a life-changing journey. Part of the movie was filmed at India’s Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment, which had been transformed into a fake hospital. Starring Amitabh Bachchan and Sarika, this film was cancelled when the director faced a lawsuit for taking the rejected film from one company to another.
Revenge of the Nerds remake (2020)
In 2020, Family Guy writer Seth MacFarlane stated he was planning a remake of the 1984 movie Revenge of the Nerds. He intended to hire twin brothers Keith and Kenny Lucas to play the lead roles, and this version would remove some of the original film’s more controversial scenes. But this remake was cancelled after the filmmakers had trouble finding a university or school that would host them for the filming process.
The Return of Billy Jack (1986)
The Return of Billy Jack was intended as an 80s sequel to the classic 70s film series Billy Jack. During production, the director and lead actor Tom Laughlin received a head injury during an accident with a breakaway bottle. With Laughlin out of action, the film’s funds dried up and brought an end to his plan.
Wake (2015)
In this action thriller, a man named Red Forrester visits the remote island where his estranged family lives. Due to feature Bruce Willis, Piper Perabo, Cameron Monaghan and Ellen Burstyn, this film began filming in February 2015 but halted weeks later due to budgeting problems, after which the director and Willis walked away.
Number 13 (1922)
Proposed under the names ‘Number 13’ and ‘Mrs. Peabody’, this unfinished Alfred Hitchcock film began shooting in 1922 and was meant to star Clare Greet and Ernest Thesiger. The story revolved around poverty-stricken Londoners reliant on a trust set up by the real-life American philanthropist George Foster Peabody.
Legion Condor (1939)
This movie was cancelled due to a major event in WW2 history. Shot in 1939 and directed by German propagandist Karl Ritter (pictured), Legion Condor was about Nazi involvement in the Spanish Civil War. However, when Germany signed the German-Soviet Pact, the film was cancelled because it portrayed Soviet involvement in the Spanish Civil War in a negative light.
Knights of the Desert (1942)
In another film cancelled by a major historical event, Knights of the Desert was a planned Italian adventure film that was under production in 1942. The screenplay was written by Mussolini’s own son, and it starred the prolific actor Osvaldo Valenti (pictured). The film was cancelled because it was being filmed in Libya, where Italy suffered humiliating defeats during production. For propaganda reasons, Italy didn’t want to show the nation on film and the project was scrapped.
The Professor (1919)
This 1919 silent comedy only saw one sequence completed before it was abandoned. It starred Charlie Chaplin as ‘Professor Bosco’, an incompetent showman who loses his herd of fleas while putting on a flea circus. Other scenes were meant to include a stray dog, panicked circus-goers and Chaplin wielding a whip to get his fleas in order.
Being Mortal (2022)
Based on the book Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, this comedy-drama about end-of-life care was meant to be directed by Aziz Ansari, starring Bill Murray, Seth Rogen and Keke Palmer. However, the project was cancelled midway through production because of allegations that Bill Murray had sexually harassed a young crew member.
Scoob! Holiday Haunt (2023)
This sequel to 2020’s Scoob! was reportedly “practically finished” when Warner Bros. Discovery cancelled it, because they wanted to cut their costs. It made an inflation-adjusted loss of $40 million, making it one of the most expensive cancelled movie projects of all time.
The Story of William Tell (1953)
The Story of William Tell began filming in the Italian Alps in 1953 and was the passion project of actor Errol Flynn, who starred in and produced it. He built a $10,000 model town to bring the legend of William Tell to life. However, he soon ran out of money and the project was cancelled, leaving the star in financial ruin.
Passenger (1963)
Passenger is a Polish film dating to 1963, and it was cancelled when the director Andrzej Munk tragically passed away in a car accident during production. The film was a drama based on the horrors of Auschwitz during WW2, and it starred the Polish star Aleksandra Śląska as a fictional SS officer.
Dune (1976)
Notoriously difficult to adapt, Dune received a two-year film-making attempt by Alejandro Jodorowsky in the 1970s but ultimately was never completed. As with many films on this list, the cancelled Dune led to the making of a documentary about the movie that was never realised: Jodorowsky’s Dune, which came out in 2013.
A Glimpse of Tiger (1971)
American actor Elliott Gould tried to adapt the best-selling novel A Glimpse of Tiger for the big screen in the 70s. However, his wild behaviour on-set meant that shooting collapsed within four days. “[He thought] he had such unbridled power he could rule the universe,” one source said. “When he found he couldn’t, he got terribly paranoid.”
Jackpot (1975)
Richard Burton (pictured) was set to star in 1974’s Jackpot, which was reportedly about an actor who is left paralyzed after an accident. Audrey Hepburn turned down the offer to co-star in this movie. The film reportedly fell through after one year due to a lack of funds, though director Terence Young said it was due to the difficulties of getting all the stars in one place for filming.
Hippie Hippie Shake (2011)
Set to star Cillian Murphy and Sienna Miller, this incomplete British drama was based on the memoirs of magazine editor Richard Neville. Focusing on the hippie subculture, this movie went into detail about obscenity laws in the 1960s. However, after several changes of directors and screenwriters, the movie’s release plans were cancelled in 2011.
Hellraiser: Origins (2012)
It took the independent film Hellraiser: Origins two years and a half years to get from concept art to premiere, and it never progressed to filming as a feature-length production. Concept artist Paul Gerrard wanted to make an exciting and fresh reboot of the Hellraiser franchise, noting: “Our goal was to expand and explore the mythology, to create an epic vibe while retaining the mystery of the Cenobite order.”
A Man Will Rise (2013)
This unusual comedy western film was set in 1950s Thailand, starring martial artist Tony Jaa and Rocky franchise star Dolph Lundgren. After three months of filming in 2013, the film was cancelled amid a $50 million lawsuit against star and director Jaa, who had reportedly breached his contract by signing up for Fast and Furious 7.
Midnight Rider (2014)
This film was meant to be a fictionalised account of the life of rockstar Gregg Allman, with William Hurt cast in the lead role. However, during production, as the team worked on an active railroad trestle bridge, a train struck several crew members. Seven people were injured and camera assistant Sarah Jones was tragically killed, leading to the project’s cancellation.
Broadway Brawler (1997)
Reportedly inspired by the film Jerry Maguire, Broadway Baller was a story about a retired ice hockey player who finds new love. The lead actor and producer was Bruce Willis, but 20 days into shooting, this star was dissatisfied with the crew and fired several people, leading to the production’s demise.
Dreaming Machine (2011)
Satoshi Kon directed and wrote this Japanese anime film around 2010, but he passed away before it ever made it to the big screen. “There will be no human characters in the film; only robots,” he described. “It’ll be like a “road movie” for robots.” After Kon died, it was decided that no other director could step up to complete his unique vision.
Streets of Laredo (1948)
Streets of Laredo was the unfinished and very first project of the filmmaker Ed Wood. He himself starred in this 23-minute long film as a young cowboy seeking out an old friend in the town of Laredo, Texas. The scenes were later cobbled together and given a soundtrack, and the resulting work was released under the name Crossroads of Laredo.
I, Claudius (1937)
The spectacularly popular historic novel I, Claudius was first published in 1934, penned by Robert Grave. Just three years later, Josef von Sternberg attempted to adapt the story for a film of the same name. One of the main stars was Merle Oberon, who played Claudius’ wife Messalina. The film was cancelled after Oberon was caught up in a serious car accident, though the star survived her injuries and returned to acting a few years later.
