If you could fish any project(s) out of Development Hell...

[Scarlet Spider]

Where did you read about Tom Cruise? Hadn't heard that before. But yup, I wish they would have taken a chance on Abrams, and I bet after SR they did too. I think it would have been a crowdpleaser. Although I should say I prefer the first (more controversial) draft over the second one, feels more imaginative and less studio note-y.

http://moviehole.net/20068791interview-jj-abrams

You wrote a draft of “Superman Returns” once. Are you excited to see the new movie?
I can’t wait. I worked on the script, another version of it, for almost two years and when it actually fell apart – I was so disappointed. Then, when “Mission Impossible” came about, I was so relieved….

Everything happens for a reason huh?
Yeah. I wouldn’t change a thing. I remember Tom [Cruise] saying, before it did fall apart, that I should go in and fight to direct “Superman”. So I did. I actually went in and fought for it. That didn’t work. But, two weeks later, Tom put his money where his mouth is – and offered me a job.

 

[Nemeres]

I see, thanks.

 

[flickchick85]

There were just too many pluses to let alien Lex and Krypton=alive overshadow it. With some reworkings I think people would have loved it.

If you can find the 2nd draft in which he got rid of those elements, it's definitely worth seeking out, imo. It's a great read, and I still say it would have made a much better film than Superman Returns or Man of Steel.

 

[Warhammer]

Goyer's Super Max starring Green Arrow.

 

[SlamAdams]

Goyer's Super Max starring Green Arrow.

Not to burst your bubble, the script leaked online. It was terrible, which is disappointing because its a great concept.


Alex Proyas' Paradise Lost
Terry Gilliam's Good Omens
Rob Zombie's Broad Street Bullies
Guillermo del Toro's At the Mountains of Madness
Guy Ritchie's RocknRolla sequels.

 

[Spider-Who?]

Yeah, Alex Proyas’ Paradise Lost looked like it was going to be killer. Was very disappointed to see it canceled.

Concept art:

 

[SlamAdams]

Holy crap, I've seen the closeup of the eyes but not that other stuff. That looks awesome.

 

[Airwings]

Batman Triumphant
Superman Lives
Superman Reborn
Cameron's Spider-Man (both the 1991 version with Biehn and the 1998 version with Leo)

But I'm not only interested in superheroes. David Fincher's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (starring Brad Pitt) or Orson Welles' Heart of Darkness would have been great too.

 

[green]

Yeah, Alex Proyas’ Paradise Lost looked like it was going to be killer. Was very disappointed to see it canceled.

So disappointed this didn't get made.

I wonder if Gods of Egypt is successful Proyas may get to resurrect it.

 

[Galactus123]

Tim Burton's third Batman movie and Spider-Man 4.

 

[Warhammer]

Not to burst your bubble, the script leaked online. It was terrible, which is disappointing because its a great concept.


Alex Proyas' Paradise Lost
Terry Gilliam's Good Omens
Rob Zombie's Broad Street Bullies
Guillermo del Toro's At the Mountains of Madness
Guy Ritchie's RocknRolla sequels.

Oh, forreal? Damn. But these two are also ones I've waited years for.

Yeah, Alex Proyas’ Paradise Lost looked like it was going to be killer. Was very disappointed to see it canceled.

Concept art:

Holy s***, that looks awesome.

 

[SlamAdams]

Oh, forreal? Damn. But these two are also ones I've waited years for.

Yea it was very fan-fic-y. The sci-fi elements were very over the top and not clearly defined IMO. The cells were like regular prison cells but stcked almost like the clear boxes in Cabin in the Woods. When they shifted they did it violently pulling apart, orbiting around a small guy with an enlarged head moving them telepahtically and putting them back together in a different order. Green Arrow was described as clinging to his bed so the velocity didn't pin him against the wall. I thought it was dumb. I'm a "keep it simple, stupid" kind of guy though.

 

[Warhammer]

Yea it was very fan-fic-y. The sci-fi elements were very over the top and not clearly defined IMO. The cells were like regular prison cells but stcked almost like the clear boxes in Cabin in the Woods. When they shifted they did it violently pulling apart, orbiting around a small guy with an enlarged head moving them telepahtically and putting them back together in a different order. Green Arrow was described as clinging to his bed so the velocity didn't pin him against the wall. I thought it was dumb. I'm a "keep it simple, stupid" kind of guy though.

Yeah, I figured it was a prison (like a Belle Reeve kind of deal) with Green Arrow trying to escape along with cameos galore by villains. I didn't know it sucked.

 

[CGHulk]

Kerry Conran's John Carter of Mars

 

[Donnie Darko]

I agree with a lot of what has already been mentioned, but I'll throw a few more out there...

Justice League: Mortal
-I'm not sure how it would have turned out, but it at least would have been interesting to see.

Kevin Smith's Fletch Won (starring Jason Lee)
-He seemed so excited about this for the longest time, and with his number one choice for the lead (which the studio was apparently not going to let happen), I think it could've been a really good movie.

Freddy vs Jason vs Ash
-Based on the title alone, it would've been a hell of a ride.

 

[terry78]

They could still do Fletch but don't know if they still want Lee or a more bankable actor now.

 

[Panthro]

As others have said I would like to see Del Toro make his 3rd Hellboy film, just so he can finish whatever story he had in mind.

I read a while ago that there was talk of attempting to do film adaptations of Robotech (an epic cut & paste job if there ever was one) and the cyber-punk sci-fi anime favorite Bubblegum Crisis, both of which I would have very much liked to have seen, even though the former is probably bound by more red tape than you can shake a stick at.

And of course, it'd be nice to see the long rumored He-Man reboot film adaptation come to life - provided it was in the right hands.

 

[The Guard]

PARADISE LOST. No contest.

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE and VOLTRON as long as Justin Marks isn't anywhere near them.

A lot of people clamor for AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS, but the script (and PACIFIC RIM) killed any excitement I had for that project. It was really pretty disappointing.

JJ Abrams SUPERMAN script was quite well written, with an intriguing take on the mythos (Krypton playing a much more central role), excellent character development and portrayals and really, by the last draft, was quite faithful, and a nice blend of classic and more modern Superman mythologies Lex Luthor wasn't an alien supervillain, etc.

Based on the script that leaked, JUSTICE LEAGUE: MORTAL would probably have been fantastic under George Miller's direction.

I always wanted to see GHOSTBUSTERS 3: HELLBENT. Always.

Anyone who wanted to see Michelle Pfeiffer's CATWOMAN spinoff...find the script online. It's...Daniel Waters kind of went off the rails on that one.

 

[CGHulk]

Richard Donner's Superman 2 completed, 3 and 4!

 

[DeadPresident]

Not really in "development hell" but The Devil in the White City.

 

[MadVillainy]

They should bring back Paradise Lost.
Bradley Cooper (who was attached to Lucifer) has even more hits/films under his belt and Biblical movies are on the rise


Another one I really wanna see are a few Joe Carnahan movies.
-His adaptation of Nemesis
-Killing Pablo
-White Jazz (based on a book from the author of LA Confidential)

 

[nocomics]

I'd finish The Crow reboot which seems to be in developmental hell right now.

 

[A Necessary Evil]

I loved the Giver, but I'd like to see Bridges original version, with his father playing the Giver.

 

[warhorse78]

Live action version of The Last Unicorn. I keep hearing and reading all of the time that someone plans on tackling this, but nothing ever happens. If I was in charge, I'd make the Unicorn black, since something like that would be different, but easy to do financially (lot easier to find all black horses than all white) and then maybe cast unknowns or relatively unknowns for the main roles. But I would want to hire someone like Hans Zimmer, Steve Jablonsky or John Murphy, since I believe the right kind of music could turn this into a masterpiece.

I'd also love to see a prequel to Reign of Fire.

 

[ComicChick]

movie version of Wicked