Picture this: you’re browsing the internet wondering what projects your favorite actor or director has coming up next, then you stumble across an IMDb page for a movie that feels like a dream come true, only to find that it’s been in pre-production for years. To most movie fans, this is not an unfamiliar scene. We’ve all got that one project that no one will give any updates on or confirm that it’s over, and we can’t help but hold out hope for it.
There are many reasons that movies can end up in “development hell.” It could be trouble with funding, scheduling conflicts for the cast, creative differences between producers and directors, or all manner of things. Development hell is not necessarily a death sentence, there are many movies that have made it out the other side. For example, shortly after Avatar’s release in 2009, two sequels were announced. The first of the two was intended for release in 2014, but was pushed back a total of eight times, and even delayed “indefinitely” in 2020 (via The Independent). However, in 2022, Avatar: The Way of Water finally made it to the screen to critical and audience acclaim. Here are 10 movies currently stuck in pre-production that we hope will see the light of day eventually.
1 Strangers
20th Century Fox
Director David Fincher worked with writer Gillian Flynn on his adaptation of her novel Gone Girl. The combination of her sharp, dark writing and his precise direction made for a perfect pairing on this project. A second movie from the two of them is supposedly in the works and has been for a long time. The project is an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel Strangers on a Train titled Strangers. It would mark another collaboration between Fincher, Flynn, and Ben Affleck, who were all involved in Gone Girl. Using Highsmith’s novel as a source text would make for an excellent movie with these masters of the thriller involved. It’s hard to know that this potential movie could be stuck in development hell for much, much longer.
2 A Confederacy of Dunces
Universal Pictures
The novel A Confederacy of Dunces had an unusual beginning to its life. Published in 1980 posthumously by the author’s mother, 11 years after the author’s death, it went on to sell more than 2 million copies and won the Pulitzer Prize. Its plot follows a professor, Ignatius J Reilly, and his life in New Orleans. Just two years after publication, Harold Ramis (Animal House) planned to direct an adaptation starring John Belushi. However, Belushi died just days before signing on, and the adaptation was over. After this first attempt, there were seven further confirmed attempts at adaptations and a handful of other rumored versions. One of the failed directors, Steven Soderbergh, said “I think it’s cursed, I’m not prone to superstition, but that project has got some bad mojo on it.” (via The Wrap).
3 Bone
Image Comics
Bone is another adaptation with a long history of false starts. The source material is a comic book series by Jeff Smith, about the Bone family who runs away from home and must try and get back. The comics ran from 1991 to 2004, and in 1998, Smith struck his first adaptation deal with Paramount Pictures. Despite having a release date set for 2002, Smith couldn’t get the production company to return any phone calls about the movie, and the rights lapsed later that year. Another attempt at adaptation was made in 2008 by Warner Bros. but after a few changes of directors, there was eventually no further news. When Netflix announced its own version in 2019 it became clear that the Warner Bros. production had been shelved. Unsurprisingly, Netflix’s version was also shelved in 2022, and there have since been no further announcements.
4 The Picture of Dorian Gray
Entertainment One
There have been several adaptations of The Picture of Dorian Gray over the years. However, in 2017, it was announced that Annie Clark, who makes music under the name St. Vincent, would direct a new version. This adaptation would be slightly different as Dorian Gray would be played by a woman and set in relatively modern times. In conversation with Time Magazine, Clark revealed her interest in the story was based on the themes of “alter ego and youth and transgression,” and that she wanted to create conversation about what those things look like in relation to a female character. To any fans of her music, this is a tantalizing idea because it’s evident there that she has a lot to say about these topics. But, unfortunately, since the 2017 announcement, there have been no further updates or indications that the project is moving forward.
5 Family Guy
Fox
In 2005, there was a straight-to-DVD Family Guy feature film, Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story, which never appeared in theaters. However, reports of a true Family Guy movie surfaced in 2007, though these were not claimed as official. In the year after, creator Seth MacFarlane announced he planned to release a movie within the next year. His idea was to do a musical. By 2011, a deal had been made with a production company, but this was put on hold for MacFarlane to work on Ted 2. In 2018, 20th Century Fox revealed that a combined live-action and animated movie was in the works, and in 2019, MacFarlane once again confirmed that the film is still coming. Although this movie has been confirmed several times, the time it’s taking to get going creates pause for concern that it will ever come out.
6 Weetzie Bat
Focus Features
The novel Weetzie Bat is by Francesca Lia Block and was released in the 1980s. Its protagonist, Weetzie, and her best friend, Dirk, roam around an intensified version of 80s Los Angeles. Weetzie gets granted three wishes by a genie, and ramifications quickly ensue. In 2018, a feature film adaptation of this story was announced. It would star Anya Taylor-Joy, Nick Robinson, and Sasha Lane, and be directed by Justin Kelly. As is so often the case, since this announcement was made, there has been no additional information revealed about when they may begin shooting. In 2022, the streaming platform Peacock announced that they are developing a TV adaptation of Weetzie Bat. This information doesn’t necessarily mean the movie is completely dead, but it’s not a good sign.
7 The Bell Jar
AVCO Embassy Pictures
Despite the popularity of Sylvia Plath’s famed novel The Bell Jar, it has only been adapted once, and that was met with complete derision. In 2007, Julia Stiles stated that she wanted to produce and star in a movie adaptation that she believed should involve a mix of live-action and animation. By 2010, she had only managed to raise $5 million in funding, and two years later, she allowed the rights to lapse. Then comes Kirsten Dunst in 2016 with the announcement that she would make her directorial debut with the novel. It was to star Dakota Fanning in the lead role, with Jesse Plemons and Patricia Arquette also signed on. Two years later, the movie was on hold. The last update given on the project revealed that Dunst would no longer be directing, but Fanning would remain in the lead role for a limited series on Showtime.
8 Sirens of Titan
Adult Swim
Creator of Rick and Morty and Community, Dan Harmon, announced in 2017 that he would be creating a limited series adaptation of Sirens of Titan. The source novel, written by Kurt Vonnegut, is a comedy sci-fi story about a Martian invasion. After the first announcement, there was no news until a year later when it was revealed that the script was completed. Fortunately for fans, executives were “impressed and thrilled” (via GQ). But unfortunately for fans, after years have passed since this information, there is no further news. Since Harmon is a busy man, it’s not a definitive sign that it’s over, but the future is looking shaky.
9 The Wolfman
Castle Films
When The Invisible Man was released in 2020 to great acclaim, Universal Pictures decided to invest in revivals of classic monster movies like Dracula or The Phantom of the Opera. Some of the projects that were announced include Dracula, Renfield, Frankenstein, Monster Mash, The Wolfman, and more. Universal attempted to reboot many of these stories prior to this wave of announcements, but they were mostly scrapped. Therefore, it’s hard to know where these will end up. The Wolfman is currently slated to star Ryan Gosling in the titular role, with Derek Cianfrance directing. In 2022, Gosling said he was still excited about the prospect of this iteration of The Wolfman, so the prognosis is looking positive.
10 At the Mountains of Madness
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Guillermo del Toro (@gdtreal)
Director Guillermo del Toro was working on an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness in 2011. The novella is narrated by a scientist explaining why he wants to prevent an expedition to Antarctica. At that point in time, Tom Cruise was attached to play the lead role but even his star power couldn’t get the film green-lit. Del Toro was pushing for an R-rated story that the studio couldn’t get on board with. Much more recently, del Toro posted some old test footage for At the Mountains of Madness on his Instagram page which obviously ignited excitement and enthusiasm from fans. Could this hype be enough to invite another studio to swoop in and green-light the adaptation? Or, could the post be an indication that something is already in the works?
