As a NEWS EDITOR, I report (on a daily basis) the latest and greatest movie news to hit the industry. New project announcements, new casting decisions, new scripts optioned for treatment.
You name it, I report it. I’ve had the pleasure of doing this for more than three and a half years and in that time I’ve reported on my share of films that have been prepped, cast, and developed–only to never be made at all.
If you’re like me, keeping up with the latest movie news is your passion (or simply your hobby), making David Hughes’s revised edition of THE GREATEST SCI-FI MOVIES NEVER MADE
for you!
(GET THE BOOK HERE).
Shedding light on more than TWENTY sci-fi films that have never been made (though, as this is the second edition, seven of the films have since been made in one form or another), Hughes reports (in extreme detail) the trials and tribulations of each of these unmade masterpieces, from the first conception of the idea all the way through the current state (static or otherwise) of where the film sits now.
Told through in-depth interviews with many of the writers, directors, producers, and actors involved, Hughes paints a picture of hope for each project, only to pull the carpet from under you when you realize the awesome sounding movie you’ve been reading about… has never been made (and probably never will)!
What if Ridley Scott and James Cameron made ALIEN 4?
NEVER MADE dishes the scoop on many projects that have plagued my brain over the years, including Tim Burton’s SUPERMAN LIVES starring Nicolas Cage, Ridley Scott’s I AM LEGEND starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, the James Cameron / Ridley Scott collaborative ALIEN 4, and James Cameron’s SPIDER MAN. Each awesome sounding in their own right, and unfortunately… have never been made! NEVER MADE chronicles the rise and the eventual fall of each of these projects, detailing the run-around shenanigans of the Hollywood deal making / deal breaking machine, making it a wonder how movies are
green lit at all, and why so many of them end up being crap.
NEVER MADE also details some lesser-known projects, including Steven Spielberg’s NIGHT SKIES, Alfred Bester’s THE STARS MY DESTINATION, Kevin Smith’s SIX BILLION DOLLAR MAN, and David Lynch’s RONNIE ROCKET.
Each chapter is written in such a way that you feel you were actually there, dealing with the hard-headed directors, working alongside spaced-out writers, and arguing with producers and studio heads about why this movie should be made over others. Hughes reports the facts as they have been told by those who were there without resorting to his personal speculations as to why the films discussed fell through.
What if Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in I AM LEGEND?
For the films that have been made, Hughes analyzes the “final product,” whether it was well-received or not, and whether it bore any resemblance to the way the film was first pitched. Movies like FANTASTIC FOUR, SILVER SURFER, and THUNDERBIRDS all being great examples of projects that could have been awesome, but fell flat on their faces upon execution.
Each chapter is concise in its retelling of events, and doesn’t dilly-daddle over areas that are unrelated to the story of how the film almost came to be. That said, I had the hardest time getting into the chapter discussing all the possible STAR TREK movies that have almost happened over the years. Whether it’s because I don’t really care about STAR TREK, or that there has been so many STAR TREK movie ideas thrown around since STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE that I couldn’t keep it all straight in my head, I’m not really sure, I just know I wasn’t a fan of the chapter at all. One uninteresting chapter out of twenty? Hey–that’s not bad!
My only other complaint with the book is its lack of pictures. Call me a 6 year old, but I like to see pictures when reading a book like this. Throw in a pic of the filmmakers trying to get the flick off the ground. Show us a still from the movie that was eventually made. Most of these unmade films blew thousands of dollars on concept art–show us some of it! I get that it would have probably been pretty pricey getting the rights to some of these images, but still… it would have been nice!
What if Nicolas Cage wore the red cape and blue tights?
Minus the lack of pictures, NEVER MADE is a solid chronicalling of the struggle that can happen to even the biggest names in Hollywood when trying to get a project off the ground. As a movie fan, it’s great to hear about all these awesome sounding movies that haven’t been made yet and dream about the possibility that they may be made someday. It’s almost like the ultimate ‘what if’ game, except instead of discussing ridiculous scenarios like “what if Steven
Spielberg directed SUPERMAN,” it discusses scenarios that might have actually happened, like “what if Tim Burton directed SUPERMAN LIVES.”
Rating: 3/4 stars
GET THE BOOK HERE!
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What’s Not Allowed