Development Hell - Examples

Examples

• AI: Artificial Intelligence.
• Akira: Warner Bros. have been developing a live-action American version of the animated film for years. As of January 6, 2012, Warner has "shut down" production for the fourth time.
• Atuk.
• Beverly Hills Cop III: Went through multiple script revisions, including a treatment that had Axel Foley teaming up with a Scotland Yard detective to be played by Sean Connery.
• Bleach: A live-action film version of the anime.
• Cowboy Bebop: A live-action film version of the anime, originally slated for 2011 release.
• Dragon's Lair: According to Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, there would have been a movie adaption of the 1983 video game. Bluth and Oldman are looking for funding to put filming for this movie in production.
• Duke Nukem Forever: A video game which had many development issues leading to over a decade's delay before its release.
• Escape from New York: Remake.
• Final Fantasy Versus XIII: A video game developed by Square Enix which has been in development since November 2005, and still has not been given an official release date. In July 2012, it was reported that the project had been abandoned, but four days later, president of Square Enix Yoichi Wada tweeted that the viral rumour was false.
• Freddy vs. Jason: Plans for the crossover of the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street films dated back to 1987. It was released in 2003.
• Ghostbusters III: Has been in development hell since 1989.
• Godzilla.
• Half-Life 2: Episode 3: Valve Software announced a release of around December 2008. In 2012 Valve stated that Half-Life 3 will be released, but did not provide a release date.
• Hulk: Development began as far back in 1990's. Released on 2003.
• Independence Day 2, also known as ID4-2, has been in development hell since 1997.
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Remained in development hell since 1989 and was released in 2008.
• Jurassic Park 4
• Les Misérables: A film adaptation of the stage musical began in the late 1980s. After the musical's 25th anniversary concert, producer Cameron Mackintosh announced that the film had resumed development, to be released Christmas 2012.
• Mad Max 4: Fury Road: Originally meant to follow 1985's Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, began filming in 2012.
• The Postman: Author David Brin described the ten-year long effort to get his novel produced as a film. In the process, the screenplay went through so much revision as to barely resemble the book, even leading writers to "borrow" from the book they were supposed to be creating as a film.
• An unnamed sequel to Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show has had multiple false starts. Planned to be a stage play like its predecessor, with the possibility of becoming a film if the play had become a financial hit.
• Sadness (video game): One of the earliest titles for the Wii, cancelled 2010.
• Soul Calibur: The Movie: a film adaptation of the Soul Calibur video game series.
• Star Wars Episode VII, planned since 1975, it remained in development hell beginning in 1983. After later being abandoned, the project was brought brought back in 2012 for a 2015 release.
• Superman Lives: A scrapped reboot of the Superman film series, very loosely based on the comic book storyline "The Death of Superman".
• Watchmen: Film rights to the 1986–1987 comic book series were first acquired in 1986; numerous versions were attempted, with a film adaptation finally released in 2009.
• World of Warcraft: The Movie.