Top 10 Abandoned Films
So many movies are made and come either into theaters, festivals, direct to streaming, or (back in the day) direct to DVD. But some films go absolutely nowhere. They just are created and then forgotten & abandoned. For this list we will look at 10 films that were either completely finished or had entered post production that were never released to the public. I won’t be including films that were scrapped pre or during production, or films that were eventually saved and released (like ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ coming in 2026).
The Fantastic Four- This take on Marvel’s first family was a German production directed by Oley Sassone & tells the origin story of the titular team, as well as their nemesis Doctor Doom. The film has been leaked and is actually available to watch on YouTube and I have personally watched it. And it’s so bad. There are so many awful things. The special effects are atrocious, but can at least be forgiven due to the time and low budget, but the dialogue, acting, & story are also just very bad. Somehow it is slightly better than the 2015 film and you can read my full review of it here: LINK REVIEW
Batgirl- Another scrapped superhero film, this film is the most expensive abandoned film of all-time with a budget of $90 million. The film was set to be released as a part of the DCEU, though between the impending end of that franchise and the studio needing to do some budget cuts this film got scrapped. The finished film was directed by Adil & Billal, who have directed the two most recent ‘Bad Boys’ films and starred Leslie Grace as Batgirl. The film starred Brendan Fraser as the villain, Firefly, with J. K. Simmons & Michael Keaton reprising their roles as Commissioner Gordon & Batman, respectively. Many are still pushing for the film to be released, thought Warner Bros. has stood firmly in their decision to not let the film see the light of day.
Scoob! Holiday Haunt- Warner Bros. dumped another film produced in 2022, with this planned prequel to ‘Scoob!’ The film had a budget of $40 million and planned to release it directly to streaming, before deciding to focus back on theater releases, scrapping the film in it’s entirety. The film featured Frank Welker as Scooby-Doo, with Iain Armitage, Ariana Greenblatt, Mckenna Grace, & Pierce Gagnon reprising their roles as Shaggy, Velma, Daphne, & Fred. The quarter played the younger versions of the characters in ‘Scoob!’ The film featured Mark Hamill as Santa with Andre Braugher, Cristo Fernández, Ming-Na Wen, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, J.B. Smoove, & Patrick Warburton also appearing.
The Mothership- This sci-fi adventure film also had a $40 million budget and was a Netflix production. Though the film had entered post-production reshoots were going to be necessary, but the several child actors in the film had very obviously aged & Netflix felt the release of the film was not the right move for them. According to Wikipedia, the synopsis of the film is ‘One year after her husband mysteriously vanishes from their rural farm, single mother Sara Morse and her children discover a strange, extraterrestrial object underneath their home, which leads them to embark on a race to find their husband, father, and most importantly – the truth.’ The film was set to star Halle Berry, Molly Parker, & Omari Hardwick.
Gore- And another major Netflix production bites the dust. This film luckily didn’t have a $40 million budget, coming in at a modest $39 million instead. The film was going to be a biopic of Gore Vidal. So why did it get chopped? Because Vidal was going to be played by Kevin Spacey. So, yeah. Not good.
Golden- This film, a co-production from Pharrell Williams was a coming-of-age musical dramedy directed by Michael Gondry. The film reportedly did not live up to the expectations of Gondry, Williams, and the other producers, so they mutually decided to scrap it three months before it’s expected release. The film had a pretty stellar cast featuring Kelvin Harrison Jr., Halle Bailey, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Brian Tyree Henry, Quinta Brunson, Janelle Monáe, Jaboukie Young-White, Tim Meadows, Anderson .Paak, Missy Elliott, & André 3000.
Elizabeth, Michael & Marlon- This 2016-17 film was based on an urban legend of Marlon Brandon, Michael Jackson, & Elizabeth Taylor taking a road trip to Ohio after 9/11. Yeah, I agree, it’s weird. The film was fully shot, but faced difficulties with it’s release. It was said the film would be released as an episode of the TV series ‘Urban Myths,’ but never aired mainly due to the controversy of casting the white Joseph Fiennes as Jackson. Brian Cox & Stockard Channing were set to play Brando & Taylor.
The Long Home- This film was an indie drama based on a 1999 novel by William Gay. The film was produced & directed by James Franco, who also starred, along with Josh Hutcherson, Tim Blake Nelson, Courtney Love, Timothy Hutton, Giancarlo Esposito, Robin Lord Taylor, Josh Hartnett, & Garret Dillahunt. Production started and wrapped in 2015 and was planned for release in 2015, but has yet to be released as of 2025.
Hippie Hippie Shake- This British production was based on the memoir of Richard Neville editor of the magazine, ‘Oz.’ Cillian Murphy was set to play Neville, and for all we know this could have been his Oscar-winning role before ‘Oppenheimer.’ The film was to be started production in 2007, but after many delays & some test screenings, director Beeban Kidron left the project and it never went anywhere after his departure.
Big Bug Man- Finally, is this animated film set to be released between 2006-2008. A hand drawn animated film, it had a $20 million production and followed a candy company worker (Brendan Fraser) who gained superpowers after being bit by insects. The film was also set to star Michael Madsen, and more notably, Marlon Brando as Mrs. Sour the founder & matriarch of a corrupt candy company and was Brando’s last performance prior to his death.
