No two words frighten movie fans more than “development hell.” The phrase refers to movies and shows that are stuck in development for long stretches of time, usually due to technical problems or legal issues.
So many projects have seemed promising, only to languish forever in the early stages of production. Redditors on r/movies, the largest film subreddit, recently got together to discuss which movies they most wish to see make it out of development hell and onto the big screen.
10 ‘Kung Fury 2’
Kung Fury (David Sandberg) is a renegade detective with incredible martial arts skills who sets out on a mission to defeat Hitler (Jorma Taccone), who has time-traveled to the present day. Along the way, he teams up with Colt Magnum (Michael Fassbender) and the Viking god Thor (Ralf Moeller). Filming was completed for this zany martial arts movie in late 2019. However, post-production was brought to a halt by a lawsuit with some of the film’s investors, leaving the project’s future uncertain.
Nevertheless, one Redditor still hopes it materializes. “The first one was a fun, nostalgic, action-packed short feature done with a shoestring budget and a ton of creativity. I can’t wait to see what the team has pulled off with a bigger budget and a cast that includes Schwarzenegger, Michael Fassbender, and David Hasselhoff!” said user Dead_or_Drunk.
9 ‘Havoc’
Havoc is a (hopefully) upcoming action thriller directed by The Raid filmmaker Gareth Evans and starring Tom Hardy. Hardy will play a detective on a mission to rescue a politician’s son from criminals. This would certainly be a director/star team-up for the ages, so it’s easy to see why some Redditors are looking forward to it.
“It finished shooting in October 2021 and was expected to release in 2023 but now it was revealed that it’s still in post-production and will probably release in 2024,” said Redditor Movies_Music_Lover. “This will be the director’s first action movie since the masterpiece The Raid 2 and I can’t wait.”
8 Gullermo Del Toro’s ‘At the Mountains of Madness’
At the Mountains of Madness is a classic H.P. Lovecraft story about a team of Antarctic explorers who uncover otherworldly horrors buried beneath the ice. Years ago, horror maestro Guillermo Del Toro was attached to direct a film adaptation. Some test footage was produced, but the project ultimately foundered.
“Great script. It was very Prometheus. The studio might have made the rare right call because it would’ve resulted in very similar films releasing too close together,” said user BusinessPurge. “[Del Toro] is thinking about reviving it as a stop-motion animated movie after seeing Mad God,” added Redditor LizardOrgMember5.
7 ‘Sherlock Holmes 3’
While not the most faithful to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle‘s books, the Sherlock Holmes movies starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are a ton of fun. Fans have been waiting anxiously for the third entry in the series, with no luck.
It was reported way back in 2011 that Sherlock Holmes 3 was in development, but the project kept being pushed back. However, RDJ’s wife Susan Downey recently suggested that the movie may eventually come together. “It’s been in development for so long that it’ll be a legacy sequel at this point if it ever gets made,” said user REQ52767.
6 ‘World War Z’ Sequel
World War Z follows former United Nations investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) as he races to find a solution to a rapidly spreading zombie pandemic. Gerry traverses different countries, encountering hordes of the infected and witnessing the collapse of society. It’s one of the better zombie movies of the last decade and seems perfect for a sequel. At one point, David Fincher was in talks to direct the second installment, but the project never got off the ground.
“[The studio] scoffed at [Fincher’s] request for a $190 million budget. They wound up spending more than that in the first one due to reshoots. Fincher likely wouldn’t have used a penny more. He runs a tight production no matter the genre or budget,” said Redditor riegpsych325.
5 Stephen King’s ‘The Long Walk’
Stephen King‘s novel The Long Walk centers on a group of teenage boys who participate in a disturbing annual event. The rules are simple: walk at a steady pace and never drop below a certain speed, or face dire consequences. Last one still walking wins. Director André Øvredal was set to helm a film adaptation, but the project appears to have stalled.
“[The novel] is sort of a prototype for the Battle Royale young adult fight-to-the-death genre (except all it is, is you have to keep walking until you’re the last one who hasn’t stopped). A really good book, and has the potential to be a really good movie,” said user IndianSurveyDrone.
4 ‘The Thicket’
One Redditor really wants to see the movie version of Joe R. Lansdale‘s novel The Thicket. “A teenage boy sets out into a no man’s land in East Texas to rescue his kidnapped sister from a group of bandits [and] enlists the help of a bounty hunting dwarf named Reginald Jones,” Redditor sideofketchud explains.
Peter Dinklage has been linked to the project since 2014, but it appears to have been beset by challenges. Covid also impacted shoots that were meant to take place in 2020. It was reported that filming had begun in March 2023, so hopefully the film eventually sees the light of day.
3 ‘Akira’ sequel
Akira is one of the most influential anime movies of all time. In a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, Kaneda, a young biker delinquent, and his friend Tetsuo gain telekinetic abilities and find themselves at the heart of a massive conspiracy. Warner Bros. has owned the live-action rights since 2002, but the film doesn’t seem to have progressed beyond the early stages of development.
“This movie has the potential to be amazing. I think Denis Villeneuve would’ve done a great job with the material after seeing Blade Runner 2049 and Dune,” said user Dead_or_Drunk. [Keanu Reeves has] been trying to make that movie since Speed,” said Redditor Snuggle_Monster.
2 ‘Crusade’
In the early ’90s, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Total Recall director Paul Verhoeven were set to collaborate on an epic called Crusade. Set in the Middle Ages, Schwarzenegger would have played a thief who stages a miracle and is enlisted by the Pope to join the Crusades. The film never came to fruition, reportedly because the estimated budget kept ballooning.
“It never made it out of development hell but I’d have given my left nut to have seen [it],” said user Flashjordan69. “It was talked about so much in the 90s, and then… nothing,” added Redditor showalum.
1 Gary Dauberman’s ‘Salem’s Lot’
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Salem’s Lot is Stephen King’s classic novel about a vampire that comes to a small town in the United States. It’s been adapted into multiple movies, series, and radio plays, to varying degrees of success. The latest screen version is supposed to be directed by Gary Dauberman for New Line Cinema. Dauberman worked on the scripts for It and It Chapter Two and directed Annabelle Comes Home.
However, the status of the film is now unclear, and it does not currently have a release date. Several Redditors named it as the project they most hoped would make it out of development hell. “I LOVE the book and original miniseries and have always hoped they would adapt it again,” said user CaptBriyani. “The original miniseries with the kid scratching at the window was one of the most terrifying scenes ever,” added Redditor fungobat.