James Gunn's Unrealized Projects
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The following is a list of unproduced James Gunn projects in roughly chronological order. During his long career, American film director James Gunn has worked on a number of projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction. Some of these productions fell in
development hell Development hell, development purgatory, and development limbo are media and software industry jargon for a project, concept, or idea that remains in development for an especially long time, often moving between different crews, scripts, game engi ...
or were cancelled.


1990s


''Gilligan's Island''

In the late 1990s, Gunn and
Charlie Kaufman Charles Stuart Kaufman (; born November 19, 1958) is an American filmmaker and novelist. He wrote the films ''Being John Malkovich'' (1999), ''Adaptation'' (2002), and ''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' (2004). He made his directorial de ...
attempted to make a film adaptation of the 1960s television series ''
Gilligan's Island ''Gilligan's Island'' is an American sitcom created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz. The show's ensemble cast features Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells. It aired for thr ...
'', but as a
cannibal film Cannibal films, alternatively known as the cannibal genre or the cannibal boom, are a subgenre of horror films made predominantly by Italian filmmakers during the 1970s and 1980s. This subgenre is a collection of graphically violent movies that u ...
. Although the project was supported by
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...
, the film was never made because Sherwood Schwartz, who created the show, disapproved.


''Silver Surfer''

In 1999, an executive from
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
offered to hire Gunn to write and direct a film about the
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
superhero Silver Surfer.


''Spy vs. Spy''

Also in 1999, Gunn wrote an unproduced screenplay adaptation of ''
Spy vs. Spy ''Spy vs. Spy'' is a wordless comic strip published in '' Mad'' magazine. It features two agents involved in stereotypical and comical espionage activities. One is dressed in white, and the other in black, but they are otherwise identical, and ...
''. According to Gunn,
Jay Roach Mathew Jay Roach (born June 14, 1957) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the ''Austin Powers'' film series, '' Meet the Parents'', ''Dinner for Schmucks'', '' The Campaign'', '' Trumbo'', and '' Bombshell''. Roach also ea ...
was to have directed and Nicolas Cage and
Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...
were to have starred.


2000s


''Plastic Man''


''Scooby Doo 3''

Gunn was to have helmed ''Scooby Doo 3'', which would have been the third film of '' Scooby-Doo'' (2002). However, due to the critical and financial failure of '' Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed'' (2004),
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...
cancelled the project.


''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' remake

In 2004, Gunn pitched to
Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
his screenplay that was intended to be a remake of the 1954 film '' Creature from the Black Lagoon'', but the studio turned down the pitch.


''Pets''

In 2007, it was reported that Gunn was to write and direct a comedy film for
New Regency Regency Enterprises (commonly referred to as Regency onscreen and copyrighting as Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc. in the U.S. and Monarchy Enterprises S.รก.r.l. overseas) is an American entertainment company formed by Arnon Milchan. It was foun ...
titled ''Pets'', with Ben Stiller serving as one of the producers. Gunn left the project due to creative differences.


''The Belko Experiment''


2010s


''It's Alive'' remake

Larry Cohen said in a 2017 interview that Gunn had approached him for permission to make a remake of his 1974 film '' It's Alive''. According to Cohen, Gunn "couldn't raise enough money to buy the rights. I'm sorry today I didn't give them to him."


''Starsky & Hutch'' TV continuation

On August 31, 2017, Gunn was set to direct and co-write a dramatic continuation of ''
Starsky & Hutch ''Starsky & Hutch'' is an American action television series, which consisted of a 72-minute pilot movie (originally aired as a ''Movie of the Week'' entry) and 92 episodes of 50 minutes each. The show was created by William Blinn (inspired by th ...
'' with his brother Brian & cousin Mark Gunn as co-writers for
Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service prim ...
. On July 24, 2018, an Amazon Studios spokesperson revealed on '' Yahoo! Finance'' that the series was cancelled months before Gunn was fired from ''
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3'' (stylized as ''Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3'') is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy (2008 team), Guardians of the Galaxy, produced by Ma ...
''.


''Ravagers'' TV spinoff

In August 2017, Gunn said that he was in talks with
Marvel Studios Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...
to make a Ravagers spinoff series.


2020s


''Coyote vs. Acme''


References


External links

* {{IMDb title Gunn, James