10 Times an Actor's Death Ended a Production
10 Times an Actor's Death Ended a Production
Welcome to MsMojo, and today, we’re examining the most well-known TV and film productions that were canceled following the passing of an actor in real life.
Raúl Juliá
“The Addams Family 3”
Even decades after his last appearance as Gomez in 1993’s “Addams Family Values,” no other actor has lived up to the lofty heights of the role that Raúl Juliá set between two films. During his last outing in the character, the actor had stomach cancer behind the scenes. In 1994, after further health issues, Juliá sadly died. His loss to the “The Addams Family” franchise, mixed in with an underwhelming response at the box office for the 1993 film, saw a third installment canceled. Instead, a reboot was put together that became 1998’s “Addams Family Reunion,” a direct-to-video movie featuring a mostly new cast that was critically panned.
Alan Rickman
“Galaxy Quest” Sequel
With a long history of serious roles, there wasn’t much faith that Rickman would be able to leave a positive mark in a comedy film. But, boy, did he do it with 1999’s “Galaxy Quest.” His dry, comedic timing helped turn the picture into a cult classic. Over the years, a sequel has often been discussed, with Rickman’s co-star, Tim Allen, stating publicly that it was in the works. However, in 2016, after facing terminal pancreatic cancer in secret, Rickman sadly passed away. Sam Rockwell claimed that the rest of the cast were ready to sign up for the sequel until Rickman’s passing influenced events. A “Galaxy Quest” TV show is being developed, yet little is known about it at the time of writing.
Marilyn Monroe
“Something’s Got to Give”
When she was working on “Something’s Got to Give” in 1962, Monroe had been struggling with her mental health for years. Reportedly, this impacted her work as she was fired from the production after calling in sick several times, delaying the filming schedule. Due to co-star Dean Martin having final approval and refusing to work with anyone else, Monroe was rehired, despite producers having hired Lee Remick as her replacement. Sadly, shortly afterwards, Monroe passed away. With “Something’s Got to Give” unfinished before her death, it was canceled by 20th Century Fox. Instead, the production was reworked into the 1963 “Move Over, Darling” with a mostly new cast.
Chris Farley
Fatty Arbuckle Biopic
With an iconic run as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” and a strong history of being in comedy films, Farley had the funny side of Hollywood in the palm of his hand. However, he wanted to test his acting abilities in a more serious role. So, he spoke to legendary playwright David Mamet about being in a biopic about Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, which would’ve been Farley’s first dramatic role. Arbuckle was best known for being a comedy silent film star, whose life fell into controversy when he was accused of assault and manslaughter in the death of Virginia Rappe in 1921. However, in his personal life, Farley was struggling with health issues and substance use, leading to his unfortunate passing away in 1997.
Marlon Brando
“Big Bug Man”
Despite being known as one of the leading figures of method acting and a legend in the industry, there was something Brando always wanted to do: voice acting as a woman in an animated film. And he got that chance when he was cast as Mrs. Sour in “Big Bug Man,” after originally being offered the role of Nicholas Dunderbeck. Applying his method acting ways, Brando reportedly wore a wig and drag as he recorded his lines. The actor stated it was the most fun he’d had since being in 1953’s “Julius Caesar.” However, in 2004, after several health issues, Brando sadly passed away. “Big Bug Man” was slated for release in 2006. However, it never came out.
Steve Irwin
“The Crocodile Hunter” (1996-2007)
Many animal lovers can point to the work of Irwin for getting them passionate about all creatures great and small. His joyous enthusiasm for every critter that roams, crawls, flies, and swims on the planet was infectious. Best known for his work on “The Crocodile Hunter,” while the main series ended in 2004, Irwin presented stand-alone specials connected to the franchise afterward. In 2006, he was filming the special “Ocean's Deadliest” at the Batt Reef off the coast of Australia when tragedy struck. As he was recording a stingray, Irwin was attacked, sadly resulting in his death. As a result, after multiple specials celebrating Irwin’s life, “The Crocodile Hunter” and “The Crocodile Hunter Diaries” came to an end.
Bill Paxton
“Training Day” (2017)
15 years after the film’s events, “Training Day,” the TV series, selected Paxton to play the role of the morally questionable police Detective Frank Roarke. With a celebrated acting career with roles in “Twister,” “Hatfields & McCoys,” and “Apollo 13,” the show was in quality hands with the Emmy and Golden Globe nominee. Shortly after it debuted in 2017, Paxton underwent heart surgery to fix an issue caused by a childhood disease. However, complications arose that, unfortunately, resulted in his death. Due to this, “Training Day” came to an end after one season. Paxton’s family later sued the hospital and surgeon for wrongful death, which was settled in 2022 for undisclosed fees.
River Phoenix
“Broken Dream”
After a rapid rise in Hollywood, especially due to his Oscar nomination for 1988’s “Running on Empty,” Phoenix was set to enjoy a long, storied career in the industry. As such, he was connected to many projects in the early '90s, one of which was “Broken Dream,” also known as “Broken Dreams.” However, with a history of substance use, Phoenix sadly passed away in 1993. This saw “Broken Dream” being shelved. However, in 2011, news emerged of a resurrection of the project, and again the following year. Ben Kingsley, John Hurt, and Caleb Landry Jones were all reportedly on board. However, with no news since, followed by Hurt’s passing in 2017, the project has seemingly been canceled once more.
John Belushi, John Candy, & Chris Farley
“A Confederacy of Dunces” Film Adaptation
Considered one of the funniest American novels and one of the best books ever, “A Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole even won a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1981. Despite this mammoth success, no film adaptation has been created. According to some, it could be cursed. John Belushi was reportedly in line to star before he unfortunately passed away in 1982. John Candy was then in talks to take on the lead role before he sadly passed away in 1994. Finally, there was Chris Farley, who was also tied to the “A Confederacy of Dunces” production before his untimely demise in 1997. Since then, there have been further reports of a film adaptation coming, but nothing has materialized yet.
Robin Williams
“Mrs. Doubtfire 2”
If you want a funny, feel-good movie to cheer you up, we’d always recommend 1993’s “Mrs. Doubtfire.” With Williams in his prime, the film was not only a smash hit at the box office but also became beloved by fans. Over the years, there were reports of a sequel coming, but they failed to come into being for one reason or another. In 2014, we got our biggest sign that this was to happen when it was announced that the sequel was in development at Fox. However, several months later, news broke that Williams had sadly passed away. As a result, the “Mrs. Doubtfire” follow-up was canceled. Director of the original, Chris Columbus, has since spoken against making a sequel without Williams’s involvement.
What other production that was canceled after an actor’s passing did we miss? Let us know below.
