Top 10 Cancelled Action Movies We Never Got To See
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Action Movies We Never Got to See. For this list, we’ll be looking at action movies that were canceled or unreleased for various reasons, no matter how far along in production they were. However, we won’t be including superhero movies, as we already have a list of those. Seriously, though, give “Batgirl” a chance! Which of these action films would you like to have seen? Share your thoughts in the comments!
#10: “The Brazilian Job”
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Released in 2003, the remake of “The Italian Job” included a fun heist premise and a stellar cast of Charlize Theron, Mark Wahlberg, Edward Norton, and Jason Statham. It was a decent hit for Paramount, which means a sequel entered pre-production soon after. Shooting for “The Brazilian Job” was meant to begin in early 2005. But despite the script going through a few drafts and most of the cast signing on, it never got there. According to Statham and co-star Seth Green, management changes at the studio affected the project to the point where it became a non-priority. Although Paramount never officially canceled it, it seems pretty unlikely we’ll ever see the crew return for “The Brazilian Job.”
#9: “Empires of the Deep”
“Empires of the Deep” began as the brainchild of Jon Jiang, a Chinese real estate mogul, and was a significant US-China co-production with a budget of around $130 million. The plot chronicled eight mermaid kingdoms trying to maintain peace during the return of an old evil and starred Olga Kurylenko as the Mermaid Queen. Jiang’s clashes with crew members led to three different directors and ten screenwriters, and working conditions were described as unsafe in a variety of ways. A trailer in 2012 was met with immensely negative criticism, and the film never made its 2013 release date. Reshoots reportedly happened in 2014, though it failed its crowdfunding campaign in 2016 to improve special effects. It seems this one will stay buried in the deep.
#8: “Halo”
While Microsoft’s sci-fi FPS series did get a TV show in 2022, that was far from the first adaptation attempt. A film entered production in 2005 and some pretty impressive names were attached. With a script from acclaimed sci-fi screenwriter Alex Garland, Peter Jackson attached as producer, and Fox and Universal co-financing, things seemed to be well on track. Sadly, they didn’t stay that way. Fox and Universal ended up backing out of the project, and with no financing, it soon died. However, it was somewhat reborn when Jackson and then-newcomer director Neill Blomkamp repurposed its props to create the Oscar-nominated “District 9.” While undeniably a brilliant sci-fi film, Blomkamp’s work on official live-action shorts for “Halo 3” showed he was right for the job.
#7: “Gladiator 2”
As of 2022, a follow-up to Ridley Scott’s brilliant “Gladiator” is in development. But we’d be lying if we said we wouldn’t have been extremely curious to see one of its proposed sequels. Ideas for a follow-up began forming in 2001, chronicling Maximus’ resurrection by the Roman Gods. But it was a draft by singer/songwriter Nick Cave that took it to another level. Out of fear of the rise of Christianity and how it was draining their power, the deities would’ve revived Maximus to kill Jesus and his disciples. As an eternal warrior, it would’ve also shown him fighting throughout historic events, including the Crusades and WWII. That wild premise may have been a bit much for some, as the script was rejected.
#6: “True Lies 2”
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1994’s “True Lies” was a critical and commercial darling, and remains one of James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best. Following the release of “Titanic,” Cameron began work on a sequel with Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Tom Arnold all set to return. The script was finally finished in early 2001, but the World Trade Center attacks on September 11th ensured that it would never get made. The sequel was set to follow in the same comedic footsteps of the first, which made light of terrorism and even featured an airplane sequence. Cameron understandably scrapped the project entirely, and has remained steadfast on the decision since. While we would’ve liked to see the sequel, we can’t fault the reasoning.
#5: “The Mummy: Rise of the Aztec”
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With 1999’s “The Mummy” being a smash hit, sequels were inevitable. Unfortunately, those sequels didn’t quite measure up. The third entry, 2008’s “Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” was panned for lackluster effects and a mediocre plot. On top of that, it made less money than its predecessors. This guaranteed that Universal wouldn’t move forward on a fourth, the planned “Rise of the Aztec.” The plot would’ve followed the O’Connell clan dealing with an Aztec mummy, played by Antonio Banderas. Maria Bello had supposedly already signed on, and Luke Ford had signed on for an additional three features. Instead, Universal took some time away from “The Mummy” until the 2017 reboot. Hindsight is 20/20 though, and we think we would’ve preferred this one.
#4: “Castlevania: The Movie”
We adore Netflix’s animated series, but that doesn’t mean we can’t lament the death of its live-action adaptation. Production on the film began in 2005 with frequent video game movie director Paul W. S. Anderson attached. The script went through several versions, but each would’ve told the origin of Dracula’s conflict with the Belmont family. Unfortunately, it was delayed due to the 2007-08 Writers Strike. Anderson left shortly after, as did replacement Sylvain White. James Wan eventually signed on, though rights issues ultimately killed it. Although Wan wasn’t as big a name in horror as he one day would be, he clearly showed a lot of promise. A “Castlevania” movie from the guy who gave us this would’ve been a treat.
#3: “Blood Meridian”
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Cormac McCarthy’s novels usually make for great movies, as evidenced by “The Road” and “No Country for Old Men.” One that hasn’t made it to the big screen is “Blood Meridian,” though not for a lack of trying. The Western follows a real-world gang of scalp hunters in the US during the mid-1800s. McCarthy has stated a film adaptation would be a difficult task due to its extreme violence. Tommy Lee Jones found that to be true in the mid-90s when he couldn’t get studios interested due to the content. Ridley Scott ran into the same problem in the mid-2000s, despite having a completed script. James Franco tried again throughout the 2010s, though rights issues killed it this time. It seems it wasn’t meant to be.
#2: “Alien: Awakening”
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The “Alien” IP is still going strong with video games, comics, and perhaps more films. We don’t want to sound ungrateful, but we desperately wish “Awakening” could’ve been made. As part of the original series, the fifth film would’ve actually ignored the events of the third and fourth entries. Instead, it would’ve been a sequel to 1986’s “Aliens” set 30 years later, picking back up on Ripley, Newt, and Hicks. Neill Blomkamp, the poor guy, was attached to direct. However, it was canceled when Fox decided to solely focus on Scott’s prequel series. It wouldn’t be the first time a sequel ignored the events of other installments. And it probably would’ve been better off for it.
#1: “Crusade”
Paul Verhoeven was at the top of his game in the early 90s, having released awesome sci-fi action films like “RoboCop” and “Total Recall.” The director was set to reteam with “Total Recall” star Arnold Schwarzenegger on a historical epic chronicling the Crusades; additional cast members included Jennifer Connelly and John Turturro. We have no doubt Verhoeven and Schwarzenegger would’ve delivered another incredibly violent adrenaline rush. But it also would’ve been interesting to see Verhoeven’s vision of this dark period in history. Carolco, the production company attached, had issues over the huge budget and didn’t believe in its box office chances. It instead invested in “Cutthroat Island,” a massive financial bomb that not only killed “Crusade,” but Carolco itself.
