James Cameron's unrealized projects
During his long career, Canadian film director James Cameron has worked on a number of projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction.
[4]) Cameron's script had the same basic structure of the first film but had the character of Rambo's partner before later drafts were written by star Sylvester Stallone.
I realize his speech at the end may have caused millions of viewers to burst veins in their eyeballs by rolling them excessively, but the sentiment stated was conveyed to me by many veterans.... [Also] in his original draft it took nearly 30-40 pages to have any action initiated and Rambo was partnered with a tech-y sidekick.
Around 1989, Stan Lee and Chris Claremont entered in talks with Carolco Pictures and Lightstorm Entertainment to make a film adaptation of the X-Men comic book series, with Cameron as producer, Kathryn Bigelow as director and Gary Goldman as writer.
[14] However, the project entered into development hell when Lee piqued Cameron's interest on the long planned Spider-Man film and after the defunction of Carolco Pictures.
[20] In 1991, after finishing the filming of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Cameron tried to get the rights of Daniel Keyes' non-fiction novel The Minds of Billy Milligan.
[31] After finishing the filming of True Lies, on September 1, 1993, Variety reported that Cameron had sent a screenplay (apparently written in 1991)[32] to Carolco Pictures for the long-planned live-action adaptation of the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man, a theatrical project that had been in production hell since 1985.
[34] Cameron's planned screenplay featured a darker, R-rated and mature re-imagining of the classic Spider-Man origin story, with the storyline focusing on academically-gifted, yet outcast high school student: Peter Parker, being bitten by a mutated spider during a scientific demonstration, which later results in Parker developing spider-like superhuman abilities.
After initially attempting to use his abilities for personal gain, his selfishness leads to him encountering and refusing to stop an armed robber from escaping from a local TV station, which later results in the tragic murder of his adoptive father-figure/uncle: Ben Parker.
While balancing high school life, Peter struggles to do good and help others under his Spider-Man alter-ego, while vying for the attentions of his classmate and crush: Mary Jane-Watson, with whom he develops a blossoming romance.
Cameron's script also contained heavy profanity, mature themes, sexual content and a significantly grittier, edgier and adult-oriented tone and direction, compared to other cinematic Spider-Man adaptations.
[35][36] However, after problems that producer Menahem Golan had with Carolco (which ended in the bankruptcy of the latter), Cameron left the project and signed a contract with 20th Century Fox.
[37] The script was about a man named Josh Sully traveling to the planet Pandora and falling in love with the native alien Zuleika.
Cameron and cinematographer Matthew F. Leonetti helped Bigelow direct the scenes, which were choreographed weeks in advance, but remained uncredited for their directorial work.
In 1998, Cameron was to write and produce the movie, while Peter Hyams was to direct the film and Arnold Schwarzenegger was to star in the role of George Taylor.
[45] According to Cameron, he had great ideas for the movie, including Caesar traveling in time and discovering an ape society more technologically advanced.
[58] In 1998, Cameron began working on a screenplay titled Bright Angel Falling, with the help of fellow writer-director and friend Peter Hyams.
The script tells the story of a massive meteor on a collision course with the Earth and the efforts of a team of brave astronauts to stop it, while also detailing the main characters' personal struggles and issues.
[73] On May 3, 2002, Cameron and the producers of Dark Angel were initially told a third season had been approved, but two days later Fox informed them that the series had been cancelled.
[76] On April 17, 2003, it was reported by Moviehole that Cameron had signed with 20th Century Fox to direct a film adaptation of the Yukito Kishiro's manga Battle Angel Alita.
[85] The film held its world premiere on January 31, 2019, at the Odeon Leicester Square in London, and was released in the United States on February 14, 2019.
[86] In March 2008, Variety reported that Paramount Pictures was set to make another animated film with David Fincher "spearheading the project".
Kevin Eastman, who is the current owner and publisher of Heavy Metal, will direct a segment, as will Tim Miller, "whose Blur Studio will handle the animation for what is being conceived as an R-rated, adult-themed feature".
[97] In August 2010, Hannover House announced plans to develop a 3D animated film titled Terminator 3000, with Cameron in a producing role.
[98] Pacificor responded with a cease and desist letter, declining a $20–30 million offer from Hannover for the rights to produce the film, killing the project.
[98] On August 12, 2010, Entertainment Weekly reported that Cameron was working on a biographical film about Tsutomu Yamaguchi, a Japanese man that survived both the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
[101] Cameron suggested casting Tom Cruise in the lead role and releasing the film in 3-D.[102] In June 2010, del Toro said that the adaptation probably would not happen at all.
On May 5, 2012, Cameron expressed his desire to direct a prequel to his acclaimed and successful Avatar film,[106] with Sigourney Weaver slated to reprise her role as Dr. Grace Augustine.
On October 23, 2012, Los Angeles Times reported that Cameron had acquired the rights to direct a film adaptation of Taylor Stevens's novel The Informationist for 20th Century Fox.
Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, star of The Hunger Games, Silver Linings Playbook and Joy, had been cast to play Audrey Mestre.
