10 Movies That Escaped Development Hell (And Were Worth The Wait)
These movie beat the odds big time.
Development hell is that infuriating creative abyss where so many promising projects end up banished, whether a result of financing issues, scheduling conflicts, or the ever-popular "creative differences."
So many potentially great films have been lost to the frustrating rigours of the film industry, and even when a project manages to climb out of development hell, that's no guarantee it'll actually turn out any good.
But every so often fans have their patience and faith rewarded, with films that spent many years or even many decades in development actually living up to the seemingly insurmountable hype.
Despite enormous and mostly understandable industry skepticism surrounding these long-gestating films, most of which spent years tied up in limbo, they eventually went before cameras and ended up well worth the wait against tremendous odds.
Though it's certainly sensible to temper your expectations where stalled movies are concerned, it isn't always a sign that the creative is wrong or the project is doomed to embarrass the franchise it belongs to.
In addition to being surprisingly good, even great movies, these films are beacons of hope to all those troubled productions out there...
10. Mad Max: Fury Road
When Mad Max: Fury Road finally hit cinemas in 2015, it was the first entry into George Miller's post-apocalyptic action franchise in 30 years, since 1985's Beyond Thunderdome.
Miller originally tried to get a fourth Mad Max movie made in the mid-'90s when the rights reverted back to him, though like so many other films progress was derailed by the economic fallout of 9/11.
Further attempts were made in the early '00s, but locations were washed away by rainfall and concerns amid the Iraq War made location shooting a logistical nightmare.
As the years passed Mel Gibson departed the project, before Tom Hardy confirmed he would be playing the new Max in 2010. Despite most fans assuming it would never go before cameras, Fury Road finally began filming in Namibia in June 2012.
Production was a slog, to be kind, with Hardy arguing regularly with both Miller and co-star Charlize Theron, to say nothing of the harsh inclement weather conditions.
Post-production took two-and-a-half years, including a round of re-shoots in late 2013, by which point press reports suggested the film was most likely a mess.
And so what a surprise it was, then, when Fury Road released to near-universal acclaim, ending up one of the best-reviewed action films of all time and receiving a staggering 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, while winning six below-the-line awards, more than any other film that year.
Ironically the follow-up has been mired in its own bout of development hell, though recent reports suggest the Furiosa prequel project is now finally moving forward.