2. Beverly Hills Cop 4
The Previous Movie: Beverly Hills Cop III, largely credited with killing the franchise stone dead with its goofy humour, earning barely a third of the box office gross the first film made, while costing over three-times the budget.
Why It Was Abandoned: Despite the third film's disappointing performance, a fourth film was still being prepped in the mid-90s. The trail then went cold for about a decade, when Jerry Bruckheimer professed his intention to bring the franchise back, before passing on it himself. By 2006, a plot outline was ready that was to Eddie Murphy's liking, and by 2008, Brett Ratner was signed as the director, promising a gritty return to the mature thrills of the first two films. Eventually, it all fell through, with Ratner suggesting it won't be happening "anytime soon", while a TV series is currently being shopped around various networks after CBS decided to pass on it in May.