10 Awesome Sci-Fi Films That Need To Escape Development Hell

2. Neuromancer

Otomo may have reinvigorated the cyberpunk genre in 1988 with Akira, but it was author William Gibson who defined it in the first place with his now classic novel, Neuromancer. Prefiguring a host of concepts that would become popularised in the Hollywood science fiction movies of the 1990s and beyond, the story of a computer hacker facing the ultimate challenge is a remarkably prescient work which seemed to second guess the age of the internet. An early name attached to the movie adaptation of Neuromancer was perhaps one of the most promising British directors of recent years, Chris Cunningham. Cunningham made his name directing music videos, and while this is often an instant reason to groan in dismay, his visual style and ability to utilize intricate robotic effects, as seen in his music video for Bjork's All is Full of Love, certainly hinted that he was capable of delivering the goods - and Gibson himself believes that Cunningham is the only viable option for director. In the years since, various other directors - less notable and talented than Cunningham - have been attached to the project, while actors including Milla Jovovich and Liam Neeson have been named as possible stars. Yet despite a completed script having been around for years, written with the assistance of Gibson, the movie adaptation of Neuromancer is still languishing in development hell waiting to go into production. If only Chris Cunningham can be brought back on board, it might stand a chance of doing the novel justice.