10 Cancelled Horror Movies That Would Have Been LEGENDARY

The Creature from the Black Lagoon has remained dormant for decades, despite being one of the recognisable Universal Monsters. The Shape of Water was heavily inspired by the iconic 1954 black-and-white B-movie, but Gillman himself hasn't been seen since 1987's The Monster Squad (which is awesome).

This hasn't been through a lack of trying, though, as John Landis, Peter Jackson, Joe Dante, and Ivan Reitman have all attempted to revive the IP.

However, one director that's worth singling out is John Carpenter. In 1992, the man behind Halloween began prepping a reimagining of The Creature from the Black Lagoon, where a group of scientists discovers ancient pyramids in the Amazon, unaware they're tied to an ancient race of amphibious humanoids. Unlike the campy thrills of the original, Carpenter's retelling would've had visceral action and Lovecraftian vibes, and this version was also meant to be much more brutal, with characters being ripped limb from limb.

Sadly, the studio got cold feet after Carpenter's Memoirs of an Invisible Man bombed - thanks, Chevy Chase! - and the property has since kept being shipped around for the past 30+ years. Had it been made, Carpenter could've transformed a nostalgic monster story into a bloodcurdling horror experience.