10 Cancelled Movies We Wish Had Been Made

9. To The White Sea - Joel & Ethan Coen

Brad-Pitt

The eclectic career of the Coen Brothers has brought the world a plethora of intriguing films featuring their unique brand of stylish, idiosyncratic storytelling. Despite all their successes, the brothers have also had their fair share of films which did not materialize for whatever reason. One of the most disappointing projects that the pair eventually moved away from was a proposed adaptation of James Dickey's To the White Sea.

The book follows a WWII pilot being shot down over Tokyo and then traveling across a war-torn landscape towards freedom, a journey which drives him to extreme acts of violence and irrevocably changes his very character. Can you imagine how awesome this could have turned out, especially with Brad Pitt being set to play the lead role? According to the Virgin Film book Coen Brothers (2003) the Coen Brothers decision to actually shoot the film in Japan "...proved to be the project's downfall," as it "...already had been a struggle for the Coens to convince 20th Century Fox to take this brutal, experimental movie on." This of course seems to be yet another example of studio suits and pencil pushers getting in the way of art and leaving the world a much poorer place because of it.
 
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Adam Mohrbacher has been afflicted with an obession for film since his earliest memories. In addition to his work with WhatCulture, Adam has been a contributor with Filmophilia.com, FilmMonthly.com and Examiner.com. You can also check out his personal blog here: adammohrbacher@wordpress.com. A devoted fan of all film genres and styles, Adam gets equally giddy over the sensitive, existential musings of Ingmar Bergman, and the brawny brilliance of Arnold Schwartzenegger. He loves fish tacos and misses the work of Heath Ledger and Jack Lemmon on a daily basis.