10 Finished Movies That Disappeared Without A Trace

The original 1994 Fantastic Four film is infamously a case of not just a movie being finished and then dropped, but rather one that was entirely completed without ever being intended for release at all.

In the 1980s Bernd Eichinger of Constantin Films, the German company behind The Never Ending Story, had acquired the screen rights to Marvel's First Family relatively cheaply. But Constantin's license to use the characters would expire and revert to Marvel unless they went into production on a film by the end of 1992.

So, Eichinger approached B-movie schlockmeister Roger Corman to turn out a quick and cheap production for $1 million. That way Constantin could hold onto the rights until sub-licensing them for a future highly profitable Hollywood blockbuster (as they did with Fox for the 2005 Fantastic Four).

As it was just made to retain the rights, the film was never intended for release. In fact, Marvel's Avi Arad bought up all the prints to prevent it being shown and potentially cheapening their brand.

Unfortunately, none of the cast and crew ever knew that this was just an "ashcan copy" and spent their own money going to conventions and promoting the film, hoping that it would be their big break. They were shocked to receive a cease and desist order against promoting their movie from their own producers.

Although never officially released, bootleg copies of The Fantastic Four have leaked and, while cheap and campy, it can't really be said to have done a worse job than any of its high budget successors!