12 Movies That Were Almost Directed By Steven Spielberg
3. The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty
The project in a nutshell: An adaptation of the 1939 short story by James Thurber about a mundane office worker who harbours unfulfilled dreams, which had already been adapted for the screen in 1947.
When was Spielberg attached: The film had been in development since the mid-1990s, planned as a vehicle for Jim Carrey. Spielberg came on board in 2003.
Who ended up directing it: Once again, Ben Stiller took over an abandoned Steven Spielberg/Jim Carrey project, both directing and starring in the film in 2013.
What happened: Again, it would seem to be a combination of scheduling issues, and concerns about the material. After being attached for almost a year, Spielberg dropped out in early 2004 to pursue his next two films, War of the Worlds and Munich.
Soon enough Carrey too would vacate the role. In the decade ahead Owen Wilson, Mike Myers and Sacha Baron Cohen would all be linked, until Stiller ultimately got it made to a fairly lukewarm response with critics and audiences.