12 Shelved Movies That Would've Been INSANE
11. Darren Aronofsky's Batman: Year One
Background: Following Joel Schumacher's 1997 franchise-destroying Batman & Robin, Warner Bros. set out to find a fresh director to bring Batman into the new millennium.
During the search, Darren Aronofsky, who had recently released his critically acclaimed debut 1998's Pi, was approached to direct an adaptation of Frank Miller's iconic comic book story-arc Batman: Year One. The film was set to be scripted by Miller himself and was to be heavily inspired by 1970's neo-noir crime thrillers in the vein of Taxi Driver and Serpico.
Why It Didn't Happen: Ultimately, the R-rated violence and adult themes proved too much for studio executives who wanted the film to be kept both child-friendly and merchandisable. Aronofsky has since said that he knew the studio would end up rejecting his ideas, so used it as an opportunity to make a name for himself as a potential writer.
Will It Ever Happen? It's extremely unlikely. Many of the themes from Miller's story were later adapted into Christopher Nolan's 2005 Batman Begins which is now considered the definitive film incarnation of The Caped Crusader. Although there has been a recent push for R-rated superhero films, given his previous experience, Aronofsky is doubtful to return.