20 Failed Movie Plans That'll Ruin Your Day

Over the years there have been many great movie ideas that have failed to materialise, some of which are so tragic it's honestly quite annoying to consider what could have been. 

There are a number of reasons why these projects failed to gain traction - budget constraints, cast disputes, directors clashing with studios chief amongst them - and a number more why their failure will surely fill any film fan with rage and heartbreak. 

It's easy to say these films would have been successes given the talent involved, though in truth it's impossible to know whether they'd have lived up to the hype or not. Still, the very fact that they never had a chance at life is something to moan about, especially in the cases of projects that were victims of corporate greed or unwanted studio interference. 

From sci-fi blockbusters to bold sequels to beloved classics, and great directors' passion projects to exciting war epics, then, here are 20 failed movie plans that might just ruin your day, from the long-gestating Ghostbusters 3 to a thrilling Star Wars Jedi origin movie...

To start this list, why not a potentially great idea that actually came to life, only to then be destroyed before anyone was allowed to see it? 

A tragic, infuriating victim of corporate greed, DC's Batgirl movie had it all: a stellar cast headlined by a breakout Leslie Grace, supported by Michael Keaton (as Batman!), Brendan Fraser and J.K. Simmons; two stylish directors in Adil El Adil and Bilall Fallah; and, rather crucially, it really was a full movie. It had been shot, edited, marketed, the whole nine. 

But it didn't matter. Warner Bros Discovery, the film's producers and distributors, wrote Batgirl off for tax purposes, leaving whatever its cast and crew had created forever unseen by audiences. 

Was the film destined to be a masterpiece? Perhaps not. But deleting any art for profit should always be one of the greatest sins a production company could ever commit. Such a shame.