5 Colourful Movies That Were Almost Black And White

From its first screenplay draft, Frank Darabont envisioned the beastly thriller as a black and white motion picture. The director decided not to go toe to toe with the studio, however, and Darabont's favoured presentation was relegated to a DVD extra.

Darabont and The Mist author Stephen King were on the same wavelength. The film adaptation has citizens fighting off creatures in bright blue flog or in markets with colourful supplies. However, in the novella's afterword, King revealed that he composed the story with old black and white movies in mind. He was influenced by the Bert I. Gordon monster flicks of his youth. It's no accident that the giant spiders of Gordon's work also appear in one of The Mist's most gruesome scenes.

Since the book's release, King fans have voiced their desire for an achromatic portrayal of the story. Darabont defended the concept against naysayers who thought a black and white film would make The Mist look less real. He argued that film itself was heightened reality and that was part of its beauty.

Darabont debated the merits of both approaches though he always preferred the greyscale feature full of tentacled monsters. For him, it was a throwback to sixties movies like Night of the Living Dead. He couldn't deny that modern viewers might want a fresher take so his black and white director's cut became a home video experience.

Though Darabont gave into the colour-filled norm of Hollywood films, his devotion to the flashier Mist was blurry at times.