8 Movies That Escaped Development Hell (And Weren't Worth The Wait)

Making a film isn't all hanging out with pals and making big explosions, as much as directors would probably prefer it that way. Plenty of hard work goes into bringing weird and wonderful creations to life, and trying to distill that precise magical potion of actors, budgets, and an accessible filming schedule into a working movie really is a thankless task. It's like trying to herd a flock of cats, only they're hopped up on catnip and ham slices and probably about 6 foot tall just to make the whole thing even more impossible.

Giant hyperactive monsters aside however, the point remains that many films fall flat on their face before they can get started, and are relegated to the gloomy halls of Development Hell for their efforts. Escaping the place where movies go to die is no small feat, with only a few films able to brag about slipping away from purgatory whilst the rest wait and rot. Looking at you, Gambit.

Sometimes however, this incarceration has often happened for a reason. It's only when the thing manages to rise up against the odds and actually get made that we all realise it wasn't worth half the effort in the first place...

Now, this movie still retains a soft spot for many fans, but it's impossible to ignore the critical consensus that has seen it shunned by the majority of film watchers ever since its release. An amalgamation of two series that have long fascinated science-fiction fans, Alien vs Predator was the fifth instalment in the Alien franchise, and came with its fair share of baggage before it hit screens.

Originally drafted just after the 1989 comic released, Alien vs Predator was hotly debated by franchise veterans who wanted nothing to do with a goofy crossover movie. Sigourney Weaver, James Cameron, and Ridley Scott distanced themselves from the idea, with Scott in particular interested in a fifth Alien movie at the time that eventually turned into Prometheus.

20th Century Fox let the idea sit until 2002 - after they'd seeded the franchises crossing in a Predator 2 easter egg - before actually getting it released for 2004. This was because solo movies kept getting in the way, with no right time really decided upon until Paul W. S. Anderson slapped a proper idea down in front of the studio.

Despite the hype and wait for excited fans, the film came out dark and disappointing, with the subsequent sequel only further reinforcing just how right Sigourney Weaver was say that the whole idea "really depressed" her. You and every else, Sigourney.