9 Abandoned Sequel Plots That Sound Better Than The Movies We Got
John McClane Versus Jack Bauer? It could have happened.
Alien 3 is arguably one of the most troubled sequels in Hollywood history, and its long, torturous trek to the big screen is well documented. There were numerous story ideas and scripts written, with Vincent Ward’s Wooden Planet concept finally winning out. However producers got cold feet over rising costs and scrapped that plan while sets were being built, and it was hastily rewritten to become a space prison movie.
Alien 3 was a letdown following the first two entries, and fans often wonder how the Wooden Planet idea would have turned out. While a sequel being disappointing isn’t a huge shock – most of them are, honestly – it also slightly heartbreaking when fans learn the sequel originally had a great concept behind it, which was was abandoned for either being too unique or expensive.
A number of lame sequels started life with really cool premises, only for the powers that be to nix them for something safer. Who’s to say if these movies would have turned out well, but at the very least they had a great concept to start with.
9. Joe Carnahan's Mission: Impossible III
The original brief for the Mission: Impossible series was that each instalment would have a new director, and they'd bring their own distinct style to it. Brian De Palma and John Woo created two vastly different movies with their entries, and original M:I III helmer Joe Carnahan aimed to do something unique with his version. His idea was to make a grounded, realistic take on the spy franchise.
Kenneth Branagh was due to play a creepy terrorist, Scarlett Johannson would have played Cruise’s apprentice and the plot would have been a paranoid thriller involving private military groups and a coup in Africa. Apparently, it also would have featured two of the most shocking mask reveals in the series.
Carnahan’s gritty approach clashed with the studio, and another writer was brought on to gloss things up. This prompted the director to leave after a year working on it, leaving room for JJ Abrams to helm the rather bland third entry that was eventually made.