Every Cancelled John Carpenter Film We NEVER Got To See
3. Riot
In 1978, Arnold Shapiro released a documentary called Scared Straight!, where convicts speak to troubled youths about the horrors of prison, hoping to dissuade them from criminal life. Carpenter was so blown away by the doc, he decided to make a film adaptation called Riot during the millennium.
In this prison thriller, a young offender is sent to the Scared Straight program moments before a riot takes place. After being taken hostage, the protagonist realises his only means of survival is to team up with a lifer, played by Nicolas Cage.
Not only does Riot have a compelling hook, Joe Gazzam's script earned a spot on the 2005 Black List, meaning it was one of the hottest undeveloped screenplays of the year.
Carpenter hadn't directed anything in four years at the time, so Riot could've been a nice way to get him out of his slump. If nothing else, having John Carpenter buddy up with Nic freaking Cage sounded like a sure recipe for success.
But after Riot failed to move forward, Carpenter and Cage had no choice but to go their separate ways.