Every Cancelled John Carpenter Film We NEVER Got To See
20. Eyes
Eyes of Laura Mars is a mystery thriller released in 1978 that revolves around a woman who can see through the eyes of a killer, the Skid Row Slasher.
Though the film was meant to be overseen by John Carpenter, Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner was handed the reins. But Carpenter's version, which was simply called Eyes, would've been drastically different.
Firstly, Eyes would've employed a first-person view approach while the Skid Row Slasher conducted his murder spree. This decision would immerse audiences in Laura's dread as she's forced to witness murders from the maniac's perspective. (This technique was famously used in the prologue of Carpenter's Halloween.) Instead of Faye Dunaway in the lead, Eyes would've been a star vehicle for Barbara Streisand.
After selling the spec script to Columbia Pictures, producer Jon Peters insisted on extensive rewrites that shifted the story toward a romantic angle. Carpenter strongly opposed and abandoned the project, allowing Eyes to be reworked into the 1978 version.
Although Carpenter was credited, he disowned Eyes of Laura Mars, claiming his ideas were nowhere to be seen in the finished product.