Every Cancelled John Carpenter Film We NEVER Got To See
16. The Philadelphia Experiment
In 1982, Carpenter developed a screenplay based on The Philadelphia Experiment, which is an urban legend surrounding an alleged U.S. Navy operation during World War II.
According to a mariner, Carl M. Allen, the Navy used technology that allowed a destroyer ship to vanish, with catastrophic side effects. The story's mythical status escalated over time, with different reports saying the vessel teleported, went invisible, travelled through time, or entered a different universe.
Although the premise aligned neatly with Carpenter’s recurring sci-fi themes, he couldn't figure out the third act. In his own words:
"It was a shaggy dog story that didn’t end. So I struggled with it, but I couldn’t fix it. I hit the wall and I think it spooked me on writing for a little bit."
A film based on The Philadelphia Experiment was released in 1984, but had little resemblance in style or story to Carpenter's version, functioning more like a romantic adventure than a bleak horror. Nevertheless, Carpenter was credited as executive producer since his script laid the groundwork.