8 Cancelled Video Game Movies That Would Have Changed Everything
4. Gears Of War
New Line Cinema saw the potential in an adaptation of Epic Games' bombastic shooter Gears of War in 2007, so the studio secured the services of Underworld director Len Wiseman to turn it into a $150 million movie.
Wiseman's Gears of War was billed as a prequel to the original game and it would have revealed how protagonist Marcus Fenix earned his trademark scar.
The filmmaker's wife Kate Beckinsale was rumoured to be on board in a prominent role, which would have added some girl power to the mix, a refreshing change from the testosterone-soaked carnage of the games.
With that hefty budget and star power behind it, Gears of War could have served as a fantastic companion piece to the series, with suitably explosive action set pieces and an R rating, but it started burning up on entry when New Line cut the budget.
The studio whittled development costs down to $100 million and now a had a more intimate story in the vein of Cloverfield in mind. The new direction and slashed funds clearly didn't sit well with Wiseman, who exited the project shortly after that.