Thursday, October 11, 2007

Forgotten Mouse Tales 7...



And now it's time for another look down memory lane to the projects the Mouse had planned on making into films but got too scared to actually go through with it. This being October and Halloween coming up, I guess this will be an appropriate start...

Bell, Book and Candle 

A comedy written by Andrew Stengel that Miramax was going to make for the Mouse about a witch that enchants her neighbor because she despises his fiancée. Sounds like she's jealous of her broom, doesn't it? It's based on the classic 1958 film and was rewritten a few years ago by Leslie Megahev.


Rich Girl 

A romantic comedy from writer Aline Brosh McKenna and producer Debra Martin Chase described as a sophisticated interracial romantic comedy along the lines of "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?"  Now, we know there haven't been enough of these films. Where is Ashton when you need him? The story was based on a pitch by Chase for Walt Disney Pictures.


Regulators


An action film that focused on the world of surfing and gangs by writer Tristan Patterson. Jon Shestack was to produce the film for Walt Disney Pictures. Originally sold as a pitch and then the script was written and forgotten about...


Antonius

Originally conceived as an animated project for Walt Disney Pictures about a leopard in ancient Egypt who becomes a freedom fighter. The screenplay was by Tom Firestone and Martin Meunier. Interestingly the writers were discovered from a posting they did on a website.


Tim Allen Project (Untitled)

A wealthy man who comes across an unusual character who ends up having a positive influence on his life and character. Actor Kevin Pollack brought the idea to Tim Allen and they developed it together. Pollack wrote the script. Allen's company, Boxing Cat Prods. has a first-look deal at the studio and was to produce for Walt Disney Pictures... then nothing. I guess "The Santa Clause 3" and "Wild Hogs" got in the way? Either way, someone got a nice treat since they paid in the mid-six figures for the story.


ate of the Blade

The story of an adopted teenage Asian American girl grows up in a white middle-class San Fernando Valley family, is the sole surviving descendant of a Samurai clan of Japan and discovers an ancient demon is stalking her. I don't know if anyone has ever read Frank Miller's Ronin, but this has shades of that story which is set in a futuristic Los Angeles. The Mouse paid in the mid-six figures for this action-comedy by writer Analisa LaBianco, based on a comic book by Pat Lee and Chris Sarracini for Walt Disney Pictures.


The Fool's Errand

Another animated film for Walt Disney Pictures by David Steinberg about a court jester who goes on a mythical journey to return peace to his kingdom. The pitch was sold to the Mouse and then it magically vanished...


Stern-Weiss Project (Untitled)

This script by J. David Stern and David Weiss was a live-action tale of the deconstruction of the world of fairies and sprites. Producer Robert Simonds was to produce. Years has gone by and not a Faerie to be seen...


Tempting Fate 

This comedy by Lisa Mohan and Alex Stayden was bought for Touchstone Pictures in the upper six figures. The story is about a marketing exec whose life is turned around when he is the victim of downsizing. When his wife files for a divorce, he has to sell his house and go to work as a temp. At the first day of an assignment he meets a female ad exec who thinks that he's a client before realizing that he's her new secretary, and they fall in love. This project was bought originally in 1999 and has been jestating in development hell for almost a decade. Just another day in Hollywood.

Well, that's it for this time. Many of these projects will never see the light of day and from the sound of some of them... I'm kind of glad about that. I wonder where the brilliant executive that bought these is now working. Employed at McDonald's or taking tickets at Knott's Berry Farm?

Until next time...

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

These movies sound horrible. I'm glad who ever was in charge is gone. They are gone, right?

Anonymous said...

Quit posting this garbage. The projects were killed for a reason! We understand that you're pretty giddy about having insider knowledge, but please, only post real content in this blog. Reading about movies that will never be made is not compelling at all.

Joe Shelby said...

Actually, I don't mind things like this. Reminds me of Kevin Smith's story about the studio exec who insisted that his Superman script have Superman fighting a gigantic spider. Kevin couldn't fit it in but the guy kept insisting on it. Before it could be resolved, the director changed and Kevin was off the project...

...then the exec got his wish when a gigantic spider ended up in the next project he OK'ed: Wild Wild West. Which sucked. Go fig.

(and Why are the worst critics always anonymous? *some* of us are willing to sign our name to our opinions.)

Honor Hunter said...

Actually, I think you're talking about a polar bear that Jon Peters wanted Superman to fight. He wound up getting a credit on the "Superman Returns" movie, but had little involvement in it.

hamletprimeiro said...

Personally I love this kind of post.

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V.M.L. said...

I don't mind these posts. They're interesting. Some of the movies seem good, but the rest stink.