10 Cool Movies … in Development Hell

One of the cool things about movies is you can literally take any story, from any genre and it can be made into a movie. With this said, it does not guarantee the movie will succeed or even be watchable. I enjoy finding out about projects long before they are even firmly grounded in production. I guess it gives me something to look forward to, but it can also be a let down if a particular movie falls into the dark and endless abyss of development Hell. Here’s some of my favorite projects currently in the early, early … early stages of “potentially” becoming actual movies. [Note: I’ve included none of the endless superhero projects in this list. An entire list of lists could be made from that pool of projects alone.]

• Flicker – This would be based on the Theodore Roszak novel of the same name and has Darron Aronofsky attached to direct. There is actually a finished script ready, but Aronofsky has put this project on the back-burner for now, in favor of others. The story follows a film student who determines that B-movies are part of a plan to obliterate all life on Earth.
• Ranger Danger and the Danger Rangers – Who doesn’t like Kevin Smith? [Word of advice, if you find yourself responding “I don’t” you should be careful … you’re behind enemy lines.] Long rumored to be his “special” tenth film, it would be a campy sci-fi action/adventure movie along the same vein as Flash Gordon and Barbarella, but Smith-style. Very little is known, but we need only know of its potential existence to be excited.
• Priest – This one got away from me. Based on the graphic novel by Min-Woo Hyung, this movie tells the tale of a priest who defies church law, then must track down the vampires who have taken his niece. Andrew Douglas is directing this project that is apparently now in production. Sam Raimi and Mitchell Peck produce and is expected to release in 2009.
• Frank Miller’s Ronin – This one is currently in development as an optioned property. Based on Frank Miler’s graphic novel of the same name, it follows an ancient samurai who is reborn in the future. It takes place in New York City and he must face an ancient demon reincarnated from the past. Sylvain White is attached to direct.
• Ender’s Game – Director Wolfgang Peterson holds the rights, but the project has only recently entered pre-production. Based on the popular sci-fi novel by Orsen Scott Card, the story takes place 70 years after a war with aliens and follows a boy who is destined to be a great and gifted leader to free this future Earth from the continued alien threat.
• Parasyte – Based on the Japanese manga series by Hitoshi Iwaaki, it is unclear where in development this project is. The story follows a man whose left arm is infected with a parasite, giving it a mind all its own. The man must work with the parasite to save mankind from an invasion of alien spores. Takashi Shimizu is attached to direct.
• Tortured Souls: Animae Damnatae – With a script written by Clive Barker and based on his own novella, written specifically for Todd McFarlane’s line of gnarly action figures, the current word is the project is undergoing script re-writes. One thing is for sure, even if the film flops it should be interesting to watch … if not down-right disturbing.
• Neuromancer – Based on the cult/sci-fi classic novel by William Gibson, this project is in pre-production. Joseph Kahn is attached to direct and they have apparently signed Hayden Christensen to star as Case, a young computer genius who jacks his consciousness into cyberspace, running cons for cash until he crosses the wrong people.
• Deadman – Guillermo del Toro currently holds the rights to this project, which means I am thrilled. Based on the classic DC comic book series, the story follows the ghost of former circus acrobat Boston Brand, who was murdered while performing. His spirit was given special powers by a Hindu goddess so that he may avenge his own death.
• Hannibal the Conqueror – Vin Diesel is slated to produce, direct and star in this story of the Carthage general who led an elephant-backed army against Rome in the third century B.C., based on the novel by Ross Lekkie. The movie sounds cool, but how will Diesel hold up under the pressure of handling the three most important jobs in the process. We’ve seen what its done to Mel Gibson.