Ridley Scott's unrealized projects

The following is a list of unproduced Ridley Scott projects in roughly chronological order. During his long career, English film director Ridley Scott has worked on a number of projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction. Some of these projects, fell in development hell or are officially canceled.

1970s

Tristan and Isolde

In the mid-1970s, before the beginning of the filming of The Duellists, Scott pitched the idea of a film adaptation of medieval romantic legend of Tristan and Iseult, and he planned to release these film as his second movie.^[1] However, the project never materialized at the time, and Scott pitched the idea of Legend during the filming of The Duellists as a replacement of this project.^[2] The film was finally released in 2006 with Kevin Reynolds as the director and with Scott as the producer.

1980s

Dune

Around 1981, Scott was hired to direct a film adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel Dune.^[3] However, Scott was finally replaced by David Lynch, and the film was released in 1984.

1990s

Crisis in the Hot Zone

In February 1994, Scott signed a deal with 20th Century Fox to direct a film adaptation of Richard Preston's article Crisis in the Hot Zone.^[4] In late-April 1994, Robert Redford and Jodie Foster were in talks for star in the film.^[5] However, the project was finally shut down due many production problems and Foster's departure from it.^[6]

I Am Legend

On July 2, 1997, Variety reported that Scott had signed a contract with Warner Bros. to direct the third film adaptation of Richard Matheson's novel I Am Legend.^[7] Arnold Schwarzenegger was attached to portray Dr. Robert Neville^[8] and Mark Protosevich was attatched to write the film.^[9] However, the project was finally cancelled due budgetary concerns on March 16, 1998.^[10] However, the project was subsequently revived and in 2007 the film was released with Francis Lawrence as director and with Will Smith as the lead role.

2000s

Alien 5

In an interview on January 23, 2002, Scott expressed his desire to make a fifth installment in the Alien franchise.^[11] He stated that the fifth film would explain the Aliens' origins and where they were discovered.^[12] However, the project was finally shelved due the production of the spin-off Prometheus and Alien vs. Predator was released in 2004 instead, as the first installment of the Alien vs. Predator spin-off franchise.

Gladiator 2

On September 11, 2003, Scott expressed interest in direct the planned sequel to his succesful Gladiator film.^[13] In 2006, Rotten Tomatoes reported that Scott and Russell Crowe stated that they wanted to hire Nick Cave for rewrite the sequel's script.^[14] However, at the end, Cave's script was rejected and Scott and Crowe cancelled plans for a sequel in 2009.^[15]

Blood Meridian

On May 10, 2004, Scott revealed his intentions of make, along screenwriter William Monahan and producer Scott Rudin, a film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's acclaimed novel Blood Meridian,^[16] a project that was tried to film in the past various other filmmakers, like screenwriter Steve Tesich and actor Tommy Lee Jones.^[17] Paramount Pictures was set to develop the feature,^[18] and in June 2008, during an interview with Eclypse Magazine, Scott stated that the script was written, but it contained much violence.^[19] However, on August 17, 2008, Rudin stated that Scott and Monahan had left the project and that director Todd Field would direct it instad than Scott.^[20]

Untitled Lucius Verus spin-off

In 2006, Rotten Tomatoes reported that along the plans for a sequel of the acclaimed Gladiator film, DreamWorks had approached to Scott with the intentions of producing an spin-off with Lucius Verus as the main character.^[21] However, after the cancellation of Gladiator 2, any word about a spin-off was made, meaning that the project could be likely abandoned.

Metropolis

On August 7, 2007, Scott stated during the 2007 Comic-Con that he was being considered to direct a sequel to his cult film Blade Runner^[22] tentatively entitled Metropolis.^[23] Bud Yorkin and Eagle Eye co-writer Travis Wright were supposed to work on this project.^[24] However, the project was finally scrapped after John Glenn's departure from it, stating that the script explores the nature of the off-world colonies as well as what happens to the Tyrell Corporation in the wake of its founder's death.^[25] Despite this, at the moment, a sequel entitled Blade Runner 2049 is set to be released in 2017 with Denis Villeneuve as the director, with Scott attached to co-produce it, and with Harrison Ford reprising his role as Officer Rick Deckard.

Purefold

On June 4, 2009,The New York Times revealed that Scott along his now deceased brother Tony Scott were working on prequel of Blade Runner, entitled Purefold and set in 2019. The project was conceived as a webseries with episodes of 5 or 10 minutes, that, according to Ridley, it could have also been transmited in television.^[26] In February 2010, Wayback Machine reported that the production of the series was cancelled due funding problems.^[27]

2010s

Robin Hood 2

On April 4, 2010, Scott revealed his hopes of making a sequel to Robin Hood and more films after that.^[28] On May 13, 2010, Russell Crowe expressed his desire in reprise his role as Robin Longstride/Robin Hood.^[29] However, plans for the sequel fell in development hell, because any update was made after this announcements.

Untitled Sci-fi short films

On March 12, 2013, Tubefilter reported that Scott would work with Machinima in the production of twelve science fiction shorts films.^[30] However, on November 21 of that year, Scott reported that the Sci-Fi shorts project was cancelled due the end of the deal.^[31]

References