Movies Made by Alternate Directors - Part 2
by The-Social-Introvert | created - 07 Jul 2015 | updated - 09 Jul 2015 | PublicScripts are passed around frequently in Hollywood. There are often many movie makers who become attached to a project before the script ends up in the lap of the eventual director of the movie.
Below are movies that were close to being made by different directors. Some were fired during production, others couldn’t get the ball rolling, a few lost interest, and in one case the director died before he could make the movie.
Which of the following movies made by alternate directors would you have been most interested in seeing?
See part one here
Discuss the list here
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1. Changeling (2008)
R | 141 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
After Christine's son goes missing, she reaches out to the LAPD to find him. But when they try to pass off an impostor as her son to quieten public protests, she refuses to accept him or give up hope.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Angelina Jolie, Colm Feore, Amy Ryan, Gattlin Griffith
Votes: 264,747 | Gross: $35.74M
Directed by Ron Howard
2. Rumor Has It... (2005)
PG-13 | 97 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Sarah Huttinger is a woman who learns that her family was the inspiration for the book and film "The Graduate" -- and that she just might be the offspring of the well-documented event.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Mark Ruffalo, Shirley MacLaine, Kevin Costner
Votes: 61,492 | Gross: $43.00M
Directed by Ted Griffin
3. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
PG | 102 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto are swept away by a tornado from their Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz, and embark on a quest with three new friends to see the Wizard, who can return her to her home and fulfill the others' wishes.
Directors: Victor Fleming, King Vidor | Stars: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr
Votes: 426,724 | Gross: $2.08M
Directed by Richard Thorpe
4. Ant-Man (2015)
PG-13 | 117 min | Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, cat burglar Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, pull off a plan that will save the world.
Director: Peyton Reed | Stars: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, Evangeline Lilly
Votes: 718,912 | Gross: $180.20M
Directed by Edgar Wright
5. Crazy People (1990)
R | 90 min | Comedy, Drama
A bitter ad executive who has reached his breaking point lands in a mental institution, where his career actually begins to thrive with help from his fellow patients.
Directors: Tony Bill, Barry L. Young | Stars: Dudley Moore, Daryl Hannah, Paul Reiser, J.T. Walsh
Votes: 4,957 | Gross: $13.24M
Directed by Mitch Markowitz
6. Beethoven (1992)
PG | 87 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
A slobbering St. Bernard becomes the center of attention for a loving family, but must contend with a dog-napping veterinarian and his henchmen.
Director: Brian Levant | Stars: Charles Grodin, Bonnie Hunt, Dean Jones, Nicholle Tom
Votes: 76,184 | Gross: $57.11M
Directed by Steve Rash
7. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
PG | 135 min | Western
Missouri farmer Josey Wales joins a Confederate guerrilla unit and winds up on the run from the Union soldiers who murdered his family.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Chief Dan George, Bill McKinney
Votes: 79,489 | Gross: $31.80M
Directed by Philip Kaufman
8. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
PG | 102 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto are swept away by a tornado from their Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz, and embark on a quest with three new friends to see the Wizard, who can return her to her home and fulfill the others' wishes.
Directors: Victor Fleming, King Vidor | Stars: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr
Votes: 426,724 | Gross: $2.08M
Directed by Norman Taurog
9. Spider-Man (2002)
PG-13 | 121 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
After being bitten by a genetically-modified spider, a shy teenager gains spider-like abilities that he uses to fight injustice as a masked superhero and face a vengeful enemy.
Director: Sam Raimi | Stars: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, James Franco
Votes: 874,664 | Gross: $403.71M
Directed by David Fincher
10. Gone with the Wind (1939)
Passed | 238 min | Drama, Romance, War
A sheltered and manipulative Southern belle and a roguish profiteer face off in a turbulent romance as the society around them crumbles with the end of slavery and is rebuilt during the Civil War and Reconstruction periods.
Directors: Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Sam Wood | Stars: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Thomas Mitchell, Barbara O'Neil
Votes: 332,868 | Gross: $198.68M
Directed by George Cukor
11. Superman II (1980)
PG | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Superman agrees to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane, unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are conquering Earth.
Director: Richard Lester | Stars: Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Ned Beatty
Votes: 114,227 | Gross: $108.19M
Directed by Richard Donner
*Donner was replaced during production and a percentage of scenes directed by him remain in the film
12. Brave (2012)
PG | 93 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse.
Directors: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell | Stars: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters
Votes: 440,075 | Gross: $237.28M
Directed by Brenda Chapman
*Chapman is credited but replaced one year before production
13. Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986)
R | 105 min | Comedy, Romance, Thriller
An American computer wiz who works at a New York bank is suddenly thrust into the world of international espionage after she inadvertently receives a coded message from a British spy.
Director: Penny Marshall | Stars: Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Collins, John Wood, Carol Kane
Votes: 20,690 | Gross: $25.59M
Directed by Howard Zieff
14. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
R | 118 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
An oddball journalist and his psychopathic lawyer travel to Las Vegas for a series of psychedelic escapades.
Director: Terry Gilliam | Stars: Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Tobey Maguire, Michael Lee Gogin
Votes: 300,480 | Gross: $10.68M
Directed by Alex Cox
15. Piranha II: The Spawning (1982)
R | 94 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A scuba diving instructor, her biochemist boyfriend, and her police chief ex-husband try to link a series of bizarre deaths to a mutant strain of piranha fish whose lair is a sunken freighter ship off a Caribbean island resort.
Directors: James Cameron, Ovidio G. Assonitis, Miller Drake | Stars: Tricia O'Neil, Steve Marachuk, Lance Henriksen, Ricky Paull Goldin
Votes: 9,856
Directed by Miller Drake
16. Die Hard 2 (1990)
R | 124 min | Action, Thriller
John McClane attempts to avert disaster as rogue military operatives seize control of Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.
Director: Renny Harlin | Stars: Bruce Willis, William Atherton, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson
Votes: 381,962 | Gross: $117.54M
Directed by John McTiernan
17. Watchmen (2009)
R | 162 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
In a version of 1985 where superheroes exist, the murder of a colleague sends active vigilante Rorschach on the trail of a conspiracy that will change the course of history.
Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Jackie Earle Haley, Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino, Malin Akerman
Votes: 580,284 | Gross: $107.51M
Directed by Terry Gilliam
18. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
PG | 102 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto are swept away by a tornado from their Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz, and embark on a quest with three new friends to see the Wizard, who can return her to her home and fulfill the others' wishes.
Directors: Victor Fleming, King Vidor | Stars: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr
Votes: 426,724 | Gross: $2.08M
Directed by George Cukor
19. Toy Story 2 (1999)
G | 92 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
When Woody is stolen by a toy collector, Buzz and his friends set out on a rescue mission to save Woody before he becomes a museum toy property with his roundup gang Jessie, Prospector, and Bullseye.
Directors: John Lasseter, Ash Brannon, Lee Unkrich | Stars: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer
Votes: 617,027 | Gross: $245.85M
Directed by Ash Brannon
20. Cars 2 (2011)
G | 106 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Star race car Lightning McQueen and his pal Mater head overseas to compete in the World Grand Prix race. But the road to the championship becomes rocky as Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage.
Directors: John Lasseter, Bradford Lewis | Stars: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer
Votes: 215,774 | Gross: $191.45M
Directed by Brad Lewis
21. Moneyball (2011)
PG-13 | 133 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to assemble a baseball team on a lean budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire new players.
Director: Bennett Miller | Stars: Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Votes: 462,113 | Gross: $75.61M
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
22. Promises Written in Water (2010)
Unrated | 75 min | Drama
Promises Written in Water is an extremely stripped down abstract romantic story of a man and a woman, both in crisis. Kevin (Vincent Gallo) is a long-time, professional assassin, ... See full summary »
Director: Vincent Gallo | Stars: Vincent Gallo, Delfine Bafort, Hope Tomaselli, Lisa Love
Votes: 187
Directed by Pete Red Sky
23. Queen Kelly (1932)
Passed | 101 min | Drama
A convent girl is abducted and seduced by a prince before being sent off to a brothel in East Africa.
Directors: Erich von Stroheim, Richard Boleslawski | Stars: Gloria Swanson, Walter Byron, Seena Owen, Sylvia Ashton
Votes: 3,354
Directed by Eric Von Stroheim
24. The Good Dinosaur (2015)
PG | 93 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
In a world where dinosaurs and humans live side-by-side, an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend.
Director: Peter Sohn | Stars: Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, Maleah Nipay-Padilla, Ryan Teeple
Votes: 126,771 | Gross: $123.09M
Directed by Bob Peterson
25. Tombstone (1993)
R | 130 min | Biography, Drama, History
A successful lawman's plans to retire anonymously in Tombstone, Arizona are disrupted by the kind of outlaws he was famous for eliminating.
Directors: George P. Cosmatos, Kevin Jarre | Stars: Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton
Votes: 165,088 | Gross: $56.51M
Directed by Kevin Costner
26. Maleficent (2014)
PG | 97 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A vengeful fairy is driven to curse an infant princess, only to discover that the child could be the one person who can restore peace to their troubled land.
Director: Robert Stromberg | Stars: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Lesley Manville
Votes: 398,785 | Gross: $241.41M
Directed by Tim Burton
27. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
PG-13 | 112 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
When the Dark Elves attempt to plunge the universe into darkness, Thor must embark on a perilous and personal journey that will reunite him with doctor Jane Foster.
Director: Alan Taylor | Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård
Votes: 722,197 | Gross: $206.36M
Directed by Patty Jenkins
28. American Sniper (2014)
R | 133 min | Action, Biography, Drama
Navy S.E.A.L. sniper Chris Kyle's pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. Back home with his family after four tours of duty, however, Chris finds that it is the war he can't leave behind.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Kyle Gallner, Cole Konis
Votes: 526,688 | Gross: $350.13M
Directed by Steven Spielberg
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