- Shelved
In the
film industry , afilm is considered shelved if it is not released for public viewing afterfilming has started, or even completed.A film can be shelved for a number of reasons:
*A film may receive poor reaction from test audiences and other critics, promptingfilm producer s to choose to never release the film, instead of spending additional money to print and promote it.
*A film may also goover budget and not find funders, causing the film's producer to abandon the film instead of completing it.
*In other cases, a film may be considered toocontroversial for a release, and is unable to find a distributor.
*One of the main actors died or resigned while the film was in production.
*A film may be become embroiled in legal battles, such as illegal funding means.
*A film may have been produced only to fulfil a legal obligation, such as to fulfil a contract or keep an intellectual property alive.The term "shelved" may refer to other entertainment media, such as music albums (e.g. Fiona Apple's "
Extraordinary Machine ") and novels.Famous shelved films
*"
The Adventures of Pluto Nash ", a comedy film starringEddie Murphy , was completed in 2000.Warner Bros. shelved the film for nearly two years before finally releasing it in August of 2002. "Pluto Nash" soon gained infamy as one of the most expensivebox office bomb s inHollywood history.
*"Arrive Alive " was supposed to be acomedy film starringWillem Dafoe as a hotel manager mixed up in various scams andJoan Cusack as his girlfriend, but was cancelled after a week's filming when the producerArt Linson decided it wasn't as funny as he thought it would be.
*"Being Human" aRobin Williams vehicle commissioned byDavid Putnam when runningColumbia Pictures . Completed in 1989 after Putnam had been ousted Columbia's new owners shelved the film until 1993.
*"Brenda Starr " was slated for release in 1986 but shelved until 1989 due to litigation; the film was based on a comic strip and starredBrooke Shields in the title role.
*"Creation" demonstrated thestop-motion effects ofWillis O'Brien , who later went on to complete the effects for "King Kong". This pilot film was never completed, though some surviving prints still exist.
*"Collateral Damage", an action film featuring hijacking of aircraft and bombing of large buildings, was scheduled for release in October 2001. However it was shelved following the September 11 terrorist attacks and was finally released later in 2002.
*"Dark Blood " was cancelled halfway through filming due to the death of its starRiver Phoenix .
*"The Day the Clown Cried ", an early 1970s film about Naziconcentration camp s directed byJerry Lewis . Some bits of behind-the-scenes-footage have been found, as well as production stills.
*"The Devil and Daniel Webster" (2003) was eventually screened atfilm festival s, then scheduled for release in 2007 under the changed title Shortcut to Happiness.
*"Fantastic Four", a 1994 film produced byRoger Corman that was never intended to be commercially released. Bootlegs of the film, however, leaked onto the internet and are available on VHS and onYouTube .
*"House of 1000 Corpses " was completed in 1999 or 2000, but was unable to find distribution until 2003 due to its violent subject matter.
*"I Love Lucy", a feature film version of the popular sitcom which combined three episodes with new scenes added.MGM demanded the film be shelved because they felt it would diminish interest in "The Long, Long Trailer ". After onetest screening , the film was shelved and forgotten.
*"Knockaround Guys " was completed in 1999, but was not released until 2001, to capitalize on actorVin Diesel 's popularity.
*"The Man Who Killed Don Quixote " was a film which commenced filming in 2000 but was shelved after 2 weeks. It was going to be directed byTerry Gilliam but was cancelled when starJean Rochefort was injured. The "behind the scenes" featurette for the DVD became the basis for the documentary "Lost in La Mancha ".
*"O", completed in 1999, but was not released until 2001 because of theColumbine High School massacre .
*"Playing God" was finished in 1995 but not released until 1997 due to negative reactions from test audiences.
*"RoboCop 3 " was filmed in 1991, but shelved and not released until 1993, due to Orion's bankruptcy. Bootleg copies showed up several years before the official release.
*"", a film that splices together footage from the OAVMegazone 23 and the Southern Cross segment of the Robotech TV series, was intended as a side story in the Robotech Universe. ProducerCarl Macek initially intended to create a straight adaptation of Megazone 23, which would have been slightly re-written to take place in the Robotech Universe. He was reportedly pressured by Cannon Films into including more action scenes, thus the decision to splice Southern Cross battle footage into the final product. This movie showed only for two weeks in Mesquite, Texas and was shelved. The film did get a general release in South America, however.
*"Something's Got to Give ", a film left unfinished by the death ofMarilyn Monroe .
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.