6 Sequels, Remakes, & Movie Adaptations Still Stuck in “Development Hell”

For decades, many promising movies – including sequels, remakes, and adaptations of books – have been stuck in development, never making it to the big screen. This includes a continuation of the fan-favorite Event Horizon, the much-anticipated fifth Alien movie, and several classic novels Hollywood has tried and failed to adapt. Let’s explore some of these potentially fantastic films that, for various reasons, never came to fruition.

These days, Hollywood relies heavily on remakes and reboots of established franchises. However, bringing back certain beloved stories proves difficult, and some books that seem perfect for movies take years to actually get made.

These projects have been delayed for many years, waiting for the right conditions to finally move forward.

Event Horizon

The ’90s Horror Classic Is Overdue For A Cinematic Sequel

The 1997 film Event Horizon is a chilling blend of science fiction, the supernatural, and horror. It didn’t initially resonate with either viewers or critics. However, after a disappointing start, the movie gained a following on VHS and became a beloved cult classic. Fans have been asking for a sequel since the early 2000s, but one has never been made for theaters.

After a long wait, Event Horizon is back – starting with a comic book series! The prequel, Dark Descent, explains some of the mysteries from the original movie, and a new sequel comic called Inferno is coming soon, giving fans what they’ve been asking for years. Plus, there are reports that an Event Horizon TV show is still being planned.

I was really excited about that Event Horizon project, but the latest news, from director Adam Wingard back in 2024, is a bit of a downer. He basically said his work on the Godzilla movies is keeping it on hold for a long time – years, even! Honestly, it sounds like it might not happen at all, and even if it does, we have no idea if it’ll be a continuation of the story, a prequel, a complete restart, or something totally different.

Alien 5

The Classic Sci-Fi Franchise Has Been Teasing Ripley’s Return For Decades

Custom image by Yeider Chacon

It’s almost been 30 years since the release of Alien Resurrection, the fourth film in the Alien series. For three decades, fans have wondered if Sigourney Weaver would reprise her role as Ellen Ripley for another battle against the Xenomorph. While it’s never been definitively ruled out, a return has come close to happening on several occasions.

Ever since the 1990s, rumors of a fifth Alien movie have surfaced every few years. Directors Ridley Scott (the original Alien filmmaker) and James Cameron (director of Aliens) have both, at different points, talked about potentially working with Sigourney Weaver on another film. Over the years, directors like Joss Whedon and Neil Blomkamp have also been linked to the project in various ways.

Despite initial plans, the fifth Alien movie hasn’t been made. The franchise has moved forward with prequels instead: Scott directed two earlier films, Alien: Romulus takes place between the original two movies, and the Alien: Earth TV series explores the backstory. While a proper Alien 5 is still possible, the chances of it happening are decreasing.

Small Soldiers

An Ahead-Of-Its-Time ’90s Classic That Is Stuck On The Shelf

Even though some people don’t like it, Small Soldiers could be director Joe Dante’s best film, though it hasn’t become as popular as his Gremlins movies. A third Gremlins film has been discussed for a long time and might finally happen, but a remake of Small Soldiers doesn’t seem likely at all.

Around ten years ago, plans were underway to remake the 1998 action-comedy Small Soldiers, which features toy soldiers coming to life and battling a family. The project, originally titled Toymageddon, was cancelled in 2019 when Disney bought 21st Century Fox, and there haven’t been any further attempts to update the film since.

It’s a shame that Small Soldiers never became a bigger franchise. Despite its silly concept, the movie actually offered a thoughtful message about the dangers of misused technology and artificial intelligence. The story and its potential for toys and sequels seemed perfect for building a whole series, but nearly three decades later, it’s mostly just remembered fondly by those who grew up in the ’90s.

Escape From New York

No One Wants To Mess Up John Carpenter’s ’80 Action Epic

John Carpenter’s Escape From New York is a perfect example of his filmmaking style. Like many of his films, it’s a low-budget production that embraces its limitations—and that’s part of its charm for a lot of fans. However, some viewers find the movie’s dated look and feel distracting, believing it could be improved with modern technology.

For nearly twenty years, filmmakers have been trying to remake the 45-year-old film, but the project keeps getting delayed. Why has it been so difficult? Similar remakes of Total Recall (2012) and Robocop (2014) faced the same challenge: some people thought the originals were perfect and shouldn’t be touched, while others saw potential in updating them.

Neither of those movies were as good as the originals. It’s possible that disappointment affected how Escape From New York was being developed. The remake rights were sold by New Line Cinema to Fox in 2015, and now Disney owns them. Instead of a remake, a sequel continuing the story is supposedly being worked on, but we haven’t heard any updates since 2022.

Blood Meridian

Cormac McCarthy’s Greatest Novel Is His Hardest To Adapt

Around the early 2000s, Cormac McCarthy began writing with film adaptations in mind. Before this, only his novel All the Pretty Horses had been made into a movie. He then published No Country for Old Men in 2005 and The Road in 2006, both of which were quickly adapted into highly praised films—released in 2007 and 2009, respectively.

For years, adapting Cormac McCarthy’s epic western novel, Blood Meridian, published in 1985, has been a challenge – many considered it impossible to bring to the screen. While a film or TV series now seems more achievable, McCarthy himself apparently rejected a proposed miniseries before his death.

John Hillcoat, who directed The Road, is still trying to make a film adaptation of Blood Meridian. Because the novel is complex and challenging to adapt, Hillcoat needs to be both patient and determined to bring Cormac McCarthy’s masterpiece to the screen.

Hyperion

This Sci-Fi Masterpiece Has Taken The Long Route To The Screen

Dan Simmons’ novel Hyperion, published in 1989, was immediately popular with readers. The book launched The Hyperion Cantos, a series now considered a landmark achievement in science fiction. Talk of a movie or TV adaptation began around 2009, but the project has been stuck in development ever since.

Around 2010, a movie adaptation of Hyperion didn’t come to fruition, and the project went silent for several years. In 2015, Syfy announced a miniseries adaptation, but it was also cancelled. More recently, in 2021, Warner Brothers revisited the idea of a Hyperion movie, with Bradley Cooper set to star.

Progress on the project appears to have slowed down, but Cooper’s continued interest is encouraging. He’s been working to get Hyperion made since 2011, though it’s still a long way off, and may never happen. Those who like to speculate on these things think we’re more likely to see a sequel to Event Horizon before Hyperion, but Hyperion is still more probable than Alien 5.

2026-01-11 18:01