In this article we are going to talk about Oliver Stone's unrealized projects, a topic that has been the subject of debate and discussion for a long time. Oliver Stone's unrealized projects is a topic that has aroused curiosity and generated conflicting opinions in different areas. It doesn't matter if you are an expert in the field or simply interested in learning more about it, this article will provide you with detailed and relevant information about Oliver Stone's unrealized projects. We will explore different aspects related to Oliver Stone's unrealized projects, from its history and evolution to its impact on today's society. Additionally, we will look at some of the different perspectives that exist around Oliver Stone's unrealized projects and how it has been approached in different contexts. Get ready to immerse yourself in the fascinating world of Oliver Stone's unrealized projects and discover everything this theme has to offer!
The following is a list of unproduced Oliver Stone projects in roughly chronological order. During his long career, American film director Oliver Stone has worked on several projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction. Some of these projects fell into development hell, were officially cancelled or would see life under a different production team.
1970s
Break
A semi-autobiographical screenplay that would eventually become the basis for Platoon (1986), detailing Stone's experiences during the Vietnam War.
The Cover-Up
Second Life
An unproduced sequel script to Platoon inspired by Stone's own life after the war.
1980s
Demolished Man
In the early 1980s, Stone wrote a screenplay adaptation of Alfred Bester's sci-fi novel The Demolished Man, but it didn't become a film because of technical limitations and Stone's busy writer-director schedule. His draft was later listed as one of the ten best unproduced screenplays on the March 1991 issue of American Film.
In the early 1990s, it was reported that Stone would direct a then-untitled film about Samuel LaBudde, an environmentalist who fought to stop tuna fishermen from killing dolphins.
In 1994, Stone attempted to produce a Planet of the Apes film titled Return of the Apes, with Arnold Schwarzenegger slated to star. Stone was reportedly paid a million dollars to produce the film. Stone was also slated to direct the film at one point.
George Washington
In 1995, it was reported that Robert Redford had planned to produce and star in the biopic George Washington, charting Washington's life before the American Revolution and through his presidency. Redford had apparently courted Stone to direct, though they both would eventually depart from the project.
Weird Tales TV series
In 1995, Stone was reportedly set to collaborate with directors Francis Ford Coppola and Tim Burton on a horror anthology series for HBO based on Weird Tales, the pulp magazine collection of short stories. They each were to serve as executive producers and direct one of three episodes in a 90-minute pilot. Stone's segment was to be written by Mark Patrick Carducci and Peter Atkins.
In 1997, Stone acquired the rights to make a film based on Bert Kreischer’s trip to Russia.
Scud: The Disposable Assassin
In 1997, Stone's company optioned the rights to Rob Schrab's science fiction comic Scud: The Disposable Assassin, with an eye towards adapting it into a film, but the rights lapsed.
In the late 1990s, Stone attempted to make Memphis, a biopic about the life of Martin Luther King Jr. The film was to have been distributed by Warner Bros. In October 2013, it was announced that Stone was to make a King biopic for DreamWorks Pictures and WB, with Jamie Foxx playing King. However, Stone confirmed he dropped out of the project due to creative differences as of January 2014. According to Stone, the King estate did not approve of Stone's script because it featured King's adultery.
In February 2000, Stone was involved in the next Superman film at Warner Bros., from a script by Bill Wisher and Jon Peters attached to produce the project at the time. In a March 2000 interview with Stone for E! News, he confirmed his interest in directing the film, when Nicolas Cage was still attached to play the role.
On September 21, 2000, Stone was in negotiations to develop and direct Universal Pictures' thriller American Caesar, about a former war hero. Douglas Wick and William Nicholson were reportedly set to re-team on the project as producer and screenwriter, respectively, just as they had done with Gladiator.
Untitled Margaret Thatcher biopic
In December 2004, it was reported that Stone was to make a biopic about British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, with Meryl Streep portraying her.
Pinkville
In August 2007, it was announced that Stone was going to make Pinkville, a dramatization about the Mỹ Lai massacre.Pinkville would have been Stone's fourth film related to the Vietnam War. The film was to have starred Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum and Woody Harrelson.Xzibit was also to have appeared in the film. However, on November that same year, the project was postponed by its distributor, United Artists, in the wake of the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike. In January 2008, it was announced that the project was officially cancelled. It was later reported in December 2010 that Stone had spoken with Shia LaBeouf about considering to revive Pinkville with the latter starring. Stone tweeted in 2014, "Yes, Pinkville is still on the agenda, but recognize there are large costs against it and its a film that's not in the climate of the time."
In August 2010, it was reported that Stone expressed interest in making a film adaptation of the musical Memphis and wanted Justin Timberlake to star in it.
Untitled conspiratorial thriller series
In March 2011, Stone was confirmed to direct and produce Adam Gibgot's conspiracy theory focused TV series through Richard Branson’s Virgin Produced company for FX.
On May 22, 2017, Stone was confirmed to direct a two-hour long pilot of Daniel Voll's Guantanamo Bay TV series through Weinstein Television. which was acquired by Showtime on July 13, 2017. Later, in October 2017, Stone and Showtime dropped out of the series in the wake of Harvey Weinstein's sexual abuse scandal, stating they would not proceed with the series if The Weinstein Company was still involved.
Dolce Vita TV series
On October 31, 2018, Stone was set to direct the pilot episode for the period drama series Dolce Vita, with Tom Fontana writing the script inspired from Stephen Gundle's 2011 true crime novel Death and Dolce Vita: The Dark Side of Rome in the 1950s. eOne had acquired the television rights to produce the adaptation, alongside Mediaset Group and Martha De Laurentiis' De Laurentiis Company.
In 1988, Stone was offered to direct "Cortes," a historical epic about Hernan Cortes from a Nicholas Kazan screenplay and with Edward R. Pressman producing, but he turned it down and Kazan & Pressman couldn't get the movie funded.
^Devine, Jeremy M. (2017). Vietnam at 24 Frames a Second: A Critical and Thematic Analysis of 360 Films About the Vietnam War. McFarland & Company. p. 338. ISBN978-1-4766-0535-7.