16 Great Movies That You Will (Sadly) Never See

Hollywood is a pretty amazing place, and it's brought countless new worlds to life before our eyes. Even so, we can't help but dwell on the movies that never quite came to be. From James Cameron's "Spider-Man" to Peter Jackson's "Halo," these are the epic blockbusters that never became a reality.

Darren Aronofsky's 'The Wolverine'

As far as X-Men movies go, "The Wolverine" wasn't bad, but we can't help wondering what might have been if director Darren Aronofsky hadn't left the project. Surely the mind behind "Requiem for a Dream" and "The Fountain" could have given us a pretty trippy and emotional Wolverine adventure.

Guillermo Del Toro's 'At the Mountains of Madness'

Hollywood has yet to give us a proper adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft story. But if any director could bring the unfathomable Elder Gods to life, it's Guillermo Del Toro. Del Toro got frustratingly close to directing an adaptation of "At the Mountains of Madness" in 2010, but ultimately he and the studio couldn't agree on an approach. Here's hoping this one eventually claws its way out of the endless void.

David Fincher's 'Mission: Impossible III'

We're pretty happy with the "Mission: Impossible III" we got, but it's impossible not to wonder what might have been if original director David Fincher hadn't dropped out, denying his dark, grounded take -- which was expected to costar S carlett Johansson and Kenneth Branagh as the baddie.

'Ghostbusters III'

'80s fanatics will forever be haunted by the specter of the "Ghostbusters" movie that never was. Rumors of a "Ghostbusters III" featuring the original cast swirled for decades, but they never quite came to pass (mainly because Bill Murray showed little interest in being Peter Venkman again). And with the untimely death of Harold Ramis, any hope of getting the old gang back together faded for good.

James Cameron's 'Spider-Man'

Had things worked out differently, director James Cameron might have managed to kick-start the superhero movie craze a decade sooner. Cameron's pitch for Spider-Man in the '90s sounds a little iffy in hindsight (especially the spider-sex scene), but who knows what the man behind "The Terminator" and "Aliens" could have accomplished? Ultimately, it was a moot point, as Carolco Pictures never really had the rights situation ironed out.

'Hellboy III'

"Hellboy II: The Golden Army" left plenty of room for a sequel, one that would focus on the surly demon learning how to be a father. But despite the commitment of star Ron Perlman and director Guillermo Del Toro, studios have shown little interest in financing the project. Del Toro finally squashed our hopes for good in early 2017 when he tweeted, "'Hellboy 3' 100% will not happen."

'Indiana Jones and the City of Gods'

The fourth "Indiana Jones" movie had a long, rocky road to the big screen -- and, in the end, most fans hated the final product. To add insult to injury, apparently there was a much better script. In 2002, writer Frank Darabont penned a screenplay titled "Indiana Jones and the City of Gods," which would have offered a very different take on Indy's 1950's escapades. Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford apparently loved the script, but George Lucas didn't. And that's why we have Mutt Williams now.

Peter Jackson & Neill Blomkamp's 'Halo'

After the massive success of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, director Peter Jackson was free to write his own ticket. And at one point, that ticket included producing an adaptation of the Halo video games, with Neill Blomkamp directing. The film actually entered pre-production several times before Universal and Fox pulled the plug on this very expensive undertaking. It's a shame, because Jackson and Blomkamp might have been the ones to prove that video game adaptations can actually be good.

David Lynch's 'Return of the Jedi'

"Return of the Jedi" is pretty widely regarded as the relative weak link in the original "Star Wars" trilogy. But would that have been the case if David Lynch had accepted George Lucas' offer to direct? Maybe, and maybe not. But we'd sure love to see Lynch's weird, psychedelic take on the franchise. Though if you squint and ignore Sting's giant codpiece, Lynch's "Dune" does kind of look like a "Star Wars" movie.

Christopher Nolan's Take on James Bond

Director Christopher Nolan's love of the "James Bond" franchise is pretty obvious, as the "Dark Knight" trilogy has as much in common with Bond as it does with traditional superhero movies. Sadly, it doesn't seem as though Sony and MGM have much interest in tapping Nolan for the franchise. But with another reboot looming, there's always hope that Nolan (and perhaps Tom Hardy) will eventually be given the keys to the Aston Martin.

David Fincher's 'Rendezvous With Rama'

Actor Morgan Freeman's great wish in life? Star in an adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's iconic sci-fi novel, "Rendezvous With Rama." Director David Fincher has been doing his best to help Morgan achieve that dream for over a decade, but "Rama" never seems able to move past the writing and fundraising phase.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's 'Sandman'

DC's "Sandman" has won approximately all the awards in the comics community, making it a natural choice for the big-screen treatment. But the trick is in doing justice to the fantastical source material, and so far no one seems to have cracked the code. Recently, Joseph Gordon-Levitt was expected to both direct and star in the film, but Levitt eventually dropped out due to creative differences. This project may happen one day, but for now it remains a passing dream.

Steven Spielberg's Take on James Bond

Add Steven Spielberg to the list of big-name directors who's tried and failed to direct a Bond movie. Spielberg revealed that he offered his services twice in the late '70s. But, despite the success of "Jaws" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," he was rejected both times.

Gore Verbinski's 'BioShock'

As if the quiet death of the "Halo" movie weren't bad enough, we also missed out on our chance for an adaptation of "BioShock." Gore Verbinski was originally attached to direct n 2010 and 2011. The film would have taken a "300"-style, CG-heavy approach to creating the underwater city of Rapture. Unfortunately, the enormous cost of that undertaking, coupled with Verbinski's insistence on an R-rating, caused Universal to pull out of funding the project.

Joss Whedon's 'Wonder Woman'

WB has been trying to make the "Wonder Woman" movie a reality for a long time. In 2005, they even tapped Joss Whedon (fresh off "Serenity") to write and direct. Unfortunately, Whedon dropped out two years later without a completed script, and the film went back into development hell for a while. The good news is that we are finally getting a Wonder Woman movie, but based on past DCEU films, not the Wonder Woman Whedon was envisioning.

Edgar Wright's 'Ant-Man'

As much as we love the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's not always a welcoming place for directors who prefer more creative control. That's something Edgar Wright learned the hard way after spending years working on a film he ultimately departed. Mind you, "Ant-Man" wound up still being a base hit for the MCU, but it might have been that much more special and unique had Wright stayed on board.