Spike Lee's unrealized projects

Lee attending the 2018 Cannes Film Festival

The following is a list of unproduced Spike Lee projects in roughly chronological order. During his long career, American film director and producer Spike Lee has worked on a number of projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction. Some of these projects, fell in development hell or are officially canceled.[1]

1980s

The Messenger

In 1984,[2][3]

1990s

Ace in the Hole remake

In the 1990s, Lee reportedly wanted to remake 1951's Ace in the Hole, directed by Billy Wilder.[4][5]

Jackie Robinson

Main article: 42 (film) § Production

2000s

Ali

Main article: Ali (film) § Production

Save Me, Joe Louis

In July 2000, Lee acquired the rights to make a film about Joe Louis from a script he wrote with boxing expert Bert Randolph Sugar and scriptwriting legend Budd Schulberg under the title Save Me, Joe Louis.[6] The movie was focused on Louis' fights with Max Schmeling with Arnold Schwarzenegger interested in playing Schmeling.[7] In July 2006, Schulberg mentioned that Lee talked with Terrence Howard to play Louis.[8] The film fell into development hell because Lee didn't get half of the budget he needed. Following the death of Schulberg, Lee reaffirmed his intention to make the film both in 2018 and 2021. "I made a promise to Budd that one day, soon, that we'd get the money, and I'm gonna keep that promise and get that film made."[9][10]

Rent

Until 2001, Lee was to direct the film for Miramax. However, budgetary constraints and Lee's insistence on engaging celebrities like Justin Timberlake and Brittany Murphy stalled the project for a time.[1][11][12][13][14][15]

The Night Watchman

Main article: Street Kings § Production

Get On Up

Main article: Get On Up (film) § Production

Selling Time

In May 2006, Lee was set to direct 20th Century Fox's supernatural thriller Selling Time,[16] with Tom Cruise in talks to star.[17] In January 2014, D.J. Caruso took over directing the movie from Lee, with Dan McDermott writing a new draft and Will Smith is rumored to star in the movie.[18] However, plans fell in development hell and its fate is unknown after the Acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney was completed.[19]

NoLa TV series

In September 2006, Lee was planning to follow up his HBO documentary When the Levees Broke with a fictionalized dramatic series for NBC set in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. The series, titled NoLa, was being pitched as an ensemble piece centering on a multicultural group of residents from various different backgrounds, attempting to rebuild their lives after the hurricane. Lee planned to executive produce and direct the pilot if NBC decided to move forward with the project, which he developed with writer Sid Quashie.[20]

Inside Man 2

Main article: Inside Man § Sequel

Untitled Michael Jordan documentary

In May 2008,[21]

Time Traveler

In June 2008, it was announced that Lee was going to adapt Ronald Mallett's memoir Time Traveler: A Scientist’s Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality into a feature film.[22][23][24][25] The film was to have been titled Time Traveler and Lee was to have co-written and directed it.[26][27] On July 27, 2015, Mallett reported that Lee and screenwriter Ian Harnarine were "in negotiations about how to proceed regarding a feature film of my book, Time Traveler."[28]

L.A. Riots

In July 2008, Lee was set to direct the film L.A. Riots, with John Ridley and Terry George writing the script and Brian Grazer producing the film.[29] In August 2012, Justin Lin was set to direct L.A. Riots, since Lee didn't get enough money and ended up working on Miracle at St. Anna.[30] There has been no further announcements since.

Now the Hell Will Start

In 2009, Lee acquired the rights to Brendan Koerner's novel Now the Hell Will Start, a World War II manhunt in the Burmese jungle.[31] However, plans fell into development hell.

2010s

Brooklyn Loves Michael Jackson

In April 2010, Samuel L. Jackson announced that Lee showed him a script that he wrote titled Brooklyn Loves Michael Jackson. The script, according to Jackson, was "about these folks who want to have a big concert in a Brooklyn park for Michael. And the new gentrified people that live in the neighborhood are worried about the kind of element that might be coming into the neighborhood."[32] On January 24, 2011, it was announced that Lee scrapped the project.[33]

Nagasaki Deadline

In June 2010, Lee was announced to direct the thriller Nagasaki Deadline with David Griffiths, Peter Griffiths, William Broyles Jr. writing the script and Lightstorm Entertainment producing the film.[34] However, plans fell into development hell.

Untitled Marion Barry biopic

In 2011, Lee was set to direct and produce a biopic of Marion Barry with Eddie Murphy set to play Barry, and John Ridley writing the script for HBO Films.[35] There has been no further announcements since.

Porgy and Bess remake

In August 2012, Lee was in negotiations with the George Gershwin estate to direct the Porgy and Bess remake.[36] The following year, both the Gershwin family and the DuBose Heyward estate announced a remake was in development without Lee's involvement.[37] In 2020, Dee Rees was hired to write and direct the remake.[38]

Untitled Stevie Wonder documentary

In September 2012,[39][40]

Gold

Main article: Gold (2016 film) § Production

School Daze Too

On July 27, 2013, Lee told Black&Sexy TV that he had a script for a planned contemporary-set sequel to his film School Daze. "Hopefully I can get Laurence Fishburne to play Dap [again]. He'll be the president now of the school," Lee said. "And we would deal with issues around Historically Black Colleges today." According to Lee, the new issues would include homophobia, modern pledging, class issues, color and hair texture.[41][42] In December the following year, information was leaked by Sony regarding the casting of Drake and Kevin Hart in the film, revealed to be titled School Daze Too.[43][44]

Untitled Clarence Thomas biopic

On July 29, 2013, filmmaker Paul Schrader revealed that he reached out to Lee, offering to write a script for him to direct about Clarence Thomas, saying, "If either one of us did it alone, it wouldn't have as much strength to it."[42]

Spinning Gold

Main article: Spinning Gold § Production

Enter the Dragon remake

In 2014, Lee was in negotiations to direct the remake of Enter the Dragon with Ken Jeong set to play Lee and Billy Bob Thornton set to play Roper.[45] In 2015, Brett Ratner revealed that he replaced Lee as director,[46] and in 2018, David Leitch was in early talks to direct.[47]

Archer TV series

In August 2017, it was announced that Lee was developing Archer, a TV series with a "young, black Mark Zuckerberg-like protagonist" who develops a dating app that reads sexual chemistry.[48]

Nightwatch

By September 2017, Sony Pictures was actively developing a film based on the character Nightwatch for their Sony's Spider-Man Universe, with a script from Edward Ricourt. Sony wanted Lee to direct the film,[49] and he was confirmed to be interested in the project in March 2018, with Cheo Hodari Coker re-writing the script.[50] However, Lee was no longer involved by October.[51]

School Daze Broadway musical

In February 2018,[52][44]

Frederick Douglass Now

In November 2018, Lee was set up to direct a film version of the stage show by Roger Guenveur Smith, Frederick Douglass Now.[53]

Prince of Cats

In 2019, Lee closed a deal to direct the long-gestated Prince of Cats film, based on the graphic novel.[54]

2020s

Boner

In 2020, studio eOne and Lee were prepping a then-untitled film about the breakthrough of the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra. Lee was to have directed from a screenplay co-written with Kwame Kwei-Armah, based on the 2015 Esquire article "All Rise: The Untold Story of The Guys Who Launched Viagra". Lee described the project as a "dancin', all singin' musical", featuring original songs and music written by Stew Stewart and Heidi Rodewald.[55] Production was set to begin in early 2023 under the title Rise,[56] though Lee later reported that it had been retitled Boner.[57]

Da Saga of Colin Kaepernick documentary

In February 2022, it had been reported that Lee was to film a multipart documentary for ESPN on former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, featuring extensive interviews and access to his personal archive.[58] In December of that year, the documentary was given the title of Da Saga of Colin Kaepernick, and Lee revealed he had been working on the series for over a year.[59]

Untitled ROTC drama series

In November 2022, Lee came aboard as director and executive producer of an untitled coming-of-age drama developed at Amazon Studios. Written by Jalysa Conway and Rebecca Murga, the series was to have been set in the world of an ROTC military program at a major university.[60]

Da Understudy

In 2023, Lee was circling to direct Da Understudy, with Jonathan Majors attached to star and produce from Westbrook Studios and Amazon Studios. Tom Hanada, Zach Strauss and Tyler Cole wrote the screenplay, based on an original story by Cole about an "understudy of a Broadway production [who] finds a role he's willing to kill for," as reported by Deadline Hollywood.[61]

See also

References

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  2. ^ Milloy, Courtland (June 12, 1991). "THE MESSAGE OF SPIKE LEE'S 'MESSENGER'". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  3. ^ Barfield, Charles (January 8, 2021). "'The Messenger': Spike Lee Describes Pulling The Plug On Unproduced 1984 Film As "A Complete Disaster"". The Playlist. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  4. ^ "AFI|Catalog - Ace in the Hole". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  5. ^ Crowe, Cameron. (1999). Conversations with Wilder. p. 83
  6. ^ "Spike Lee takes on Joe Louis boxing film". The Guardian. 28 July 2000. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  7. ^ Toro, Gabe (13 September 2013). "Arnold Schwarzenegger Could Have Played Max Schmeling In Spike Lee's Unproduced Joe Louis Biopic". Indiewire. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  8. ^ Ecksel, Robert (26 November 2006). "ARTICLES OF 2006Save Us Spike Lee, Budd Schulberg and Joe Louis". The Sweet Science. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  9. ^ Spike Lee Breaks Down His Film Heroes | GQ. YouTube. GQ. August 17, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  10. ^ Perez, Rodrigo (January 1, 2021). "Spike Lee Vows To Make 'Save Us, Joe Louis' Boxing Drama & Promised Screenwriter Budd Schulberg To Make It Before His Death". The Playlist. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  11. ^ "Miramax Won't Pay Spike's Rent". IGN. 2001-08-25. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  12. ^ Riedel, Michael (2001-06-15). "SPIKE TO DIRECT 'RENT'?". Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  13. ^ "No Deposit, No Return on Rent Movie". ABC News. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
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  15. ^ Schaefer, Stephen (2005-11-28). "'Rent' turns into a 10th anniversary reunion". Variety. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
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  17. ^ "Cruise eyes trio of roles". Variety. 18 October 2006. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
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  19. ^ "Disney Closes $71.3 Billion Fox Deal, Creating Global Content Powerhouse". The Hollywood Reporter. March 19, 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
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  28. ^ Voter, Lauri (27 July 2015). "Dr. Ronald Mallett: Scientist, professor, mentor – and time traveler?". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  29. ^ Goldstein, Patrick (17 July 2008). "Lee's 'L.A. Riots' gathers steam". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  30. ^ Shaw, Lucas (8 August 2012). "Justin Lin in Talks to Direct 'L.A. Riots' for Universal, Imagine (Updated)". TheWrap. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  31. ^ Graser, Marc (2 February 2009). "Spike Lee to produce 'Start'". Variety. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  32. ^ Alexander, Bryan (21 April 2010). "Samuel L. Jackson Up For Spike Lee's "Michael Jackson" Project". WNBC. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  33. ^ Davis, Edward (24 January 2011). "It Looks Like Spike Lee Has Scrapped His Michael Jackson-Centric, 'Brooklyn Loves MJ' Project". IndieWire. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
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  35. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (9 December 2011). "HBO Developing Marion Barry Biopic, Eddie Murphy Set To Star, Spike Lee To Direct". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
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  37. ^ McNary, Dave (5 April 2013). "'Porgy and Bess': Gershwins' Opera Gets Film Update (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  38. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (February 11, 2020). "Dee Rees To Write & Direct New Movie Adaptation Of George Gershwin's 'Porgy And Bess' For MGM & Winkler Films". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  39. ^ Yuan, Jada (September 17, 2012). "Toronto: The 25 Baddest Things From the Premiere of Spike Lee's Michael Jackson Documentary". Vulture. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  40. ^ Schmidlin, Charles (September 18, 2012). "Spike Lee Says He Wants To Do Stevie Wonder Documentary; Says Prince Refused To Let Him Use Footage For 'Bad'". IndieWire. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  41. ^ SPIKE LEE LIVE Raw + Real w/BLACK&SEXY.TV!!!!!!. YouTube. Black&Sexy TV. July 27, 2013. Event occurs at 10:12.
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  43. ^ The Playlist Staff (December 12, 2014). "Spike Lee Reportedly Eyed Drake And Kevin Hart To Lead 'School Daze Too'". The Playlist. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  44. ^ a b Roffman, Michael (December 17, 2018). "Spike Lee says Do The Right Thing sequel "not happening"". Consequence. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  45. ^ Loi, Lak (26 September 2014). "Spike Lee to Remake Bruce Lee's Enter The Dragon". jkdlondon.com. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
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  49. ^ Popcorn Talk (September 1, 2017). Meet the Movie Press for September 1st, 2017. YouTube. Archived from the original on September 4, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  50. ^ Couch, Aaron; McMillan, Graeme (March 14, 2018). "Spike Lee Circling Sony Superhero Movie 'Nightwatch'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 14, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  51. ^ Schaefer, Sandy (October 25, 2018). "Spike Lee is Not Making Sony Marvel's Nightwatch Movie". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on October 25, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  52. ^ Cornelius, Ray (February 2018). "#UPFRONT talks to Spike Lee about a 'School Daze' Broadway Musical & more (AUDIO)". raycornelius.com. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  53. ^ Hopewell, John (November 7, 2018). "Spike Lee to Direct Roger Guenveur Smith's 'Frederick Douglass Now' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  54. ^ Kit, Borys (November 13, 2019). "Spike Lee to Direct 1980s-Set Hip-Hop 'Romeo & Juliet' Tale 'Prince of Cats' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  55. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 17, 2020). "Spike Lee Sets eOne Film Musical On Pfizer's Pre-COVID Miracle Drug: Viagra". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  56. ^ Ruimy, Jordan (October 28, 2022). "Spike Lee's Upcoming Viagra Musical is Called 'Rise,' Early 2023 Production Start Being Eyed". World of Reel. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  57. ^ Zuckerman, Esther (March 20, 2023). "Originality Is In Spike Lee's DNA". W. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  58. ^ Associated Press (February 2, 2022). "Spike Lee to direct Colin Kaepernick docuseries for ESPN". ESPN. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  59. ^ Dalton, Ben (December 4, 2022). "Spike Lee ESPN series titled 'Da Saga Of Colin Kaepernick'". Screen Daily. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  60. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 17, 2022). "Spike Lee Attached To Direct & EP ROTC Drama In Works At Amazon From Jalysa Conway & Rebecca Murga". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  61. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 7, 2023). "'Creed III's Jonathan Majors To Star In 'Da Understudy' For Amazon & Westbrook; Spike Lee Circling". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 17, 2023.