By Sean Tuohy
Hollywood spends millions of dollars to have scripts written for movies that will never been made or even read by actors. However, we're are lucky enough sometimes to find them and enjoy them (Check out Part 1 of this series). The scripts below were pulled from my private collection for this list and were penned by some of Hollywood's best and brightest screenwriters.
Enjoy the show!
"Aliens 3" by David Twohy
"Alien 3" was made into a movie in the early 1990s, but there are many versions of the script out there. Several different writers at different stages of production tried to make a third story line for the film series. There are some scripts that had no Ripley in them; one had monks in a wooden space ship fighting the Alien, others had Hicks and Newt on Earth fighting the Aliens. The producers tried to mix elements from all of these to create the final version of "Alien 3." David Twohy's script stood out among them. Twohy is not new to the sci-fi genre—the grand master screenwriter has penned other top notch movies over the years—but this was one of his finest. In Twohy's script, the reader follows a group of convicts in a space station prison who must fight aliens while trying to escape back to Earth. Parts of this script were used in the final film, but, unfortunately, not the good parts. The characters pop off the page, the villains send chills down your spine, and the gory scenes make you wince. It's an awesome script.
Will this ever see the light of day? No. They already made "Alien 3," so this script has sadly been scrapped.
"The Extractors" by James DeMonaco and Kevin Fox
It’s rare to find an original action/thriller script, but this movie fits the bill. It mixes elements of "The Great Escape" with a James Bond thriller. The film follows a group of ex-cons who can break anyone out of prison for the right price, but after a failed job they have to work with the CIA to regain their freedom. The script had great characters with developed back stories and great action scenes.
Will this ever see the light of day? I hope so. They have been talking about making this movie since 2000, but nothing has happened yet.
"Til Beth Do Us Part" By Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Scholossberg
This script is funny. Not "ha ha" funny, but "I just peed myself because I was laughing so hard" funny. The script tells the tale of two best friends and a woman who gets between them. The opening scene of this script had me toppling out of my chair. It is fast, witty, smart, and has a big heart.
Will this ever see the light of day? I hope so. These guys made "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle," one of the funniest movies to come out in 15 years, so I believe they can pull this off.
"Untitled Channing Tatum" by Doug Jung
Channing Tatum
Not a great title, but at least it helps to be able to picture the main character. This was an old school buddy cop/revenge movie. An LAPD cop and a Korean gangster team up to find the mobster that killed their partners. The script has some great moments and delivers them perfectly. Also, the dialogue is above average for an action script.
Will this ever see the light of day? Doubtful. Tatum is an actor (somehow…) and he can do whatever movie he wants. This was written before "Magic Mike" and "G.I. Joe" were blockbuster hits, so I don't think it’s likely that Tatum will do this script. Can they do it with another young actor? Maybe.
"Without Remorse" by Stuart Beattie (Based on the novel by Tom Clancy)
I am fan of Tom Clancy's CIA agent John Clark, a real life spy with ice pumping in his veins. However, they have never been able to bring the cold blooded spy to the big screen. This script updated Clark’s backstory from Vietnam to the Middle East and was able to keep the core of Clancy's novel while at the same time cutting out the fat.
Will this ever see the light of day? Maybe. This script has been floating around for years with different actors and directors attached to it. In an era of "Taken"-like action/revenge movies "Without Remorse" would fit right into the market.