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Tales from Development Hell (New Updated Edition): The Greatest Movies Never Made? [Paperback]

David Hughes
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
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Book Description

24 Feb 2012 0857687239 978-0857687234 New Updated
A compulsively readable journey into the area of movie-making where all writers, directors and stars fear to tread: Development Hell, the place where scripts are written, actors hired and sets designed... but the movies rarely actually get made! 

Whatever happened to Darren Aronofsky's Batman movie starring Clint Eastwood? Why were there so many scripts written over the years for Steven Spielberg and George Lucas's fourth Indiana Jones movie? Why was Lara Croft's journey to the big screen so tortuous, and what prevented Paul Verhoeven from filming what he calls "one of the greatest scripts ever written"? Why did Ridley Scott's Crisis in the Hot Zone collapse days away from filming, and were the Beatles really set to star in Lord of the Rings? What does Neil Gaiman think of the attempts to adapt his comic book series The Sandman

All these lost projects, and more, are covered in this major book, which features many exclusive interviews with the writers and directors involved.

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Product details

  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Titan Books (UK); New Updated edition (24 Feb 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0857687239
  • ISBN-13: 978-0857687234
  • Product Dimensions: 14 x 1.8 x 21 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 63,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

"A perfect read for screenwriters in need of a touch of schadenfreude... He's done his homework." --Variety

"These behind-the-scenes stories are as fascinating as anything shown on the big screen." --Shortlist

"Truly a 'big budget' book at a low budget price, David Hughes gives movie lovers a lot of bang for their buck as they traverse the many stages of development hell." --Cool Ass Cinema

"If you have any interest in film then this is an essential purchase. It will open your eyes and break your heart to find out what could have been." --Live For Films

"A must-read. David Hughes has put a lot of work into a book which will submerge you into the world of Development Hell, and by the last page, you'll be left wanting even more. Amazing." --Film Junk

"A really fun book filled with lots re-readable material." --Retroist.com

"A fascinating and fun read." --anythinghorror.com

"A treasure trove of stories." --unwinnable.com

About the Author

DAVID HUGHES has written about film for numerous newspapers and magazines, including The Guardian, Empire, SKY, GQ, SFX, Dreamwatch, Fangoria and Cinefantastique. He is the author of Virgin s The Complete Kubrick and The Complete Lynch, and wrote Titan Books acclaimed The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies Never Made.

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Customer Reviews

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Tales that'll make your hair curl! 19 July 2012
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
A wonderful and easy read as you navigate the development of some of Hollywood's hottest intellectual properties. It's both funny and shocking in turn. It is frustrating and plain stupid at times just how Hollywood "works". There are tantalising "what if" and "if only" projects that either never made the silver screen or were transformed into something else. I've purposely avoided giving any spoilers; suffice to say that if you enjoy reading about movies you will love this book. I zipped through it and couldn't put it down. Great fun.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Good but a bit repetitive 22 April 2012
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a fascinating insight into the way Hollywood works - or rather doesn't work. Based on this interesting book, I would not want to work there. Many of the stories here make me wonder how they ever get films made. However, it's not a book to read in one continuous go as some of the stories, inevitably, do sound similar. That said, some of them are funny, outrageous and fascinating, so it's well worth looking at, especially if you've ever thought of writing a script.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Hooray for Follywood!! 11 Feb 2013
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Tales from Development Hell chronicles the good, great, idiotic and downright plain barmy ideas that film makers have had in trying to guide film scripts and ideas to the big screen. Remember that old phrase "too many cooks spoil the broth?" Well, you get that here in spades as David Hughes catalogues Hollywood's continual quest to create box office gold which usually results in cinematic lead.

Whilst some of these films did eventually hit the big screen (Total Recall, Planet of the Apes, The Lord of The Rings), the journey to get to the end is the most tantalizing as Hughes describes the countless different directors, scripts and visions that fell by the wayside. Even more interesting are the "ones that got away" such as Crusade, Isobar, The Sandman and various reboots of Batman. All in all, if you have even the remotest interest in film or often ask "who thought that would be a good idea?" this is about the best place to start.
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