Doug Liman's unrealized projects

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The following is a list of unproduced Doug Liman projects in roughly chronological order. During his long career, American filmmaker Doug Liman has worked on several projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction. Some of these projects fell in development hell, were officially canceled, were in development limbo or would see life under a different production team.

Contents

1990s

The Breakers

In 1997, following the release of his second film Swingers , Liman was attached to direct United Artists' The Breakers starring Alicia Silverstone and Angelica Huston in the cast, but he opted to helm Go in its place instead. [1] This project eventually became Heartbreakers , which was made in 2001 but without the involvement of Liman, Silverstone or Huston.

Bachelor No. 2

Also in 1997, it was reported in Variety that Liman was additionally attached to Working Title's Bachelor No. 2, which follows "a guy who wins a dream date with a gorgeous woman who turns out to be a nightmare." [1]

Sonny Bright

On November 7, 1999, Liman was set to direct Wayne Rice and Gina Goldman’s spec screenplay Sonny Bright with the Farrelly Brothers attached as producers. [2]

2000s

Untitled Martha's Vineyard film

On June 17, 2002, it was reported that following the release of The Bourne Identity , Liman was in the process of completing a new screenplay that involved military action set in Martha's Vineyard. [3]

Untitled HBO pilot

Also on June 17, 2002, it was reported that Liman was working on a television pilot for HBO. [3]

Southcom TV pilot

On December 15, 2002, it was reported that an hourlong NBC drama Southcom about soldiers stationed in Puerto Rico was being developed by Liman's company Hypnotic, with Matthew Carnahan hired to write and executive alongside. Liman was to direct if the script was greenlit as a pilot. [4]

CHiPs series reboot

Also on December 15, 2002, [5]

Delusions TV pilot

[5]

Seattle Rescue TV pilot

[5]

Untitled Las Vegas TV pilot

[5]

[5]

Untitled comedy TV pilot

[5]

Untitled action drama film

On June 30, 2004, it was announced that Warner Bros. Pictures had acquired a pitch for an untitled action drama centered on the California Highway Patrol, to be directed by Liman and scripted by Sheldon Turner; Liman would also produce the film alongside Dave Bartis and Jonathan Shestack. [6]

22 Birthdays TV pilot

On August 14, 2005, [7] [8] [9]

Knight Rider series reboot

On September 26, 2007, it was reported that Liman was "open to directing" the two-hour backdoor pilot for the Knight Rider series reboot, [10] though he would ultimately only serve as executive producer on the project.

Luna Park

On November 27, 2007, Liman was set to direct an untitled science fiction film for DreamWorks Pictures about a lunar expedition, with Jake Gyllenhaal set to star. [11] On June 6, 2011, it was announced that the film, now titled Luna, would be co-financed by New Regency and Skydance Media for Paramount Pictures, with Simon Kinberg joining the project as a writer and producer. [12] On September 9, 2015, Tom Cruise signed on to star in the film, which was now titled Luna Park. [13]

2010s

Attica

On February 16, 2010, Liman was set to direct Geoffrey S. Fletcher's screenplay Attica with Liman producing the movie with Dave Bartis, Elloit Abbott, & Avram Ludwig. [14]

The Three Musketeers film

On May 7, 2010, Liman was set to direct a film adaptation of Alexandre Dumas's novel The Three Musketeers with Peter Straughan and Bridget O'Connor writing the screenplay and Lionel Wigram producing for Warner Bros. Pictures, [15] but it was canceled that August, due to Paul W. S. Anderson's competing 2011 adaptation; Liman would ultimately direct the All You Need is Kill adaptation, Edge of Tomorrow , instead. [16]

The Last of the Tribe

On July 13, 2010, Liman was set to direct Monte Reel's non-fiction novel The Last of the Tribe: The Epic Quest to Save a Lone Man in the Amazon with Liman producing with Dave Bartis, Ed Saxon, Steve Schwartz, and Paula Mae Schwartz. [17] On April 15, 2015, it was announced that Paul Haggis had entered talks to direct the project, with Liman now only involved as a producer. [18]

The Osterman Weekend reboot

On September 3, 2010, Liman was set to produce a film adaptation of Robert Ludlum's novel The Osterman Weekend with Jesse Wigutow writing the screenplay and Peter Davis, Simon Kinberg, Jeffrey Weiner, and Henry Morrison producing for Summit Entertainment, [19] On February 28, 2012, it was announced that Brian Kirk had entered talks to direct the project, [20] but on May 18, 2016, the adaptation was likely incorporated into a planned shared universe of Ludlum adaptations for Universal Pictures, Dwayne Johnson's Seven Bucks Productions & James Vanderbilt's Mythology Entertainment without Liman. [21]

untitled Two-Gun Cohen biopic

On March 21, 2011, Liman was set to direct a Two-Gun Cohen biopic with Matt Brown writing the screenplay, Rob Reiner and Alan Greisman producing in collaboration with the Chinese company Galloping Horse. [22]

Everest

On November 30, 2011, it was announced that Liman would direct Everest, based on the Jeffrey Archer novel Paths of Glory about mountaineer George Mallory's attempts to scale Mount Everest in the 1920s , for Sony Pictures, with Sheldon Turner adapting the novel. [23] On September 24, 2012, it was announced that Tom Hardy had entered talks to star as Mallory. [24] In October 2013, it was announced that the project was preparing to begin production in March 2014, but that Hardy had dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. [25] On June 16, 2021, it was announced that Ewan McGregor had been cast as Mallory, alongside Mark Strong as Arthur Hinks and Sam Heughan as George Finch. Production was expected to begin in January 2022, with HanWay Films now handling the project's international sales and cinematographer Martin Ruhe, production designer Oliver Scholl, and composer T Bone Burnett all attached to the project. [26]

Time and Again film

The Tourist

On September 7, 2012, Liman was set to direct and produce the film adaptation of Olen Steinhauer's novel The Tourist for Sony Pictures. [27]

Heartbeats TV series

On November 5, 2013, Liman was set to produce Ben York Jones and Michael Mohan's romantic dramedy series Heartbeats, with Liman's business partner Dave Bartis will serve as executive producers and Jones and Mohan will co-executive produce the series for Starz. [28]

El Presidente

On November 19, 2013, Liman was set to take over directing the comedy El Presidente from Jay Roach, with Tom Cruise starring, Paul Attanasio writing the script, and Warner Bros. set to distribute. [29]

Victory remake

Splinter Cell film

Railhead film

On October 20, 2015, Liman was set to direct the feature film adaptation of Philip Reeve's novel Railhead with Gary Graham writing the screenplay, Liman producing the movie with Dave Bartis, Denise DiNovi, and Allison Greenspan for Warner Bros. distributing. [30]

The Year of The Great Storm

On March 9, 2016, Liman was set to produce Karzan Kader's biographical crime film The Year of The Great Storm , with Johanna Baldwin writing the screenplay and producing along with Tyler Perry, George C. Wolfe, Ozzie Areu, Matt Moore, and Russ Stratton. [31]

Live Die Repeat and Repeat

Fox's Gambit spinoff film

Justice League Dark film

On August 24, 2016, Liman was set to direct a Justice League Dark film entitled Dark Universe set in the DC Extended Universe, with Michael Gilio set to write the screenplay and Scott Rudin producing. [32] On May 23, 2017, Liman left the project. [33]

Unearthed film

On June 7, 2017, Liman was set to direct the feature film adaptation of Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner's novel Unearthed for Columbia Pictures and Cross Creek Pictures, with Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth set to write the screenplay. [34]

Crazy Talented TV series

On July 12, 2019, Liman was set to produce and direct Crazy Talented based on a short story by Steven Gould with Michael Karnow writing the Quibi series. [35]

2020s

Untitled ISS film

On May 26, 2020, Liman was set to direct and write a film to be filmed on the International Space Station, with Tom Cruise set to star and produce the project with Liman in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX, [36] and on October 11, 2022, Cruise was confirmed to be the first civilian to do a spacewalk for the movie. [37]

Red Notice series

In March 2022, Liman signed on to direct and executive produce a television series adaptation of the 2015 book Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice by activist and financier Bill Browder. [38]

Rise and Kill First

On May 18, 2022, Liman was set to direct the Otto Skorzeny biopic based on Ronen Bergman‘s nonfiction book Rise and Kill First with Story Syndicate and Abot Hameiri producing the movie. [39]

The Saint series reboot

On November 21, 2023, it was announced that Liman would direct a reboot of The Saint for Paramount Pictures, with Regé-Jean Page starring. [40]

Offers

Gambit remake

On April 28, 2010, Liman was in talks to direct the American remake of Gambit for Summit Entertainment with the Coen brothers writing the screenplay, which Michael Hoffman ended up directing. [41]

The Wolverine

On May 25, 2011, Liman was offered to direct The Wolverine after Darren Aronofsky left the project, but before James Mangold was hired to direct. [42]

Narco Sub

On October 8, 2013, Liman was in negotiations to direct the action thriller Narco Sub, with David Guggenheim writing the screenplay and Genre Films and Scott Free Productions producing for 20th Century Fox. [43] On May 28, 2014, Antoine Fuqua was set to direct Narco Sub instead of Liman. [44]

The Cannonball Run reboot

On June 4, 2018, Liman was in talks to direct the reboot of The Cannonball Run for Warner Bros. with Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant in talks to write the screenplay. [45]

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References

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  3. 1 2 Archerd, Army (June 17, 2002). "Liman shuns legalities, juggles slate". Variety . Retrieved January 24, 2025.
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  11. Fleming Jr., Michael (November 27, 2007). "Gyllenhaal tapped for Namath film". Variety . Retrieved April 10, 2024. Gyllenhaal, who is coming off "Rendition" and "Zodiac," is currently shooting the Jim Sheridan-directed "Brothers" with Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman and will follow that by teaming with Doug Liman on an untitled project at DreamWorks that revolves around a moon expedition.
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  39. Hopewell, John (May 18, 2022). "'The Bourne Identity's' Doug Liman to Adapt 'Rise and Kill First' for Story Syndicate, Abot Hameiri (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
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  42. Davis, Edward (May 25, 2011). "Doug Liman, Mark Romanek, James Mangold & Antoine Fuqua Reportedly Top The 'Wolverine' Wishlist". IndieWire . Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  43. Sneider, Jeff (October 8, 2013). "Doug Liman in Early Talks to Direct Former Tony Scott Project 'Narco Sub' (Exclusive)". The Wrap . Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  44. Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 28, 2014). "Antoine Fuqua Attached To Fox Drug Trafficking Thriller 'Narco Sub'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  45. McNary, Dave (June 4, 2018). "Doug Liman in Early Negotiations to Direct 'Cannonball Run' Remake". Variety. Retrieved April 10, 2024.