John McTiernan's unrealized projects

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McTiernan in 2014 John McTiernan Deauville 2014 4.jpg
McTiernan in 2014

During his long career, American film director John McTiernan 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, were officially canceled, were in development limbo or would see life under a different production team. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

1980s

The Quest of St. James Elk

In 1981, McTiernan wrote the original screenplay for a planned film called The Quest of St. James Elk, which was to have been produced by Elliott Kastner through Winkast Film Productions, based at Pinewood Studios. However, the film was pulled from production just before the start. McTiernan's concept art and storyboards from the unproduced film were later salvaged and auctioned. [4] [5]

Cortes

In 1988, McTiernan was approached to direct Cortes, a historical epic about Hernán Cortés from a Nicholas Kazan screenplay and with Edward R. Pressman producing, but Kazan and Pressman could not get the film funded. [6]

Sgt. Rock

Shortly after they did Predator together, McTiernan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and writer Shane Black were all set to team on a big-budget film adaptation of the DC Comics character Sgt. Rock. According to McTiernan in the book The Last Action Heroes by Nick de Semlyan, the project was heavily developed in 1988 and 1989 only to be demolished by actor John Cleese, who would have starred opposite Schwarzenegger. As McTiernan explained, everyone was so attached to the idea of Cleese co-starring with Schwarzenegger that when Cleese declined, the project fell apart. "As far as he was concerned, we were just a couple thug American action-movie makers," McTiernan said. "If he'd seen Die Hard , I think he probably would have signed up. But he judged us on our reputation." McTiernan would go on to make The Hunt for Red October instead. [7] [8]

The Adventures of Robin Hood

As early as 1989, McTiernan had been attached to direct 20th Century Fox's The Adventures of Robin Hood, titled after the 1938 film, which was planned to be made after he finished Road Show. [9] At the same time, two other competing Robin Hood projects were in development at Morgan Creek Entertainment and Tri-Star Pictures. All three intended to portray how Robin Hood became an outlaw hiding out in the Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire. The central character of McTiernan's version was named Sir Robert Hode, a young Saxon noble more interested in wine and women, until the threat of a lashing by the Norman authorities sends him racing to the woods. The script was written by Mark Allen Smith. Fox hoped that Mel Gibson would agree to star in the film, though he turned it down over concerns of doing several "period pieces" in a row. [9] In 1990, a race between the three projects ensued, with Tri-Star announcing a September 3 start date and Fox planning for an October 22 start. [10] [11] Plans, however, began to fall apart by late July when Kevin Costner signed on to star in Morgan Creek's Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves . [10] According to director Kevin Reynolds, Costner had originally been offered to star in McTiernan's version but the producers at Morgan Creek offered him more money, so he joined their production instead. [12] Though his was not made, McTiernan participated as executive producer in a low-budget, made-for-television version of Robin Hood which utilized Mark Allan Smith's story treatment. [11] [12]

1990s

Road Show

In February 1990, McTiernan was set to direct Road Show for 20th Century Fox, with Sean Connery and Cher set to possibly star. The film, a romantic action-adventure based on The Last Cattle Drive by Robert Day, was to have been produced by McTiernan along with his then-wife Donna Dubrow, who described it as " The African Queen on the range". Robert Getchell's adapted script had spent over a decade in development, with directors Martin Ritt and Richard Brooks both attached to helm at separate stages, before McTiernan's involvement. Filming was expected to officially begin that summer in Montana and Wyoming. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

Clear and Present Danger

Flight of the Intruder

A Princess of Mars

In late 1990, McTiernan became attached to direct a film based on the science fantasy novel A Princess of Mars . The project was part of his three-picture deal with Cinergi and was budgeted at $60 million. [18] He hired screenwriter Bob Gale, whose take on the material offered more humor and incorporated elements from several earlier drafts written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. McTiernan also hired illustrator and concept artist William Stout, who would design several elaborate costumes for animals to wear. [19] Stout later recalled of his experience working on the film:

"Two days into that job had me in the middle of a huge depression. They were going to use camels and elephants in creature suits... There was no way that you could get any of this stuff to look like the [author Edgar Rice] Burroughs stuff." [20]

By 1992, McTiernan had attached Sam Resnick, whom he had worked with previously on the television film Robin Hood , to rewrite. Around this time, Tom Cruise also became loosely attached to the project as John Carter, with Julia Roberts approached to play the Princess of Mars, Dejah Thoris. As development continued, McTiernan became increasingly dissatisfied with the limitations of the technology at the time, convinced that CGI was the only way to go. [19] Ultimately, he left the project to direct Last Action Hero , but nevertheless was still paid for his work. [20]

Die Hard 3: Troubleshooter

Following the release of Die Hard 2 , to which McTiernan had no involvement in, around 1991, he developed an unproduced iteration of a third film based on a spec script from 1990 titled Troubleshooter, whose premise involved John McClane fighting terrorists aboard a cruise ship. This concept was later abandoned by the filmmakers due to its similarities to the film Under Siege . [21] [22] According to McTiernan, Troubleshooter never happened because "Fox was wrangling with Bruce [Willis] over money." The studio later utilized most of the material they had developed for the film into Speed 2: Cruise Control , including "the ocean liner going on the beach." [23]

73 Easting

In 1992, Tom Clancy was in negotiations with Universal Pictures to write his first screenplay for McTiernan to direct based on the experiences of three military captains who led an assault on Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard. The film was given the tentative title of 73 Easting and would have been made with the cooperation of the U.S. Army. The rights to the stories of the three soldiers were secured by Vecchio Productions, who was set to co-produce with McTiernan's own Tongue River Productions. [24]

Texas Lead and Gold

Around 1992, after the success of Unforgiven , [25] McTiernan circled to direct the spec script Texas Lead and Gold by Jim Gorman and Michael Frost Beckner,[ citation needed ] which was described as an adventure story reminiscent of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre . It famously became the highest-selling screenplay at that time, producing a bidding war amongst various studios, with the first offer going for $1 million. [26] [27]

Bitterroot

In April 1993, Paramount Pictures was developing Bitterroot, to have been directed by McTiernan and star Brad Pitt, who would eventually drop out due to scheduling conflicts. Offers had also gone out to Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise and Richard Gere, all of whom declined. Later that month, the film was put into pre-production turnaround, allowing McTiernan and producer Donna Dubrow to set it up at a rival studio following Paramount's concerns over the casting and the projected $50 million budget. According to Dubrow, the studio "seemed to feel that Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman weren't enough to proceed." Bitterroot was written by David Shaber and was to have told the story of the 1877 Indian War. [28] [29]

Treasure Island

As reported in June 1993, McTiernan had at once "toyed" with directing a film of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic Treasure Island , but since had opted to take on the producing role. [30]

Captain Blood remake

McTiernan was set to direct a remake of the 1935 film Captain Blood for Warner Bros., though he dropped out in December 1993 over creative differences and went on to do Die Hard with a Vengeance in its place. [31] The script was written by Jonathan Hensleigh and McTiernan wanted Alec Baldwin to play the title role. [1] Mel Gibson was also seriously considered to star as well, since his name would more easily obtain a greenlight. [32]

Without Remorse

In November 1993, Warner Bros. lined up McTiernan as its director of the screen adaptation of Tom Clancy's bestseller Without Remorse , which was to be written by Christine Roum and produced by Brandon Tartikoff. Roum was to have reportedly started writing the script by the end of that year. [33] McTiernan was still attached to make the film by January 1995. [34]

Juggernaut

Around 1994, author and screenwriter Dan Bronson worked with McTiernan on a planned sci-fi action thriller called Juggernaut, which was set to be directed by McTiernan for MGM through his Tongue River Productions banner. [35] Bronson had been working on the TV film Midnight Obsession (1995), but left in order to write the script for Juggernaut instead. The film was never made. [36] [37]

Master and Commander

In the mid-to-late 1990s, McTiernan was going to direct an adaptation of Master and Commander , the first in the Aubrey–Maturin novel series from Patrick O'Brian, which was developed for Touchstone Pictures. However, Touchstone pulled the project from development, allowing the screen rights to be purchased by Fox where the 2003 film was eventually made, directed by Peter Weir. [38]

Airframe

In November 1996, it was reported that McTiernan would direct film adaptations of the Michael Crichton novels Airframe and Eaters of the Dead for Touchstone Pictures. [39] [40] William Wisher Jr. wrote the adaptations for both. [41] By May 1998, after finishing production on Eaters of the Dead (later retitled to The 13th Warrior ), McTiernan left Airframe to direct the remake of The Thomas Crown Affair for United Artists. [42] [43] At various points, Geena Davis, Jodie Foster, Demi Moore, Candice Bergen, Susan Sarandon and Sigourney Weaver were all linked to the project to play the lead female role, Casey Singleton. Matthew McConaughey was also said to be interesting in the role of pilot Ted Rawley. [44]

Cold, Cold Heart

As reported in March 1997, J. C. Pollock's post-Cold War suspense thriller book Cold, Cold Heart, written under the pseudonym James Elliot, had been optioned by Cinergi for McTiernan to possibly produce or direct or both. [45] The following year, Paramount Pictures picked up the option for Mace Neufeld to produce as a potential directing vehicle for Phillip Noyce. [46]

Nimitz Class

In early 1997, McTiernan optioned the rights to the techno-thriller Nimitz Class for Universal soon after the novel's publication. McTiernan intended to direct the film through his then-wife/producer Donna DuBrow, who refused to allow it to be made following their separation. [47] [48]

Pillar of Fire

In 1998, a film set to be directed by McTiernan called Pillar of Fire was in development at Columbia Pictures. [49]

Quiller

In May 1999, McTiernan was in talks to direct the film adaptation of Elleston Trevor's Quiller book series through United Artists. [50]

Cracking Angela

In August 1999, it was reported by Variety that McTiernan had set up a fourth project at MGM, a collaboration with erotic author Elissa Wald. While no plot details were disclosed, McTiernan stated at the time that it was a "sexy love story kind of thing." [51] By 2001, the title of Wald's script was revealed as Cracking Angela, with McTiernan attached as producer. [52]

2000s

The Saint TV series

In January 2000, a new TV series adaptation of The Saint from McTiernan was in the works at UPN, with McTiernan attached to the project as executive producer through Artists Television Group. [53] [54]

The Extractors

In November 2000, after finishing Rollerball for MGM, McTiernan was in discussions with the studio to direct The Extractors for a possible production start in March of the following year. The screenplay by Kevin Fox and James DeMonaco was described by The Hollywood Reporter as an action-thriller "about a group of ex-cons who break prisoners out of jail for a price." Samuel L. Jackson was being considered to star in the project. [55] It was reportedly still being actively developed as of April 2001, with Jackson confirmed to star. [56]

Basic Instinct 2

Smoke and Mirrors

In February 2001, McTiernan was the front-runner to direct the long-in-development film Smoke and Mirrors, for Initial Entertainment Group. Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones were attached to star. The project was based loosely on an actual 1856 event where the French government sent magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin to quell an uprising in Algeria begun by an alleged sorcerer. The original script was written by Lee and Janet Batchler six years prior, with subsequent revisions done by Ted Henning. [57] In May, it was reported that a mid-fall start date was being eyed, and that a rewrite of the script was being done by Leslie Dixon. [58] In June, McTiernan left the project, citing "insurmountable business differences", and the production was later shelved indefinitely due to escalating costs. [59]

The Garbo Deception

In January 2002, it was reported that McTiernan would direct a World War II film starring Kevin Spacey, John Travolta and Gérard Depardieu entitled The Garbo Deception. Emmanuelle Béart and Sigourney Weaver were also reported to star. The film was based on the life of Juan "Garbo" Pujol, who fooled the Nazis by creating a fictitious spy network. [60]

The Booster

In August 2002, McTiernan was in talks to direct the film adaptation of the late Eugene Izzi's novel The Booster with Sheldon Turner writing the script for Intermedia Films and Mark Johnson's production company. [61]

Murder In Canton

In 2003, McTiernan was attached to direct the $45 million action-adventure Murder In Canton, adapted from the Judge Dee mystery novel of the same name, which was being produced with financial backing from TF1. Production was scheduled to start by the end of the year in New Zealand and China. [62]

Crash Bandits

In 2005, McTiernan had been preparing to direct the action adventure script Crash Bandits through Bauer-Martinez Studios, with Hayden Christensen set to star. Production was initially set to commence on February 15 in Thailand, [63] though this would be delayed. McTiernan described the project as "A delightful story about two guys who make money by finding old crashed World War II planes in various end-of-the-way places." [1] He was still attached to film Crash Bandits prior to serving time in prison, [1] but as of April 2013, he was no longer involved. [64]

Deadly Exchange

In 2006, McTiernan was set to direct the action thriller Deadly Exchange from Ronald Shusett and Ian Rabin's screenplay and Anthony J. Ridio and Ellen Wander producing through Film Bridge Intl. [65] In 2013, McTiernan dropped out following his jail sentence.

Run

In 2007, McTiernan was set to direct the action thriller Run with Michael Pierce and Mark Williams producing and Karl Urban attached to star. [66] The following year, Thomas Jane took over Urban's role. [67] McTiernan was forced to abandon this project as well, following his jail sentence.

2010s

Shrapnel

In 2010, McTiernan was set to direct Evan Daugherty's 2008 Black List action thriller script Shrapnel, through Corsan and FilmEngine. [68] He developed it for John Travolta and Nicolas Cage, [1] however, by 2011, he was replaced by Mark Steven Johnson, and the project became Killing Season . [69] [70]

Red Squad

In February 2014, McTiernan was set to direct Cam Cannon and Jorge Suarez's script Red Squad, with Cannon producing the film with Hannibal Films chairman/CEO Richard Rionda Del Castro, Michael Mendelsohn, Patricia Eberle, Hayley Arabia, and Michael Tadross. [71] In August of that year, the film became liquidized during McTiernan's bankruptcy case. [72] In 2017, McTiernan was replaced by director Alexander Witt. [73]

Thomas Crown and the Missing Lioness

In April 2014, McTiernan revealed he had written a sequel to The Thomas Crown Affair while serving his prison sentence, entitled Thomas Crown and the Missing Lioness, [74] set in Europe. Like the first, this script also features a MacGuffin at its center. McTiernan explained the backstory of the title's provenance as follows:

"Nebuchadnezzar had two lion statues commissioned in 1100BC: a male and a female. Alexander the Great took them when he conquered Persia. Mark Antony had them taken to Rome. Constantine moved them to Constantinople. And at some point the lioness went missing. The movie is about what happens when it turns up at an auction. By the way, it's all bullshit; none of that ever happened. It's really a lot of fun and I hope I get the chance to make it." [1]

A year later, McTiernan's attorneys reported the following to the bankruptcy court:

"John's fondest dream is to shoot a sequel to his very successful Thomas Crown Affair [...] When he first floated that bubble he met with consternation from MGM whose attorneys asserted a proprietary interest in the theme and demanded he cease and desist. Diligent follow-up on John's part has revealed that the original rights holder controls the concept and is quite amicable to the project." [75]

Warbirds

In August 2014, McTiernan announced that he was negotiating to direct his original screenplay Warbirds at Hannibal Films with John Travolta signed up to star. Offers had also gone out to Queen Latifah and Johnny Knoxville to co-star, with McTiernan hoping to begin shooting as early as autumn that year. The project became liquidized during McTiernan's bankruptcy case. [72]

Untitled action film

Also in August 2014, McTiernan was being eyed for a film that was scheduled to begin production in January the following year. Though he was strongly considering it as one of his next directing projects, he was reluctant to commit officially over disagreements with the producers who allegedly wanted to cast Arnold Schwarzenegger for a role in the film, which McTiernan felt was not right for the material. "It's a bad idea," he said. "I have to convince them not to." [72]

Venice Pier

In 2015, The Hollywood Reporter announced that as McTiernan worked to "save" a proposed sequel to The Thomas Crown Affair , he was additionally discussing another project entitled Venice Pier. It was expected to bring in $1.2–2 million in director's fees. [75] No further details were disclosed.

The Sleeping Dogs of Amagansett

On a third film McTiernan was working on and also looking to direct as of 2015 called The Sleeping Dogs of Amagansett, his attorney said it was "rich in irony" and featured "evil investment bankers all being pet owners and [a] hero [who learns] to [let] sleeping dogs lie." [75]

Thin Rain

In January 2016, it was reported that Green Light International was launching sales at the Berlin Film Festival for a new McTiernan film called Thin Rain, an action thriller. McTiernan was to have directed from a script by Philip Shaw and Jeremy Sheldon, about a former American mercenary's quest for redemption in Asia. Joe Simpson was set to produce for Miscellaneous Entertainment, along with GLI's Andrew Mann and Simon Fawcett. [76]

Tau Ceti Foxtrot

While attending the 2nd edition of the Sofilm Summercamp festival in 2016, McTiernan announced his next project: an action film he had written, reportedly called Tau Ceti 4.4 — named after a distant star — which was tipped to star Cate Blanchett in the lead female role, that of a retired officer. Providing further details, he teased that with the film, he wanted to play with temporal paradoxes: "The action seems to take place in Europe in the sixties, but it is an illusion." [77] The story was to specifically center on "a childless woman and a motherless child," as described by McTiernan. [78] He also stated at the time that the project was backed by a French company, would be shot possibly in France or Serbia, and would feature minimal dialogue—making it easy to produce both English and French language versions. [79] [80] In 2019, Screen Daily reported that Uma Thurman and Travis Fimmel would star in Tau Ceti 4, from McTiernan's original screenplay, to be introduced to buyers by IMR International at that year's Cannes Film Festival. McTiernan was attached to produce alongside wife Gail Sistrunk, Anthony Katagas, and Thurman. [81] The logline read: "A group of rebels set out to kill the oligarchs and military thugs who terrorize a war-torn planet in the remote Tau Ceti solar system." [82] By December 2020, excerpts from an upcoming Empire magazine interview revealed that the film had been ready to begin principal photography in Serbia when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and that McTiernan was considering changing the title. [83] On September 15, 2022, journalist Sandra Benedetti posted a screen capture of McTiernan's concept art for the project on Twitter, revealing that the title had been changed to Tau Ceti Foxtrot. She explained that the previous title had misleadingly suggested it was the fourth film in a series, and added that the script had been completed for some time. [84] [85] Benedetti later elaborated:

"The script is multi-layered: clever, mysterious, feverish, tumultuous, and it's a real blast. The ending is astounding. Pure McTiernan. And that's all I'm allowed to say and show about it. McT is keen to keep his film a mystery until it's even started shooting." [86]

At BIFFF that same month, McTiernan further described the film as a " A Fistful of Dollars on another planet", and said he hoped to begin filming in France that fall if all went according to plan. [86] However, by 2023, the film was no longer in active development, though Geoffrey Macnab of The Guardian noted that the director was still "persevering" with it. [87]

Doolittle

In November 2016, McTiernan revealed in China that he intended to make a World War II feature set there about the aftermath of the Doolittle bombing raid on Tokyo in 1942. André Morgan would have produced the film through Ruddy Morgan Organization. Shooting was expected to start in 2017. [88] [89]

2020s

Ghost in the Machine

In September 2022, journalist Sandra Benedetti tweeted that the second project McTiernan was developed alongside Tau Ceti Foxtrot was Ghost in the Machine, and that he was in Paris to polish the script with an unrevealed French co-writer. Concept art for the film drawn by McTiernan himself was also made public. [90] [86] [91] [92] The project was described as a "rich and intense" paranormal fantasy/thriller. [93] [94]

Untitled prison film

At NIFFF 2023, McTiernan expressed his desire to make a kind of social class drama; one that would specifically draw from his experience being imprisoned, the stories and testimonies of the inmates he interviewed while there, and the revelations he faced about his country. "If I could make a movie about that, I would, but nobody'll let me," he said. [95] In a 2025 interview for Forbes Daily , McTiernan stated that he would publish the interviews as a book, rather than use them as the basis for a film. Asked if making his directorial comeback with a prison film would be timely, he answered, "Perhaps, possibly," but noted the genre's challenges. While acknowledging the economic appeal of prison films in the 1940s and 1950s—which were made cheaply—he remarked, "Prison movies are not fun, not for anyone, really. It's very very difficult to make an entertaining movie out of that. So I've never been really drawn to it." [96]

Offers

Throughout his career, McTiernan has turned down various directing offers because he "didn't want to make the same movie again." Among the films he's turned down include Speed , Batman Forever , Mission: Impossible and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines . [97]

When asked what film he would have liked to have done, McTiernan singled out Braveheart , explaining that he had in fact been offered it, though he was unaware of it at the time. "Mel Gibson asked me to do it, but he sent the writer over to talk to me," he said, referring to screenwriter Randall Wallace. "And the writer was a jackass. He was so full of himself, so pretentious, and never mentioned that Mel had asked that I direct the movie." Wallace apparently presented himself as though he were the producer, and McTiernan—assuming he was in charge—turned the film down. Only later did he learn that Gibson had wanted him as the director; a missed opportunity he came to regret. [98]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 de Semlyen, Nick. "The Cold Warrior". Empire . No. June 2014. p. 165.
  2. ↑ Campbell, Scott (April 1, 2024). "The final nail in the coffin for John McTiernan's career". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
  3. ↑ "The John McTiernan Central - UNPRODUCED McTIERNAN FILMS". conancompletist.com. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
  4. ↑ "LOT:1373 | The Quest of St. James Elk - Four Original Screenplay scripts by John McTiernan for the unmade film. First Draft x 2, Final Draft, and another, with a large amount of paperwork, letters and set designs relating to the film, also included are two colour storyboards from the film, 40 x 55 cm". Ewbank's Auctions. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  5. ↑ "MOVIE STORYBOARD CONCEPT - ST. JAMES ELK - JOHN McTIERNAN - VILLAGE LAYOUT PLANS". PicClick UK. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  6. ↑ Koch, Neal (July 21, 1991). "Between Screenplay and Screen Stretches the Highway to Oblivion". The New York Times . Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  7. ↑ Bumbray, Chris (July 23, 2023). "Sgt Rock: Arnold Schwarzenegger and John McTiernan's movie was sunk by John Cleese?". JoBlo.com . Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  8. ↑ Hirsch, Shari (July 26, 2023). "How Arnold Schwarzenegger's Sgt. Rock Movie Was Crushed by John Cleese". MovieWeb . Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  9. 1 2 Easton, Nina (July 29, 1990). "A Flock of Robins : Producers Rush Projects but a Culling Is Expected". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  10. 1 2 "AFI|Catalog - Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  11. 1 2 Pond, Steve (August 10, 1990). "ROBIN HOOD'S BIG YEAR". The Washington Post . Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  12. 1 2 Crow, David (November 9, 2021). "Kevin Costner Almost Starred in a Different Robin Hood Movie with John McTiernan". Den of Geek . Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  13. ↑ Honan, William H. (February 25, 1990). "FILM; Can the Cold War Be a Hot Topic for a Movie?". The New York Times . Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  14. ↑ Guerbaz, Steeve (April 1990). "Entretien avec John McTiernan". L'Écran fantastique (in French). No. 114. p. 20. Of course, I also like being an "Action Director". But I would also like to direct a comedy soon. I have a project of this kind called [Road Show].
  15. ↑ "It appears "Road Show' is almost ready to roll". Tampa Bay Times . April 28, 1990. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  16. ↑ "CHER, SEAN CONNERY MAY STAR TOGETHER". News & Record . May 24, 1990. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
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  24. ↑ Welkos, Robert W. (April 4, 1992). "Clancy, McTiernan Team for Film on Gulf War : Movies: The novelist and director are reuniting after their success with 'The Hunt for Red October.' '73 Easting' will be Clancy's first original screenplay". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  25. ↑ Wells, Jeffrey (October 4, 1992). "OFF-CENTERPIECE : MOVIES : The Bigger the Bucks, the Longer They Need to Age". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved January 26, 2025.
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  27. ↑ "About". Michael Frost Beckner.
  28. ↑ Marx, Andy (April 8, 1993). "Studios fast to corral Western pix". Variety . Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  29. ↑ Marx, Andy (April 26, 1993). "'Bitterroot' leaves Par". Variety . Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  30. ↑ Klady, Leonard (June 8, 1993). "Cinefile". Variety . Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  31. ↑ Fleming, Michael (April 7, 1994). "Willis finds new script to 'Die' for". Variety . Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  32. ↑ Klady, Leonard (December 6, 1993). "The long view of short subjects; Mel the invader". Variety . Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  33. ↑ Fleming, Michael (November 29, 1993). "Scribe Roum inks WB deal". Variety . Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  34. ↑ Variety Staff (January 22, 1995). "Indies Show No Rush To Reinvent Carolco". Variety . Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  35. ↑ Bronson, Dan. "Life of Dan - The Photoplays". Hollywood-Nobody.com. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
    Juggernaut, Tongue River/MGM
    Sci-Fi action thriller for director John McTiernan.
  36. ↑ Bronson, Dan. "The Dan Bronson Collection". Hollywood-Nobody.com. Retrieved January 21, 2025. I came up with the concept of the story, but left the project in order to work with John McTiernan on a sci-fi epic. My only other contribution was some story notes on the screenplay.
  37. ↑ Bronson, Dan (2014). "Ch. 52 "ME AND JOHN MCT"". Confessions of a Hollywood Nobody. Backlot Books. ISBN   978-0991547906.
  38. ↑ Petrikin, Chris (November 17, 1998). "Fox nabs 'Master' rights". Variety . Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  39. ↑ Busch, Anita M. (December 15, 1996). "Banderas set for 'Dead' pic". Variety . Archived from the original on January 7, 2025. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  40. ↑ Variety Staff (June 13, 1997). "Dowd inks Disney deal". Variety . Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  41. ↑ Variety Staff (July 14, 1997). "Scribe Wisher lands prequel to 'Exorcist'". Variety . Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  42. ↑ Fleming, Michael (May 26, 1998). "McTiernan nears 'Crown'". Variety . Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  43. ↑ Fleming, Michael (September 28, 1999). "Sarandon in 'Baby' talks; lit picks click". Variety . Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  44. ↑ "Coming Attractions - Airframe". IGN. July 12, 1998. Archived from the original on February 22, 1999. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  45. ↑ Richmond, Ray (March 20, 1997). "TNT buys Pollock book for Weinstein". Variety . Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  46. ↑ Petrikin, Chris; Hindes, Andrew (March 1, 1998). "Par eyes 'Heart' for Noyce". Variety . Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  47. ↑ Robinson, Patrick (2009). "Patrick Robinson's Official Blog". PATRICK. Retrieved September 20, 2025– via WordPress.
  48. ↑ "Nimitz Class". Publishers Weekly . Retrieved September 7, 2025. film rights optioned by John McTiernan
  49. ↑ Petrikin, Chris (November 2, 1998). "De Bont taps Foster as Blue Tulip partner". Variety . Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  50. ↑ Higgins, Bill (May 18, 1999). "McTiernan eyes UA's 'Rollerball,' 'Quiller'". Variety . Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  51. ↑ Fleming, Michael (August 3, 1999). "Rudin counts 'Hours'; McTiernan high on Leo". Variety . Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  52. ↑ Dunkley, Cathy (July 10, 2001). "Kleeman set for 'Fire' pic". Variety . Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  53. ↑ Schneider, Michael; Adalian, Josef (January 13, 2000). "UPN monkeying around". Variety . Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  54. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (March 10, 2008). "New take for 'Saint' series". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  55. ↑ Brake, Scott (November 29, 2000). "McTiernan and The Extractors". IGN . Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  56. ↑ Fleming, Fleming (April 4, 2001). "Dish: Lion woos scribes for actioner". Variety . Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  57. ↑ Stax (February 1, 2001). "McTiernan to Helm Smoke & Mirrors?". IGN . Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  58. ↑ Fleming, Michael (May 21, 2001). "Helmer, scribe stoke 'Smoke'". Variety . Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  59. ↑ "Douglas, Zeta-Jones project hobbled by rising costs". The Guardian . September 25, 2001. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  60. ↑ "Die Hard man to direct WWII spy drama". The Guardian . January 10, 2002. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  61. ↑ Harris, Dana (August 6, 2002). "McTiernan's 'Booster' shot". Variety . Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  62. ↑ Shackleton, Liz (May 22, 2003). "McTiernan to direct $45m Murder In Canton". Screen Daily . Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  63. ↑ Kay, Jeremy (November 6, 2005). "Bauer Martinez lines up McTiernan for Crash Bandits". Screen Daily . Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  64. ↑ Kit, Borys (April 12, 2013). "Rob Cohen to Direct 'Crash Bandits' for Millennium Films (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  65. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (June 4, 2006). "Helmer makes 'Exchange'". Variety . Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  66. ↑ Swart, Sharon (May 22, 2007). "John McTiernan to direct 'Run'". Variety . Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  67. ↑ Hopewell, John (February 8, 2008). "Jane joins McTiernan action film". Variety . Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  68. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (September 9, 2010). "John McTiernan to direct 'Shrapnel'". Variety. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  69. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 29, 2011). "AFM: Robert De Niro, John Travolta Team For 'Killing Season'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  70. ↑ Jagernauth, Kevin (October 30, 2011). "Robert De Niro Replaces Nicolas Cage In 'Killing Season' (aka 'Shrapnel') With John Travolta". IndieWire . Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  71. ↑ Dave McNary (February 7, 2014). "McTiernan to Direct DEA Thriller 'Red Squad' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  72. 1 2 3 Gardner, Eriq (August 29, 2014). "'Die Hard' Director John McTiernan Reveals Next Film Projects at Bankruptcy Hearing (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  73. ↑ McNary, Dave (May 18, 2017). "Nicolas Cage to Star in Action Movies 'Red Squad,' 'Zander' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  74. ↑ De Semlyen, Phil (April 28, 2014). "John McTiernan Talks Thomas Crown 2". Empire Magazine . Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  75. 1 2 3 Gardner, Eriq (October 14, 2015). "Director John McTiernan Wants Make 'Thomas Crown' Sequel to Fight Bank Liquidation". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  76. ↑ McNary, Dave (January 25, 2016). "Berlin: Dominic Sena Boards 'Johnny Two-Guns' with Green-Light (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  77. ↑ Aumont, Yves (July 1, 2016). "McTiernan, le réalisateur de "Piège de cristal", est à Nantes". Ouest-France (in French). Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  78. ↑ @skriptfr (July 3, 2016). John McTiernan talks about his upcoming film in France . Retrieved September 12, 2025– via YouTube.
  79. ↑ Léger, François (January 8, 2021) [July 6, 2016]. "John McTiernan : "Comment est-il possible de regarder un film qui s'appelle Captain America ?"". Première (in French). Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  80. ↑ Jagernauth, Kevin (July 12, 2016). "John McTiernan Dismisses 'Mad Max: Fury Road' As A "Corporate Product," Says Comic Book Movies Are Made By "Fascists"". The Playlist. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  81. ↑ Kay, Jeremy (May 7, 2019). "Uma Thurman, John McTiernan team up on Cannes sales title 'Tau Ceti 4' (exclusive)". Screen Daily . Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  82. ↑ "Tau Ceti Four - IMDb". IMDb . May 8, 2019. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  83. ↑ Weiss, Josh (December 24, 2020). "John McTiernan's Tau Ceti; We Can Be Heroes sequel; The Island of Dr. Moreau". SYFY Wire . Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  84. ↑ @la_rebelge (15 September 2022). "Des news de Tau Ceti Foxtrot, de John McTiernan. Oui, le titre a changé. Parce que Tau Ceti 4 laissait à penser que c'était le 4e film d'une saga. Le scénario est fini depuis un bout de temps. Le design est sublime, le poster ci-dessous n'en est qu'un exemple" [News on John McTiernan's Tau Ceti Foxtrot. Yes, the title has changed. Because Tau Ceti 4 suggested it was the fourth film in a series. The script has been finished for a while. The design is sublime; the poster below is just one example.] (Tweet) (in French) – via Twitter.
  85. ↑ Ruimy, Jordan (September 23, 2022). "John McTiernan Shooting First Film in Over 20 Years in France". World of Reel. Archived from the original on September 23, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  86. 1 2 3 Formica, Vincent (September 26, 2022). "Le plus grand réalisateur de films d'action revient après 20 ans d'absence". AlloCiné (in French). Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  87. ↑ Macnab, Geoffrey (July 11, 2023). "Chats, carpentry and sunshine: Die Hard director John McTiernan on why prison was 'great'". The Guardian . Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  88. ↑ Xiaoli, Li (November 1, 2016). "《虎胆龙威》导演来华拍摄新片" ['Die Hard' director visits China to shoot new film]. QQ News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on May 18, 2021.
  89. ↑ Ryan, Fergus (November 1, 2016). "'Die Hard' Director John McTiernan to Shoot WWII Film in China". China Film Insider. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  90. ↑ @la_rebelge (17 September 2022). "John McTiernan est à Paris pour peaufiner le script de Ghost in the Machine, avec son co-scénariste français. Il est fini, c'est vraiment du polissage d'orfèvre qu'ils font. Le dessin ⬇️ est de McT. Il est totalement inédit, puisqu'il vient de l'achever et de me l'envoyer" [John McTiernan is in Paris to refine the script for Ghost in the Machine, with his French co-writer. It's finished, it's really a goldsmith's polish they're doing. The drawing ⬇️ is by McT. It's completely new, since he just finished it and sent it to me.] (Tweet) (in French) – via Twitter.
  91. ↑ Garreau, Marc-Aurèle (September 28, 2022). "La légende du cinéma d'action John McTiernan bientôt de retour ?". CinéSérie (in French). Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  92. ↑ Verstraete, François (September 28, 2022). "Predator, Die Hard... le réalisateur John McTiernan annonce son grand retour". Écran Large (in French). Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  93. ↑ Thomas (September 18, 2022). "Ghost in the Machine : Le prochain projet de John McTiernan". Eklecty-City (in French). Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  94. ↑ "Ghost in the Machine - Film 2023". AlloCiné (in French). Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  95. ↑ Wolf, Rafael (October 25, 2023). A CONVERSATION WITH JOHN MCTIERNAN (in French). NIFFF. Event occurs at 13:28. Retrieved June 28, 2025– via YouTube. I interviewed 250 men [in prison], about what happened to them. And it's not just... you know, a formal interview, where I would come back to them over the course of a week or so until I got as much of their story as I could, and you could tell when—eventually—you could tell when people were lying, and you could tell what was real, and... there's stories in there... the stories of the black and brown guys just completely changed my understanding of the country I live in. Now, if I could make a movie about that, I would, but nobody'll let me.
  96. ↑ Beauget-Uhl, Maelle (March 8, 2025). "'Die Hard' Director John McTiernan Discusses His Career, Hollywood And A Potential Comeback". Forbes . Retrieved June 28, 2025.
  97. ↑ @cineplus_ocs (November 21, 2022). Story Classique | À la poursuite de John McTiernan (in French) – via YouTube.
  98. ↑ @pacorosdb (March 15, 2025). SOMBRA FESTIVAL [Murcia]. John Mctiernan, encuentro con fans. Q&A. 15-03-2025. 1/2 (in Spanish). Event occurs at 27:19. Retrieved September 20, 2025– via YouTube.
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