Shane Black's unrealized projects
The following is a list of unproduced Shane Black projects in chronological order. During his extensive career, American filmmaker Shane Black 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.
1980s
[edit]Shadow Company
[edit]In the late 1980s, Black wrote and would produce an action horror film called Shadow Company, with Fred Dekker as a co-writer, John Carpenter was attached to direct the project with Walter Hill executive producing & co-writing some of the script, with Kurt Russell in the main role. The script was about a group of US Special Forces soldiers who died during the Vietnam War. Years later, after their bodies are brought back, the soldiers, who were members of an Army project involving dark experiments, rise up from their graves, raid the armory from a nearby base, and attack the town in which they were buried, killing everyone during Christmas night.[1][2] Due to problems in pre-production, the movie was never made, although the original 1988 script has gained a cult following from fans of Carpenter, Black and Dekker.
Sgt. Rock
[edit]Shortly after they did Predator together, Black, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and John McTiernan 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.[3][4]
1990s
[edit]Fear Itself TV series
[edit]On April 10, 1995, Black was set to write Fear Itself, a horror anthology series about phobias, with Renny Harlin and Michael De Luca producing for HBO to distribute.[5]
2000s
[edit]The Tin Man
[edit]On June 30, 2000, Black was set to executive produce Anthony Bagarozzi's Los Angeles noir thriller The Tin Man, with Barry Sonnenfeld, Tom Jacobson and Barry Josephson producing through Sonnenfeld/Josephson, and John Frankenheimer was set to direct,[6] and in September that same year, Charles Mondry was also attached as a writer.[7]
The Nice Guys TV series
[edit]On September 23, 2003, Black was set to executive produce and co-write with Anthony Bagarozzi's action buddy cop television series The Nice Guys, with Bagarozzi producing the series with Joel Silver for Warner Bros. Television, Tommy Schlamme was set to direct the pilot episode for CBS,[8] which Black would later turn into a feature film.
Cold Warrior
[edit]On September 22, 2008, Black was set to direct ”Cold Warrior,” Chuck Mondry's screenplay about a spy from the Cold War era who comes out of retirement to team with a younger agent from the new school to confront a domestic terrorism threat orchestrated by Russia, with Michelle Manning, David Greenblatt, and Anthony Bagarozzi set to produce the film for Universal Pictures to distribute.[9] Then on January 27, 2010, Mel Gibson was in talks to star in the film.[10] Then on September 5, 2018, Netflix acquired the film from Universal.[11]
2010s
[edit]American Death Note film
[edit]On January 13, 2011, Black was set to direct the American feature film adaptation of Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata's manga Death Note, with Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry attached to write the screenplay, Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Doug Davison and Brian Witten will produce the film for Warner Bros. handling film distribution,[12] which was released with Adam Wingard directing for Netflix[13]
Doc Savage film
[edit]On May 7, 2013, Black was set to direct a feature film adaptation of Doc Savage, with Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry cowriting with Black, Neal H. Moritz is producing the project with Ori Marmur through his Original Film banner in collaboration with Michael Uslan, and Columbia Pictures would handle film distribution,[14] and on May 30, 2016, Dwayne Johnson was attached to star in & produce the film through his Seven Bucks Productions.[15]
The Destroyer film
[edit]On August 21, 2014, Black was set to direct the feature film adaptation of The Destroyer book series, with Jim Uhls and Jim Mullaney attached to write the screenplay, Charles Roven, Steven Chasman, and Andy Horwitz will produce the film for Sony Pictures Entertainment handling film distribution.[16]
untitled time-travel horror film
[edit]On June 9, 2016, Black explained his plan for a horror movie about time-travel.[17]
The Avengers reboot TV series
[edit]In January 2018, Black and Fred Dekker were cowriting a reboot of the television series The Avengers for Warner Bros. Television.[18][19] Then on January 18, 2024, StudioCanal was set to develop a reboot without Black, Dekker, and WB Television.[20]
2020s
[edit]Animated Crag Banyon P.I. TV series
[edit]On December 10, 2020, Black was set to co-write and executive produce Crag Banyon P.I., the animated comedy series adaptation of Jim Mullaney’s Crag Banyon book series with Mullaney also co-writing & executive producing the series, David Silverman set to direct and executive produce the series with Stampede Ventures’ Greg Silverman and Paul Shapiro; Greenlit's David Greenblatt, and Vinson Films’ Tripp Vinson, and Bento Box attached as the animation company for FOX.[21][22]
Bannerman TV series
[edit]On January 10, 2023, Black was set to produce Crag Banyon P.I., the television series adaptation of Jim Mullaney’s Paul Bannerman book series with Greg Nicotero, Brian Witten, & Jeffrey Maxim executive producing the proposed television series adaptation for AMC.[23]
Offers
[edit]The Green Hornet film
[edit]On January 18, 2011, Evan Goldberg revealed that Black was considered to direct the feature film adaptation of The Green Hornet, before Michael Gondry was attached to direct.[24]
Hobbs & Shaw
[edit]On October 5, 2017, Black was offered to direct the Fast & Furious spinoff film Hobbs & Shaw,[25] before David Leitch was attached to direct.[26]
References
[edit]- ^ James Greenberg. "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Millionaire". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Michael Gingold (September 13, 2018). "SHADOW COMPANY: An Early, Unproduced Black And Dekker Special". birthmoviesdeath. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ Bumbray, Chris (July 23, 2023). "Sgt Rock: Arnold Schwarzenegger and John McTiernan's movie was sunk by John Cleese?". JoBlo.com. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ Hirsch, Shari (July 26, 2023). "How Arnold Schwarzenegger's Sgt. Rock Movie Was Crushed by John Cleese". MovieWeb. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ Variety Staff (April 10, 1995). "Top helmers on 'Tales' team… Sky-high Sly price". Variety. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
"Anthologies are fast becoming a TV staple again. "Tales From the Crypt" is in its sixth season, with exec producers Joel Silver, Robert Zemeckis, David Giler, Walter Hill and Richard Donner, and HBO is developing "Fear Itself," a series about phobias by "Cliffhanger" director Renny Harlin, "Lethal Weapon" writer Shane Black and Michael De Luca, part-time screenwriter and full-time president of production at New Line."
- ^ Fleming Jr., Michael (June 30, 2000). "Next stop for Barrys is splitsville". Variety. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
"Among those is "Tin Man," an L.A. noir detective tale which Anthony Bagarozzi is writing and John Frankenheimer has agreed to direct, with Sonnenfeld and Josephson producing with Shane Black;"
- ^ Brodesser-Aker, Claude (September 25, 2000). "Time for 'Tick-Tock'". Variety. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
"Bagarozzi most recently penned "The Tin Man," an L.A. noir detective tale that John Frankenheimer has agreed to direct; Barry Sonnenfeld and Barry Josephson will produce with Shane Black. Mondry is also scribe."
- ^ Michael Sneider; Josef Adalian (September 23, 2003). "Eye 'Guys' flies for Silver & Black". Variety. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ Graser, Marc (September 22, 2008). "Shane Black to direct 'Cold Warrior'". Variety. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ Tatiana Siegel; Dave McNary (January 27, 2010). "Gibson in talks for 'Cold Warrior'". Variety. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ Sneider, Jeff (September 5, 2018). "Shane Black's Cold Warrior Heads to Netflix from Universal". Collider. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ Fleming Jr., Michael (January 13, 2011). "Warner Bros Taps Shane Black For Japanese Manga 'Death Note'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (April 6, 2016). "Netflix Lands Adam Wingard's 'Death Note' Starring Nat Wolff". Variety. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ The Deadline Staff (May 7, 2013). "Is Sony's 'Doc Savage' Next For 'Iron Man 3' Helmer Shane Black?". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (May 30, 2016). "Dwayne Johnson To Play 'Doc Savage' For Director Shane Black". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ Fleming Jr., Michael (August 21, 2014). "Sony Pictures Taps 'Iron Man 3' Helmer Shane Black To Direct 'The Destroyer'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ Jagernauth, Kevin (June 9, 2016). "Shane Black Reveals The Hero Of 'Predator' & It's Not Arnold Schwarzenegger, Talks Time Travel Horror Script And More". The Playlist. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ Cotter, Padraig (January 11, 2018). "Shane Black Has Written 1960s Avengers TV Show Reboot". Screen Rant. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ Evry, Max (January 12, 2018). "Shane Black Writing a Pilot Based on The Avengers TV Show". ComingSoon. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ Kanter, Jake (January 18, 2024). "'The Avengers' Reboot In Works At StudioCanal, Wall To Wall; 'Industry' Duo Mickey Down & Konrad Kay Writing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (December 10, 2020). "Shane Black, James Mullaney Team to Develop Animated Comedy 'Crag Banyon P.I.' at Fox". Variety. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ White, Peter (December 10, 2020). "Shane Black Developing Animated Comedy For Fox Based On Crag Banyon Mysteries". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ Petski, Denise (January 10, 2023). "'Bannerman' Spy Books In Works For Television At AMC Networks From Shane Black, Greg Nicotero & Brian Witten". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ The Playlist Staff (January 18, 2011). "Evan Goldberg Says Shane Black Was Once In Line To Direct 'The Green Hornet'". The Playlist. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (October 5, 2017). "Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham's 'Fast and Furious' Spinoff Gets 2019 Release Date". Variety. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ "Please welcome David Leitch as the director of the Fast & Furious Hobbs and Shaw spinoff". Twitter. April 12, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2025.