Years can go by between the announcement of a big Hollywood film project and its actual
arrival in theaters.
But sometimes studios and distributors will shelf a finished film for years if they believe
it's in their best financial or promotional interest.
Here are a few films that took years to appear on the big screen.
Red Dawn
Turning to remakes of popular films from its vaults in the late 2000s to help stave off
financial ruin, MGM hired Dan Bradley to helm a remake of the 1984 Cold War film Red Dawn.
It's about a ragtag group of teenagers who mount a resistance against invading Soviet
Union forces.
"I know we're outnumbered and outgunned.
But that doesn't mean we can't make a difference."
The remake starring Chris Hemsworth and set in the present day, originally had Chinese
antagonists.
But to quell controversy and increase the chances of a Chinese release, the villains
were changed to the North Koreans in post-production.
The updated Red Dawn was originally scheduled for release in 2010, but was shelved due to
the studio's then-pending bankruptcy.
While it was in limbo, the filmmakers spent less than $1 million in edits, CGI, and dubbing
to remove all-things-China from the film.
It was finally released on November 23, 2012 ... but never in China, despite the work done
to make the film more China-friendly.
The Cabin in the Woods
The satirical horror gem The Cabin in the Woods, co-written and produced by Joss Whedon,
is another Chris Hemsworth-led film that was tangled up in MGM's disastrous financial crisis
in the late 2000s.
"Their ears are stopped."
"They are the Gods' fools."
"Well ... that's how it works."
Originally scheduled for release on February 5, 2010, the film didn't arrive in theaters
until more than two years later.
After initially delaying the film so they could convert it to 3D, MGM shelved the movie
indefinitely after succumbing to its financial woes.
Instead of pushing forward with a new distribution strategy, newly appointed executives chose
to sell the movie, along with Red Dawn, to Lionsgate in 2011, and it finally made its
debut on April 13th, 2012.
Repo Men
Based on the novel Repossession Mambo by Eric Garcia, 2010's Repo Men stars Jude Law and
Forest Whitaker as agents for a company called The Union that sells bio-mechanical organs.
When the company's customers fail to pay their due, The Union sends agents to "repossess"
the goods.
"Don't you touch me."
"No need for violence, miss."
The film entered production in 2007 — two years prior to Garcia's novel being published
— and finished filming the following year.
However, since another film with a very similar title and premise, Repo!
The Genetic Opera, was also in the pipeline, Universal chose to shelve the film to avoid
competition, not releasing it for another two years.
House of 1000 Corpses
Rob Zombie's cult horror classic House of 1000 Corpses took a long and arduous road
to theaters.
Originally filmed in 2000, the movie followed the Firefly family as they travelled across
the country on Halloween, killing and maiming along the way.
Due to the amount of blood, gore, and violence, the film received an NC-17 rating by the MPAA,
prompting Universal to deem the film a bad investment and shelve it indefinitely.
Several months later, Zombie purchased the rights from Universal and began searching
for another distributor, with MGM eventually picking up the film and scheduling it for
release in October 2002.
However, MGM later dropped the project after Zombie reportedly joked that the studio had
"no morals" since they chose to distribute it.
Lionsgate ultimately released a toned-down R-rated cut of the flick on April 11th, 2003.
Take Me Home Tonight
The 2011 retro comedy Take Me Home Tonight arguably came closer than most films at capturing
the essence of the '80s — but that's one of the few positive things critics had to
say about the film.
Set in Los Angeles in 1988, the comedy follows Topher Grace's
Matt Franklin, as he pursues his high school crush and reconnects with old friends over
the course of one wild night.
"What do you do, anyway?
I thought you went to MIT."
"I work at Suncoast Video."
Since the movie featured heavy use of cocaine as part of the night's crazy hijinks, Universal
didn't know how to go about marketing it, which led to the studio indefinitely shelving
the film until Rogue acquired its distribution rights for $10 million dollars.
Take Me Home Tonight finally debuted on March 4, 2011, four years after it finished filming.
"Wow.
Congratulations?"
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