History Main / DivorcedInstallment

** ''Film/RebelMoon'', a ScienceFantasy SpaceOpera, was once pitched as a ''Franchise/StarWars'' movie during the acquisition of Creator/{{Lucasfilm}} by Creator/{{Disney}}. This is also a peculiar, full-circle example, as it wasn't conceived to be nor started off as one [[labelnote:note]]being an original story he developed for decades, inspired by seven samurai, but set in space [[/labelnote]] and it wouldn't have featured any legendary icons or locations from the franchise, had Lucasfilm accepted the pitch, since Zack Snyder wanted it to still be its own unique entity regardless.

* ''ComicBook/{{Youngblood}}'' was originally a proposed ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' spin-off, explaining Shaft's "[[{{Expy}} coincidental similarities]]" to ComicBook/GreenArrow's sidekick Arsenal. In addition to Shaft being an obvious Arsenal stand-in, Diehard was supposed to have been a S.T.A.R. Labs android, and Vogue would have been a new version of the Harlequin. Additionally, the characters Brahma, Photon, Combat, and Cougar were recycled from a rejected ''ComicBook/YoungAvengers'' pitch Liefeld created with Jim Valentino during the 90's.

* Creator/PeterDavid originally created the characters ComicBook/SachsAndViolens for his landmark run on ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk''. Concerns about the content led to David instead giving the characters their own limited series at Epic Comics, and later using them in ''Comicbook/FallenAngel''.

* In an example mixing both this trope ''and'' a DolledUpInstallment, the Game Boy game ''Film/HomeAlone2: Kevin's Dream'' was retooled into an adaptation of ''WesternAnimation/BobbysWorld'' before finally being cancelled outright.

* ''Mickey Mouse III: Yume Fuusen'' was being localized as ''Mickey Mouse: Dream Balloon'', but licensing difficulties apparently intervened because Kemco ended up editing in their own character and releasing the game in the US as ''Kid Klown in Night Mayor World''. Indeed, every Mickey Mouse game from Kemco that wasn't published overseas by Creator/{{Capcom}} or Creator/{{Nintendo}} was modified into something else outside Japan.

* The ''Franchise/BerniceSummerfield'' series began as a spinoff of Virgin Books' ''Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures''. When Virgin lost the Doctor Who license in 1997, Benny continued on her own, no longer able to meet or make direct references to the Doctor himself. Eventually, the rights moved to Creator/BigFinish, which later also acquired a ''Doctor Who'' licence, enabling them to be reunited in the ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'' audios.

* ''Videogame/HumanKillingMachine'' was born out of a failed pitch by Tiertex for an official sequel to their home computer port of ''Videogame/StreetFighter1987''. Even though Creator//{{Capcom}} declined, that didn't stop Tiertex from touting ''HKM'' as a SpiritualSuccessor to ''Street Fighter'' in interviews and some promotional material. Kwon, the protagonist of the new game, even bore a superficial resemblance to Ryu.

** ''VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterLand'' had a [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Famicom]] version by Creator/{{Jaleco}} titled ''Saiyūki World''. This version inspired its own sequel (''Saiyūki World II''), which was localized for the NES under the name of ''Whomp 'Em'' and had its ''Journey to the West'' motif replaced with a Native American one.

* ''Black Belt'', a side-scrolling [[BeatEmUp beat-'em-up]] for the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem, is a localization of a ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' game for the Mark III in which the graphics were altered to remove all traces of the original license. Kenshiro was renamed Riki and his blue vest and jeans outfit was replaced by a white karate gi, while all of the other characters and backgrounds were modified as well, changing the game's locations from post-apocalyptic deserts and towns to modern-day temples and cities. The Japanese [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Mega Drive]] sequel, ''Hokuto no Ken: Shin Seikimatsu Kyūseishu Densetsu'', was released overseas as ''Last Battle: Legend of the Final Hero'', but the changes made during the localization were lazier by comparison to the first game. All the sprites were recolored and the names were changed, but the character designs remained almost identical and the seemingly nonsensical script (which consisted mainly of out-of-context dialogue transcribed verbatim from the manga) was a word-to-word translation of the original, aside from a few minor changes. Gore was also removed for the overseas release.

* ''Street Combat'' for the [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super NES]] was originally a ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' game in which you played as either male or female Ranma and battled the rest of the anime cast. The U.S. version turned Ranma into a mulleted soldier named Steven (female Ranma was Steven in street clothes, while male Ranma was Steven in PoweredArmor), and the Ranma cast with all sorts of things (Kodachi, for example, became a ''clown''). This was averted with the sequel, which was brought to the U.S. as ''Ranma ½: Hard Battle''.

** The original ''VideoGame/DoubleDragon'' was planned as a sequel to the original ''Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun'' (aka ''Renegade''). The change in title, setting, and characters was precisely done to appeal to the western market from the get-go without the need of making a separate overseas version.

* The UsefulNotes/Commodore64 game ''Astérix and the Magic Cauldron'' was released in the United States as ''Ardok the Barbarian'', likely because ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' was not popular enough there to be worth licensing.

* ''[[WesternAnimation/TheJetsons The Jetsons: Invasion of the Planet Pirates]]'' for the SNES was retooled for its Japanese release as ''Yōkai Buster: Ruka no Daibōken'', starring the mascot character of ''Marukatsu Super Famicom'' magazine.

* ''Tube Slider: The Championship of Future Formula'' was originally meant to be a ''VideoGame/FZero'', serving as developer Creator/NDCube's follow-up to ''Maximum Velocity''. Nintendo would pass over the pitch, instead giving the franchise to Creator/{{Sega}} upon the latter's request, to act as their first collaborative project following the latter's exit from the console market.

Various Intellectual Properties and Franchises will have discussions on adaptations, sequels and spin-offs, often just to try and keep the license. But a curious thing can happen when during development a work starts off as part of a franchise or IP but ends up being reworked into something else or entirely divergent from where it began. It may be that the license expired, the popularity of the work was seen as on the decline, the sales pitch ended up rejected or the original creative team had deviated so much from the source material it was seen as so InNameOnly they might as well change the name too. Mostly, they wanted to keep the script and existing production work that was done while having the SerialNumbersFiledOff. If you look at it sideways you might see where its origins came from, but all definitive signs of its heritage are completely erased. If the creators are lucky enough, the new property can end up being so successful that it ends up becoming its own popular series that may never have materialized had it remained tied to its license; indeed, some of the most iconic and long-running franchises of all time, such as ''Franchise/StarWars'' and ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'', originated from failed plans for a licensed property.

Various Intellectual Properties and Franchises will have discussions on adaptations, sequels and spin-offs, often just to try and keep the license. But a curious thing can happen when during development a work starts off as part of a franchise or IP but ends up being reworked into something else or entirely divergent from where it began. It may be that the license expired, the popularity of the work was seen as on the decline, the sales pitch ended up rejected or the original creative team had deviated so much from the source material it was seen as so InNameOnly they might as well change the name too. Mostly, they wanted to keep the script and existing production work that was done while having the SerialNumbersFiledOff. If you look at it sideways you might see where its origins came from, but all definitive signs of its heritage are completely erased. If the creators are lucky enough, the new property can end up being so successful that it ends up becoming its own popular series that may never have materialized had it remained tied to its license; indeed, some of the most iconic and long-running franchises of all time, such as ''Franchise/StarWars'' and ''Franchise/MegaMan'', originated from failed plans for a licensed property.

* The original ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'' was reportedly a ''ComicStrip/{{Popeye}}'' game initially, but changed because Creator/{{Nintendo}} couldn't get the license. After their success with ''Donkey Kong'', they would make a ''VideoGame/{{Popeye}}'' game.

Various Intellectual Properties and Franchises will have discussions on adaptations, sequels and spin-offs, often just to try and keep the license. But a curious thing can happen when during development a work starts off as part of a franchise or IP but ends up being reworked into something else or entirely divergent from where it began. It may be that the license expired, the popularity of the work was seen as on the decline, the sales pitch ended up rejected or the original creative team had deviated so much from the source material it was seen as so InNameOnly they might as well change the name too. Mostly, they wanted to keep the script and existing production work that was done while having the SerialNumbersFiledOff. If you look at it sideways you might see where its origins came from, but all definitive signs of its heritage are completely erased. A contrast to DolledUpInstallment, where a work started unrelated and was then boosted afterwards with an established name.

** ''Film/RebelMoon'', a ScienceFantasy SpaceOpera, was once pitched as a ''Franchise/StarWars'' movie during the acquisition of Creator/{{Lucasfilm}} by Creator/{{Disney}}. This is also a peculiar case, as it wasn't conceived to be nor started off as one and it wouldn't have featured any legendary icons or locations from the franchise, had Lucasfilm accepted the pitch, since Zack Snyder wanted it to still be its own unique entity.

** ''Film/RebelMoon'', a ScienceFantasy SpaceOpera, started off as a pitch for a ''Franchise/StarWars'' movie.

* The planned third installment of the Amiga hack-n-slash series ''Switchblade'' was completely retooled into the ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog''-style platform game ''VideoGame/{{Zool}}''. Much later, after ''Zool 3'''s second cancellation, shovelware developer Data Design Interactive picked up the pieces and used them to create ''VideoGame/NinjabreadMan''.

* Similar to the ''Them's Fighting Herds'' example, ''VideoGame/FreedomPlanet'' started as a ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic]]'' fangame, but later became its own thing for commercial release. In this case, it switched over before getting a C&D.

*** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' is the most well-known. It originally starred a new protagonist named Tony who had superhuman abilities (explained here, in traditional ''RE'' fashion, with biotechnology instead of demons), and the dev team's research trips to the UK and Spain to study medieval castles wound up influencing the settings of both games. It was turned into an original game after the team realized that it was straining credibility to have an action-packed hack-and-slash as the next entry in what was then still a pure SurvivalHorror franchise. Dante, the protagonist of ''DMC'', uses the alias "Tony Redgrave" as a DevelopmentGag, while several of the monsters in the ''DMC'' franchise bear a distinct influence from the ''RE'' series' [[EvilIsVisceral visceral baddies]].

* Zig-zagged with ''VideoGame/SleepingDogs'': started out as an original game, was later incorporated into the ''[[VideoGame/TrueCrimeStreetsOfLA True Crime]]'' franchise by Activision who later canceled it, then it was revived by Creator/SquareEnix who turned it into an original game again.

* ''ComicBook/KravensLastHunt:'' Based on a storyline involving ComicBook/WonderMan and the Grim Reaper that J. M. [=DeMatteis=] submitted to Marvel and was rejected. He then reworked it into a Franchise/{{Batman}} vs. ComicBook/TheJoker project that got nixed because ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'' was already in production. Next [=DeMatteis=] developed the "return from the grave" story into one about Batman and Hugo Strange, but that also was rejected by DC. Finally, he reworked and expanded the story for Marvel into the epic we know today featuring ComicBook/SpiderMan, his wife Mary Jane, Kraven the Hunter, and Vermin, which was published in 1987.
* John Wagner and Alan Grant's ''Franchise/{{Lobo}}'' story, ''Bob The Galactic Bum'' was reprinted in ''[[ComicBook/TwoThousandAD The Judge Dredd Megazine]]'' and for copyright reasons, Lobo had to be replaced with a female Bounty Hunter called "Asbo".

* The Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme movie ''Film/{{Cyborg 1989}}'' was originally going to be a sequel to ''Film/MastersOfTheUniverse'' (though as TroubledProduction shows, the story is complicated). It also utilized props, sets, and costumes from a ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' movie that was almost made before Cannon lost the rights.

* Creator/RowanAtkinson's ''Comic Relief'' sketch, ''Spider-Plant Man'' was originally conceived as a fifth season of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' where Blackadder and Baldrick would have been ''[[Franchise/{{Batman}} Batman and Robin]]''-style superheroes.

* The ''Franchise/SpiderMan: Techno Wars'' and ''Franchise/XMen: Mutant Armor'' lines began as a way to recycle {{ReTool}}ed Iron Man action figures leftover from his short-lived [[WesternAnimation/IronManTheAnimatedSeries animated series]].

* Creator/{{Sunsoft}} also started work on a ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' game for the NES (following its success with the ''VideoGame/{{Batman|Sunsoft}}'' games), but was later re-tooled into a CaptainErsatz called ''VideoGame/{{Sunman}}'' for some reason or other (it did release a ''Superman'' game for the Super NES and Sega Genesis). It ultimately ended up not being released in any form.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* ''VisualNovel/{{Echo}}'' was pitched as part of ''VisualNovel/{{Blackgate}}''[='=]s canon, but has very early on established itself as its own thing in a more mundane setting. Relics of this origin can be seen both here and in ''VisualNovel/Adastra2018'', where the supernatural BigBad from each takes heavily inspiration from ''Blackgate''[='=]s Eternal. Conversely, ''Adastra'' began as a ''Franchise/StarTrek''-esque show in ''Echo'', but it evolved into a radically different thing, a SpaceOpera with nothing in common. The other project of the group, ''VisualNovel/GloryHounds'', is also not connected to any of those.
* ''VisualNovel/StarswirlAcademy'' was originally a visual novel where you could date humanized versions of ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' characters. Hasbro caught wind and told the devs to change some elements. They changed the character names and now we have characters like the rainbow-haired Robin Douglas (Rainbow Dash).
[[/folder]]

* ''VideoGame/CaptainToadTreasureTracker'' was originally envisioned as a ''[[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Zelda]]'' puzzle title starring Link, thanks in part to one of the main elements in the game not being having the ability to jump obstacles, which at first appeared to be out of place for a ''Mario'' title.

* ''VideoGame/MysticDefender'' was originally developed as anj adaptation of ''Manga/PeacockKing'', before Sega removes the licensed materials for the game's international release, turning it into a wholly-original game. For instance, the main villain Zareth was supposed to be Oda Nobunaga, while Joe the hero was Kujaku from the anime. Alexandra from the game was also originally supposed to be Azusa. The game's back cover even uses stills from the anime as promotional material!

* ''VideoGame/AlexKidd in Miracle World'' was originally intended to be a ''Manga/DragonBall'' game, but it was made into an original IP when Sega couldn't secure the license.

*** ''VideoGame/OnimushaWarlords'' also began life as ''Sengoku Biohazard'', a ''Resident Evil'' game [[RecycledInSpace set in the Sengoku period]] where the player would use {{ninja}} weapons to battle monsters in a house filled with booby traps. It also helped inspire the ''Devil May Cry'' combat system, with pre-release versions of ''Onimusha'' allowing the player to knock enemies into the air, [[GoodBadBugs then juggle them by continuing to attack]]; while this was fixed in ''Warlords'', it would be incorporated into ''DMC''.

[[folder:Music]]
* Music/{{Eminem}} originally intended to make a sequel to ''Relapse'', called ''Relapse 2'', and leaked material intended for it shows it would largely have been in the same style as the original ''Relapse'' (with use of [[WhatTheHellIsThatAccent accents]], ultra-bombastic Music/DrDre beats, and {{Horrorcore}} subject matter, with him playing his HeroicComedicSociopath Slim Shady character on most of the album). However, mixed fan reception to ''Relapse'' freaked him out enough that he reworked the album into ''Recovery'', a much more optimistic and [[RadioFriendliness radio-friendly]] album filled with inspiring and somber content in a RapRock style, a reboot for his image from a [[PrettyFlyForAWhiteGuy do-rag-wearing comedy hip-hopper]] to a white-trash leather-jacketed rocker who keeps authentic to his roots, a new HarshVocals delivery, only a handful of Shady appearances, and HurricaneOfPuns showcases of his technical skill as an emcee. Traces of the ''Relapse'' style can be heard on some tracks on the album, particularly the opener "Cold Wind Blows", where Eminem sings the chorus doing a 'girl' voice with an English accent, and the verses are a BloodyHilarious, hyperoffensive Shady bloodbath.
[[/folder]]

* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueCrisisOnTwoEarths'' was originally meant as a bridge between ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' and ''Justice League Unlimited'' that would show how things evolved post-Thanagar invasion and how the Justice League went from only seven members to HeroesUnlimited. However, timing problems messed that up so the idea was shelved until it was completely repackaged as one of the WesternAnimation/DCUniverseAnimatedOriginalMovies. Some traces still remain, however: the League is building a new Watchtower at the start of the film, the Flash inherits DCAU Wally West's personality, and Wonder Woman gains her invisible jet (which she did not have in JL but had in JLU), and the film ends with the League acknowledging they need to expand their ranks. The only major discrepancies preventing the film from being canon to the Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse are the fact that Green Lantern in this film is Hal Jordan rather than John Stewart and the main universe Lex Luthor having a cameo in a prison cell when Luthor was pardoned for his crimes by the end of ''Justice League''.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuers'' was originally going to be sort of a sequel to ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'', with Cruella [=DeVil=] as the villain, but they decided to replace Cruella with an original villain.

* ''Film/{{The Batman|2022}}'' was originally going to be part of the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse, with Creator/BenAffleck, Creator/JeremyIrons, Creator/JKSimmons, and Creator/JoeManganiello reprising their respective roles as Batman, Alfred, Commissioner Gordon, and Comicbook/{{Deathstroke}} from ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' and ''Film/{{Justice|League 2017}} [[Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague League]]''. However, due to Affleck bowing out of both directing and starring in the project and Creator/WarnerBros executives giving the go to Creator/MattReeves for a fresh start, it was reconfigured into a new continuity with Creator/RobertPattinson as Batman, Creator/AndySerkis as Alfred and Creator/JeffreyWright as Gordon.

* ''Film/{{Venom|2018}}'' got divorced no less than three times. Having been in various stages of production since TheNineties, it was, at one point, going to be a SpinOff of ''Film/SpiderMan3'', with Creator/TopherGrace apparently reprising his role as Eddie Brock. When the series was rebooted after Creator/SamRaimi's departure, it was then decided that ''Venom'' would now be part of Sony's new shared ''[[Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries Amazing Spider-Man]]'' universe (complete with a trailer for the second movie showing a shot of the symbiote inside Oscorp's Special Projects vault), but this too fell apart when ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'' underperformed at the box office and [[FranchiseKiller killed the series]]. After Sony approved Spider-Man to join the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, it initially claimed that ''Venom'' would become part of the MCU, but Marvel itself denied it was the case. Ultimately, ''Venom'' became a standalone film connected to no established franchise, creating [[Film/SonysSpiderManUniverse a series of its own]].

* Creator/GeorgeLucas wanted to make a ''ComicStrip/FlashGordon'' movie, but he couldn't get the rights, so he made ''Franchise/StarWars''. Ironically, ''Star Wars'' became so popular that an actual ''Film/FlashGordon'' movie would get made a few years later.

* Creator/GuillermoDelToro originally wrote ''Film/TheShapeOfWater'' as a script for a potential remake of ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon'', and part of what would eventually become the Franchise/DarkUniverse. Once Creator/{{Universal}} turned down his script, Del Toro completely rewrote his script as an original story.

* Creator/ThomasLigotti and a friend wrote a spec script called "Crampton" for the ''Series/TheXFiles'', which they later reworked and published as an original story.