History TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment / Film

* ''Batgirl'', a film based on the DC Comics superhero starring Creator/LeslieGrace, was shot in late 2021 and intended for release on Creator/HBOMax in late 2022. The film would also feature Creator/MichaelKeaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman for the first time since 1992. In August 2022, Warner Bros. made the unconventional decision to shelve the film completely, which was in late stages of postproduction at the time. Considering it [[https://variety.com/2022/film/news/batgirl-not-released-warner-bros-hbo-max-1235331897/ cost $90 million]] to produce, it is one of the most expensive unreleased films ever (which may be for [[https://variety.com/2022/film/news/batgirl-movie-why-not-releasing-warner-bros-1235332062/ tax reasons]]). Test screenings were [[https://nypost.com/2022/08/02/batgirl-movie-gets-shelved-by-warner-bros-source/ reportedly disastrous]].

* ''Killing Winston Jones'', the directorial debut of Creator/JoelDavidMoore[[note]](Moore directed ''Youth in Oregon'' two years after this, which is his first directorial project to be released)[[/note]] starring Creator/RichardDreyfuss, was shot in 2012 and has been sitting completed for nearly a decade as of 2022. The film had already been sitting for nearly five years when numerous women made rape accusations against Danny Masterson, who plays a supporting role, in 2017, which was probably the last nail in the coffin of the film ever being released.

* ''Batgirl'', a film based on the DC Comics superhero starring Creator/LeslieGrace, was shot in late 2021 and intended for release on Creator/HBOMax in late 2022. The film would also feature Creator/MichaelKeaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman for the first time since 1992. In August 2022, Warner Bros. made the unconventional decision to shelve the film completely. Considering it [[https://variety.com/2022/film/news/batgirl-not-released-warner-bros-hbo-max-1235331897/ cost $90 million]] to produce, it is one of the most expensive unreleased films ever (which may be for [[https://variety.com/2022/film/news/batgirl-movie-why-not-releasing-warner-bros-1235332062/ tax reasons]]). Test screenings were [[https://nypost.com/2022/08/02/batgirl-movie-gets-shelved-by-warner-bros-source/ reportedly disastrous]].

* ''Batgirl'', a film based on the DC Comics superhero starring Creator/LeslieGrace, was shot in late 2021 and intended for release on Creator/HBOMax in late 2022. The film would also feature Creator/MichaelKeaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman for the first time since 1992. In August 2022, Warner Bros. made the unconventional decision to shelve the film completely. Considering it [[https://variety.com/2022/film/news/batgirl-not-released-warner-bros-hbo-max-1235331897/ cost $90 million]] to produce, it is one of the most expensive unreleased films ever. Test screenings were [[https://nypost.com/2022/08/02/batgirl-movie-gets-shelved-by-warner-bros-source/ reportedly disastrous]].

* The Creator/JerryLewis film ''Film/HardlyWorking'' was completed in 1979 and finally released in 1981 to weak box-office and scathing reviews (Creator/RogerEbert gave it zero stars and called it "the greatest non-experience in my moviegoing life.") Similarly, ''Smorgasbord'' was shot over 1981-82 but not released anywhere until 1983, and then only direct-to-video in the U.S. as ''Cracking Up''.

** ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'' was delayed, but not to a great extent. Orion was supposed to release both it and ''Film/DancesWithWolves'' during the 1990 Holiday season, but pushed the former to February 1991 because the studio had only enough money to put out ''one'' Oscar campaign that year. It ultimately paid off when ''Wolves'' and ''Lambs'' gave Orion back-to-back Best Picture Oscars.

* ''Creator/AndyKaufman: I'm from Hollywood'', a retrospective of his infamous wrestling career and feud with Wrestling/JerryLawler that notably doesn't break {{Kayfabe}}, was finally completed in 1989 after six years (Kaufman's death in '84 throwing a wrench into production). As co-director/editor Lynne Marguiles explains on the DVDCommentary, however, she couldn't sell it for another ''three'' years simply because Kaufman was so loathed by much of the public -- an Creator/HBO representative even told her they had a "no Kaufman" policy. It finally saw the light of day in 1992, just as Kaufman was about to undergo a sympathetic boost in popularity thanks to the Music/REM song "Man on the Moon".

* ''Film/{{Warlock}}'' was finished in 1988, but shelved for two years following financial difficulties at New World Pictures (although like ''Film/ThePunisher1989'', which was also affected, it did get released on schedule outside North America). Trimark eventually picked it up and gave it a limited release in 1991.

* ''Film/{{Serena}}'' was the second of the unofficial Creator/JenniferLawrence[=/=]Creator/BradleyCooper [[ThoseTwoActors quadrillogy]] to be filmed, preceded by ''Film/SilverLiningsPlaybook'' and followed by ''Film/AmericanHustle'' and ''Film/{{Joy}}''. It was the third to come out [[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lost-jennifer-lawrence-bradley-cooper-733113 (in 2014 in Europe, the following year in the US)]].

* ''Killing Winston Jones'', the directorial debut of Creator/JoelDavidMoore[[note]](Moore directed ''Youth in Oregon'' two years after this, which is his first directorial project to be released)[[/note]] starring Creator/RichardDreyfuss, was shot in 2012 and has been sitting completed for nearly a decade as of 2022. The film had already been sitting for nearly five years when numerous women made rape accusations against Danny Masterson in 2017, who plays a supporting role, which was probably the last nail in the coffin of the film ever being released.

* ''Killing Winston Jones'', the directorial debut of Creator/JoelDavidMoore[[note]](Moore directed ''Youth in Oregon'' two years after this, which is his first directorial project to be released)[[/note]] starring Creator/RichardDreyfuss, was shot in 2012 and has been sitting completed for nearly a decade as of 2022. The film had been sitting for nearly five years when numerous women made rape accusations against Danny Masterson, who plays a supporting role, which was probably the last nail in the coffin of the film ever being released.

** Finally, ''Film/{{Solace}}'' was picked up by Relativity to be released sometime in 2015. Their bankruptcy ordeal prevented this from happening and once they were released from it they set a September 2, 2016 date for the film. Unfortunately as the year went on, Relativity found themselves unstable again and pulled the release. When their financial issues worsened, they dropped the film completely. Lionsgate/Grindstone [[ChannelHop rescued the film]] and gave it a day-and-date limited theatrical/VOD release in December.

** Another pandemic victim was ''Film/FreeGuy'', one of the few projects that was about to enter production when the Fox takeover was completed. Originally meant for a holiday release on July 3, 2020, it got delayed three times, being set to finally hit theaters in August 2021 .

* The ensemble comedy ''Film/GetAJob'' from acclaimed indie-film director Dylan Kid was originally shot in 2012 and was supposed to make appearances at several film festivals but would up being a no-show and it kept getting delayed, when asked on a podcast in 2014 when the film was coming out Anna Kendrick said she had no idea, rumors were that the delay was due to issues with a change in management at CBS Films. Finally Lionsgate gave the film a limited theatrical/video-on-demand release in 2016.

* The ensemble comedy ''Film/GetAJob'' from acclaimed indie-film director Dylan Kid was originally shot in 2012 and was supposed to make appearances at several film festivals but would up being a no-show and it kept getting delayed, when asked on a podcast in 2014 when the film was coming out in Anna Kendrick said she had no idea, rumors said the delay was due to issues with a change in management at CBS Films. Finally Lionsgate gave the film a limited theatrical/video-on-demand release in 2016.

** The Weinstein Company strikes again! They originally set an April 2015 release date for the animated film ''Underdogs'', but they pushed it back to August 14, 2015 to take advantage of the late summer season. Then the Weinsteins delayed it indefinitely ''a mere week'' before it was set to open for unknown reasons. It wound up going to DirectToVideo and Creator/{{Netflix}} on July 19, 2016.

* Two of Music/MileyCyrus' films,''Film/{{LOL}}'' and ''So Undercover', were delayed from 2011 release dates to 2012, the former getting released to very few theaters with little promotion and barely recouping costs, while the latter was released in theaters overseas in 2012 and released Direct-To-Video in the states in early 2013.

* ''Film/{{Ultraviolet}}'' finished filming in 2004, but didn't come out until March 2006.

* Creator/SamuelFuller's racism drama ''Film/WhiteDog'' was filmed in 1981 but Paramount shelved it due to uneasiness over the film's content and it would not be released until it was quietly sneaked onto the Lifetime network (yes, ''that'' Lifetime) in 1987. The film would not see a home video release until 2010, when Creator/TheCriterionCollection released it on DVD.

* Creator/ZackSnyder finished a cut [[ExecutiveMeddling out of compromise with executives]] with what he filmed for ''Justice League''. That seemingly wasn't enough for them and after Snyder's departure, Creator/JossWhedon was hired to write and direct reshoots more to their liking. The resulting [[Film/JusticeLeague2017 theatrical cut]] scrapped much of what Snyder filmed, and the studio proceeded with the following movies without caring about ''Justice League'' any further. In 2020, ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague'' was announced. With scrapped footage including much of the initial cut Snyder submitted, none of the Whedon additions and new special effects, it released March 18, 2021 on Creator/HBOMax to generally positive reviews, with the only major criticism being its four-hour runtime.