Page 2: Seven movie adaptation franchises that never took off
‘Prince of Persia’ (2010)
Originally launched in 1989, the Prince of Persia series of games saw renewed life when they were relaunched in 2003 with Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Featuring innovative gameplay and the unique ability to rewind and pause time. After spawning three sequels, Jerry Bruckheimer was hoping he had found himself the next Pirates of the Caribbean when he purchased the rights to adapt the series.
However, the production received a lot of criticism when it was announced that white actor Jake Gyllenhaal would take on the role of the titular Persian prince. This bad blood continued, and audiences didn’t seem to be too interested in Bruckheimer’s planned “mega-franchise.” Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time received negative reviews and a modest (though profitable) box-office taking. It seems the company weren’t too impressed with the film, as a sequel is still to be announced.
‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ (2011)
Fresh from the amazing success of The Social Network, esteemed director David Fincher jumped straight into an adaptation of the first entry in the Swedish smash hit series The Millennium Trilogy. Written by Stieg Larson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and its sequels had already earned the respect and success of the world both as a publishing sensation and a Swedish film series. However, Hollywood being Hollywood, an English remake was always bound to happen.
So with the directing talents of David Fincher, and the acting prowess of Daniel Craig (his second appearance on this list – is he perhaps a recipe for disaster?) and Rooney Mara, this gothic mystery seemed destined for critical and commercial brilliance. It certainly achieved the first, with reviewers complimenting the dark and gritty style of the slick remake. However, Fincher’s take on the Neo-Nazi murder mystery didn’t seem to connect with audiences, as slightly underwhelming box office takings meant that work on sequel The Girl Who Played with Fire was seemingly halted.
Though actress Rooney Mara is still keen on returning to the franchise, it seems that the money men of the movie industry aren’t so taken to the idea.
‘The League of Extraordinary Gentleman’ (2003)
Like a Victorian Avengers, The League of Extraordinary Gentleman saw the coming together of Jekyll and Hyde, Tom Sawyer, The Invisible Man, Captain Nemo, Professor Moriarty and more. With Sean Connery cast as the lead role, and the film being based on a comic book by Alan Moore (the man behind V for Vendetta and From Hell), it seemed like the superhero team-up movie the world had been waiting for was coming eleven years earlier than The Avengers.
However, the film was marred by continued production problems – and ultimately lead to Sean Connery’s retirement from the film industry (The League of Extraordinary Gentleman remains his last appearance). Despite some financial and critical acclaim, any plans for a sequel were quickly abandoned.
Fan of our book coverage? Why not join our Hypable Books Facebook group!
We want to hear your thoughts on this topic!
Write a comment below or submit an article to Hypable.