Something is happening with streaming services: they are canceling many of their original productions. Most of these cancelations are series that could live through a few more seasons, but for many reasons (the most common one being monetary), these platforms/studios are making these choices, to the despair of fans worldwide. There are some instances where movies are canceled. This is not uncommon, but what surprised many people was that some were done with production and ready to be released.
To cancel a movie while in development is not expected but can happen. However, to not release a film where the cast and crew have been paid, and the only thing left to do is to distribute it is pretty alarming. Many streamers and some of the major studios have been doing this. An example would be Warner Bros. and their movie Batgirl, which cost $90 million. They explained that it was a strategic reason regarding Max and the DC Universe. What made things worse is that the filmmakers behind the movie won’t be able to search for a new distribution service, and the film will most likely never be seen.
One streaming service has canceled many movies that have already begun production and some that have even finished: Netflix. Here’s the movie the streaming service canceled and why they were canceled.
5 Bill Cosby 77
While canceling shows and movies that have been produced seems like something new, it has happened for a while due to specific circumstances. In 2014, Bill Cosby recorded a comedy special called Bill Cosby 77 during his 77th birthday. The movie was supposed to be released during Thanksgiving that year.
However, shortly after the special was filmed, over sixty women came forward with allegations of sexual assault by the comedian. Ten days before the release date, the comedy special was canceled. Cosby was arrested, but in 2021 the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned the sentence, and he was freed. Nevertheless, it is highly unlikely that Netflix will release the comedy special, even with the new decision made by the Supreme Court.
4 Gore
In 2017, based on the novel Empire of Self, A Life of Gore Vidal by Jay Parini, Netflix produced a biographical film about the actor, writer, and political activist entitled Gore. The movie contained many storylines where the leading actor tries to seduce young men. The actor cast in the role was Kevin Spacey. The movie ended production weeks before the allegations about sexual harassment involving the actor started circulating online.
The film was quite expensive to make, but because of the similarities between what young men were accusing Spacey and his character, the streaming service decided not to release the movie. There haven’t been any talks or rumors about the film being released, especially since Netflix cut ties with the actor after the allegations, even firing him from their hit show House of Cards. These two decisions cost the streaming service around $40 million.
3 Ember
Sergio Pablos directed Ember with his production company, The SPA Studios, which would become one of the few hand-drawn animation features on the streaming service. The movie was going to be a part of the European-produced films slate. However, due to creative differences rather than monetary ones, Netflix canceled its release. Pablos is highly known in the animation world. Some of the projects on his resume are Hercules, Tarzan, Space Jam, and Despicable Me. The movie remained in production back in December 2022. The director can shop the film for other streaming services, but there hasn’t been any news on the project’s new home.
2 The Inheritance
More recently, Netflix canceled the release of the already-produced and finished movie The Inheritance. Directed by Alejandro Brugués and produced by Paul Schiff, the movie is about a billionaire who invites his estranged kids to the night of his birthday when he thinks something or someone will kill him. To incentive his children to help him, he places their inheritance on the line: if he dies that night, they won’t get a cent.
The filmmakers can shop the movie elsewhere, so there’s still hope of watching this thriller. Netflix scrapped the movie for monetary reasons, as the company is trying to stay inside the $17 billion content spend they had in previous years. Joe Russo and Chris LaMont wrote the movie. Russo has worked with Netflix before in the movie, The Gray Man with Ryan Gosling and Henry Cavill. The cast includes Bob Gunton, Peyton List, Austin Stowell, Briana Middleton, David Walton, and Rachel Nichols.
1 House/Wife
Alongside The Inheritance, House/Wife was the other movie that Netflix canceled. The film was directed by Danis Goulet and produced by Tripp Vinson and Daniel Bekerman. This is Goulet’s second film, the first being a dystopian sci-fi story called Night Raiders. The script was written by Anna Halberg and Spenser Cohen, who worked together before on a few projects, including the short horror film Blink and the feature Extinction.
The narrative would tackle a current fear that has been growing in society, especially in the past few months: artificial intelligence. A mother suffers a brutal accident and moves into an AI-controlled house with her family. In the same vein as M3GAN, they soon discover that the AI system may not have the best intentions. The cast included Alice Braga, Kris Holden-Ried, and Sarah Gadon. The filmmakers can also shop the movie for a new distributor.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
