There is a surprisingly high number of completed movies that will never be released. Accordingly, there's an enduring enigma surrounding so-called "lost" movies, as fans try to scramble to find any relics of archive footage. The reasons why these movies will never see the light of day are varied and complex.
In some instances, the film makers grew to loathe their work. Similarly, it's not uncommon for stars to hate their own movies, so actors have on occasion tried to block their films from ever having a cinematic release, being unhappy with the finished product. And in other cases, some of those involved in the production faced damning allegations, which ultimately saw their work banished from theaters. Here are 10 completed movies that will never be released and why.
10 'I Love You, Daddy' (2017)
We really don't know why comedian Louis C.K. thought a movie like I Love You, Daddy could ever be acceptable. The troubling title aside, the premise centers on a 17-year-old girl's (Chloë Grace Moretz) inappropriate fascination with a predatory, Woody Allen-esque film director (John Malkovich), who is almost 50 years her senior. It also features numerous problematic scenes of the teen parading around in lingerie in front of Louis C.K., who plays her father.
Following sexual misconduct allegations against C.K., which he admitted were true, the movie's New York premiere was cancelled. Thereafter, all other distributors pulled the movie and it was scrapped entirely.
9 'The Day The Clown Cried' (1972)
Comedian Jerry Lewis was known for his zany, erratic performances, which have since inspired so many comics. But, with movies such as The King of Comedy, he proved that he was also adept at dramatic roles. Accordingly, Lewis decided to direct The Day the Clown Cried, in which he plays a clown who finds himself imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp.
However, those who saw the rough cut of the movie heavily criticized it, most notably for a scene in which Lewis' clown unwittingly leads children into Auschwitz. Subsequently, Lewis refused to ever let the movie be released.
8 'The Audition' (2015)
This short movie, directed by Martin Scorsese, stars Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Brad Pitt as fictionalized versions of themselves. It centers on De Niro and DiCaprio competing for a role in Scorsese's next movie.
But the movie was criticized as being nothing more than a promo piece for the director and his stars, so it has never had a commercial release.
7 'Don's Plum' (2001)
Another Leonardo DiCaprio movie, Don's Plum will never be released in the US and Canada due to DiCaprio and co-star Tobey Maguire filing a lawsuit to ban it. Filmed between 1995-1996, the movie focuses solely on a conversation between the it-boys of the era, DiCaprio and Maguire, who improvised much of their dialogue in the movie.
As it turns out, the adlibbed conversations ended up showing the actors in an unfavorable light, with frequent misogynistic jokes. In their lawsuit, the actors argued that they thought Don's Plum was meant to be a film school project and not a feature length movie. Accordingly, the movie was successfully banned from being released, perhaps saving the stars' careers in the process.
6 'The Deep' (1966)
This isn't the first "lost" Orson Welles movie. In fact, another of his unreleased movies, The Other Side of the Wind, was finally shown in theaters in 2018, over 40 years after the acclaimed director concluded production.
However, The Deep probably won't be so lucky. Based on the novel Dead Calm, it's extremely unlikely, if not impossible, that The Deep will ever be released. This is due to several scenes being missing from the movie, and worst of all, the original negative being lost.
5 'Hippie Hippie Shake' (2010)
This British drama about the '60s counterculture drew ire from a number of the real life figures it portrays. Australian feminist author Germaine Greer was infuriated when she heard that she featured in the movie, played by Emma Booth, arguing that "You used to have to die before assorted hacks started munching your remains and modelling a new version of you".
Moreover, a number of delays in the production and creative differences have led to the movie being abandoned altogether. Over a decade later, it looks like the movie is never going to be released.
4 'Big Bug Man' (2004)
We really can't imagine anything funnier than octogenarian Marlon Brando voicing Mrs. Sour, the matriarch of a candy corporation, in this animated movie. Brendan Fraser also stars as the voice of the subtly-named protagonist, Howard Kind, who gains superpowers after being bitten by bugs, thereby becoming Big Bug Man.
Despite its hilarious premise and a Change.org petition, the movie will never be released, as the production company abruptly scrapped it.
3 'The Brave' (1997)
Another Marlon Brando movie, The Brave was directed by a young Johnny Depp, who also stars. Depp plays a Native American man, which is pretty problematic in today's climate, but that's not the only reason why the movie won't be released.
A series of setbacks, including Depp having to fund the movie with vast amounts of his own money and terrible reviews at its initial screening, led Depp to pull the movie from ever being released in the US.
2 'Humor Risk' (1921)
The Marx Brothers, led by the savagely witty Groucho, remain comedy legends who have inspired countless contemporary comedians. But the first ever movie they starred in, Humor Risk, will never be released.
There is much mystery surrounding the lost silent movie, with some suggesting that it may have been accidentally thrown away. But legend has it that Groucho was so disappointed in his performance that he intentionally destroyed the negative.
1 'Bill Cosby 77' (2014)
Since the once venerated Bill Cosby is now a convicted sex offender, it's no surprise that we will never get to see his final stand-up performance. Filmed live at the San Francisco Jazz Center, Cosby's stand-up show marked his 77th birthday and was supposed to be released by Netflix 4 months later.
But following sexual misconduct allegations by 60 women, Netflix inevitably pulled Cosby's movie and have said that they will never release it.