The failed movies that were never released as Cameron Diaz’s comeback project thrown into disarray

It takes a lot for a Hollywood film to be made.

But sometimes the drama after the camera stops rolling is juicier than the scenes caught on film, take the Don’t Worry Darling drama or the latest speed bump that’s hampered Cameron Diaz’s comeback project for example. 

Netflix’s Back In Action has reportedly been thrown into chaos after Cameron’s co-star Jamie Foxx had an on-set ‘meltdown.’

The comedy will mark Cameron’s return to acting after previously stepping away from the spotlight to raise her three-year-old daughter, Raddix. 

But this is not the first time, nor will it be the last that a movie’s future has been thrown into disarray.

One of the biggest bombshells came recently when Warner Bros announcing they were scrapping the $90 million Batgirl movie, starring Latina actress Leslie Grace in the titular role, in 2022.

Before that a Johnny Depp film that he poured $2 million of his own money into never got a US release after the initial director carried out a murder-suicide, and in a separate incident Hollywood A-listers Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire were sued by a producer of a film they starred in that would never be seen by domestic audiences.

FEMAIL has taken a look back at the films that had the right star power, but never saw the light of day or got a release date.

The Day The Clown Cried: Jerry Lewis-directed movie that was unfinished and unreleased

In the 1972 film set during the Holocaust, a drunk clown, played by US comedian Jerry Lewis, who is fired from the circus is arrested by Gestapo agents after he makes fun of Adolf Hitler.

He is sent off to a concentration camp and once there he eventually starts entertaining Jewish children before leading them to their death.

Jerry was not a fan of his own work and stopped its release, with Simpsons veteran Harry Shearer describing it as ‘perfect object,’ and not in a good way.

‘This movie is so drastically wrong, its pathos and its comedy are so widely misplaces, that you could not, in your fantasy of what it might be like, improve on what it really is,’ he told Spy in 1992.

According to the magazine, a handful of people who had seen the movie said it was ‘almost unwatchable.’

In the 1972 film set during the Holocaust, a drunk clown, played by US comedian Jerry Lewis, who is fired from the circus is arrested by Gestapo agents after he makes fun of Adolf Hitler

Jerry was not a fan of his own work and stopped its release, with Simpsons veteran Harry Shearer describing it as ‘perfect object,’ not in a good way

I Love You, Daddy: Directed by Louis C.K. but was canned by its distributor after allegations of sexual misconduct

In 2017, Louis C.K.’s I Love You, Daddy was canned after five women came forward to accuse the actor and comedian of masturbating in front of them or over the phone in an expose published by The New York Times.

The Orchard, who purchased the distribution rights to the film for $5 million after its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival said in a statement at the time: ‘The Orchard will not be moving forward with the release of “I Love You, Daddy.”‘

In the film, C.K. plays a successful TV producer whose 17-year-old daughter (Chloë Grace Moretz) begins a relationship with an older director.

It spawns a kind of crisis for C.K.’s character, who has his own issues with how he treats women.

In the film, C.K. plays a successful TV producer whose 17-year-old daughter begins a relationship with an older director. Pictured is Chloë Grace Moretz in the film

After the women came forward, C.K. confirmed in 2017 that the allegations were true.

‘I want to address the stories told to The New York Times by five women named Abby, Rebecca, Dana, Julia who felt able to name themselves and one who did not,’ the 50-year-old comedian said.

‘These stories are true. At the time, I said to myself that what I did was okay because I never showed a woman my d*** without asking first, which is also true.

‘But what I learned later in life, too late, is that when you have power over another person, asking them to look at your d*** isn’t a question. It’s a predicament for them.’

The Long Home: Unreleased after director and star James Franco was accused of sexual misconduct in 2017

The James Franco-directed film was based on the 1999 William Gay novel of the same name that takes place in the 1940s Deep South.

James played bootlegger and pimp Dallas Hardin who hires young contractor Nathan Winer (Josh Hutcherson) to build a honky-tonk.

He soon learns Dallas was involved in his father’s disappearance years ago.

The film also starred Ashton Kutcher, Josh Hartnett and Courtney Love. 

The worldwide sales rights for the movie were picked up by Green Point Media in 2017, Deadline reported. 

The James Franco-directed film was based on the 1999 William Gay novel of the same name that takes place in the 1940s Deep South

But after James was accused of sexual misconduct in 2018, there’s been no release date for the movie. Five women made allegations against the actor. 

One claimed that James removed a protective plastic guard covering actresses’ vaginas and simulated oral sex on them while filming a scene for a movie, while another said he asked actresses to remove their shirts on set. 

Two of the women later sued the Spider-Man star, saying he intimidated students at his now-defunct Studio 4 acting school into gratuitous and exploitative sexual situations.

James denied all of the allegations, but settled for $2.2 million in July 2021 with the two women who sued him.

The actor later admitted in 2021 he slept with students at his acting school and ‘cheated on everyone’ he dated during a 20-year battle with ‘sex addiction.’

A Woman Of The Sea: Negatives of Charlie Chaplin film were burned

The 1926 film produced by Charlie Chaplin was also known as The Sea Gulls.

It was made to give Edna Purviance, who had played the leading lady in a number of his movies, a boost and was set in a poor fishing community.

A Woman Of The Sea didn’t meet Charlie’s high standards and instead he was forced to burn the negatives for tax purposes in 1933, so it could be claimed as a loss to the IRS, The AV Club reported.

However some evidence of the film’s existence were found in the 2000s, including some images and schedules.

The 1926 film produced by Charlie Chaplin was also known as The Sea Gulls. Pictured is the actor in 1917

All-Star Weekend: Jamie Foxx says audiences may be too ‘sensitive’ for the movie

The movie sees Jamie play a ‘white, racist cop’ and Robert Downey Jr. as a Mexican, the former told The Joe Rogan Experience in 2017.

All-Star Weekend follows the story of two best friends (Jamie and Entourage star Jeremy Piven) as they make their way to the NBA event after winning tickets.

Fast forward to 2022, All-Star Weekend is still yet to see the light of day, with Jamie telling CinemaBlend: ‘Man, it’s been tough, with the lay of the land when it comes to comedy, man. We’re trying to break open those sensitive corners where people go back to laughing again. 

All-Star Weekend follows the story of two best friends (Jamie and Entourage star Jeremy Piven) as they make their way to the NBA event after winning tickets

DJ Khaled and Jamie in All-Star Weekend, which is still yet to get a release date

‘And that’s why I think, even in this film, which is great is [that] the one thing we kept hearing in the screenings was how much people were laughing. So, hopefully we’ll keep them laughing and run them into All-Star Weekend, because we were definitely going for it.’

Jamie did reveal that Robert did have some hesitation about playing a Mexican after he donned blackface for his role in 2008 film Tropic Thunder. 

‘I’m nervous to play the Mexican,’ the Ray actor recalled the Iron Man star saying.

But Robert did end up making the film and it was completed. 

Don’s Plum: Stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire sued by producer

The US release of the 1995 black-and-white movie was halted after one of the film’s producers sued its stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire, who claimed they had only signed up for a short film, but it was later re-edited into a feature.

However the film’s producer David Stutman said Maguire was concerned his improvised scenes ‘revealed personal experiences or tendencies,’ The Guardian reported in 2016.

Don’s Plum tells the story of a group of young LA adults who meet weekly at their local diner and talk about their lives.

After the case was settled, the movie was not released in the US or Canada.

The US release of the 2001 black-and-white movie was halted after one of the film’s producers sued its stars Leonardo DiCaprio (pictured) and Tobey Maguire 

Batgirl: $90 million DC superhero movie scrapped by Warner Bros

In bombshell news, Warner Bros announced in August 2022 it was dramatically scrapping its $90 million Batgirl origin film after it received poor test reviews.

The decision to axe the film — which was slated to be released on HBO Max later that year — came after a series of test screenings were panned by audiences, an unnamed source told the New York Post, and studio execs thought it would hurt the future of the brand as they sought to streamline the DC Extended Universe.

Batgirl was first given the greenlight in 2021 as part of a company-wide effort to create feature films specifically for HBO Max, Variety reported.

Batgirl would have featured Latina actress Leslie Grace (pictured in her costume) in the titular role as she battled Brendan Fraser’s Firefly

Collider Editor-In-Chief Steven Weintraub tweeted: ‘Spoke to people that saw #Batgirl, and they said it was a huge disappointment.’ Pictured is Leslie as Batgirl

It would have featured Latina actress Leslie Grace in the titular role as she battled Brendan Fraser’s Firefly who turned to a life of crime after he is fired from his job, loses his health insurance and could no longer care for his sick wife.

According to those who had seen the scrapped film, Michael Keaton’s Batman was only featured in a few scenes — and did not serve as a mentor to Grace’s Barbara Gordon, and the costumes were subpar.

A source also told the Post: ‘They think an unspeakable Batgirl is going to be irredeemable.’

Collider Editor-In-Chief Steven Weintraub tweeted at the time: ‘Spoke to people that saw #Batgirl, and they said it was a huge disappointment.

‘Also that the costumes looked cheap, especially Keaton’s Batman costume.’

Hippie Hippie Shake: ‘I don’t think we’ll see it at this point’

It had all the makings of a hit movie with Sienna Miller and Cillian Murphy starring in Hippie Hippie Shake.

But despite being filmed in 2007, the movie is yet to make it to cinemas sixteen years later.

Hippie Hippie Shake takes its story from the memoirs of Australian writer Richard Neville, played by Cillian, who started the 1960s counterculture magazine named Oz. 

His girlfriend, Louise Ferrier, was played by Sienna.

And it remains a mystery as to why the film has not been released, even to its stars.

‘I don’t know what’s happening [with Hippie Hippie Shake],’ Sienna told Yahoo in 2017.

‘I’m not sure whatever happened with that… I don’t think we’ll see it at this point. I never really heard what happened. I did see a rough cut of it and it was a pretty beautiful film, but there was some legal something or other, I don’t know.’

It had all the makings of a hit movie with Sienna Miller (center) and Cillian Murphy (right) starring in Hippie Hippie Shake

The Brave: Johnny Depp sinks millions into the movie, only to bar it from a US release

Johnny Depp claimed he initially ‘didn’t particularly like’ The Brave when it first came across his desk, but what he did like was ‘the idea of sacrifice for family.’

How it ended up in the hands of Johnny, who would eventually pledge millions of his own money to make the movie, is a tragic tale.

In 1993, The Brave, which centers on an indigenous man who is offered $50,000 to be the victim in a snuff film, was set to be directed by Aziz Ghazal.

Aziz had optioned the rights to the Gregory McDonald novel.

But then Aziz killed his wife and his daughter, 13, on December 1, 1993, before taking his own life, according to the Los Angeles Times.

After its eventual premiere at Cannes, with Johnny in the director’s chair, it was never released in the US after ‘devastating’ reviews, The Mercury News reported, but was played internationally. 

Johnny Depp claimed he initially ‘didn’t particularly like’ The Brave when it first came across his desk, but what he did like was ‘the idea of sacrifice for family’

My Best Friend’s Birthday: Destroyed in a film-lab fire and only 36 minutes of it still exist

Before he became a household name, Quentin Tarantino made My Best Friend’s Birthday in 1987.

All that remains of the 70-minute film is 36 minutes, which you can watch on YouTube, after it was partially destroyed in a film-lab fire, according to IndieWire.

It’s another black-and-white entry on this list, and Quentin had a hand in writing, producing, directing and editing the movie. He also takes on a starring role.

It sees his character attempting to organize a birthday bash for his friend.

Before he became a household name, Quentin Tarantino made My Best Friend’s Birthday in 1987

C***sucker Blues: The Rolling Stones sued filmmaker to stop him showing the documentary

The Robert Frank film documented the Rolling Stones’ 1972 North America.

Admirers of his work, the Stones granted Robert and his crew remarkable access to a tour known for unlimited offstage excess.

Partly in color, partly in black and white, Robert filmed the band, and its entourage in a haze of snorting cocaine and shooting heroin on a private jet. 

The film had the intimate, off-hand look of a home movie: Keith Richards was captured removing a television set from his hotel room and tossing it over the balcony and a groupie was seen lying naked on a bed, fondling herself.

Admirers of his work, the Stones granted Robert Frank and his crew remarkable access to a tour known for unlimited offstage excess

Appreciation of Robert’s artistry was soon overwhelmed by fears of imminent arrest.

The Rolling Stones sued the filmmaker to prevent him from releasing the documentary and Robert acknowledged that scenes on the jet had been staged.

A court order allowed the film to be shown only a few times a year and only in Robert’s presence. 

Substantial portions of the movie have turned up on the internet, and a section of Don DeLillo’s epic novel Underworld was named for Robert’s documentary.

100 Years: Its release date isn’t until November 2115

Hollywood star John Malkovich starred in the movie and it will remain locked in a vault until its eventual release in November 2115.

The movie, 100 Years, will be locked in a safe at the Cannes Film Festival sponsored by a French cognac company.

The film was directed by Robert Rodriguez and its makers claim it is ‘the movie you will never see.’

According to The Independent, the safe will open ‘automatically in 100 years when the timing is complete… to ensure that 100 Years remains secure until its official premiere.’

Hollywood star John Malkovich starred in the movie and it will remain locked in a vault until its eventual release in November 2115

Thierry Fremaux, delegate at Cannes, described it as ‘an innovative cinematographic project. I hope that our descendants will consider the movie 100 Years for the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival in 2116.’

John said it was important for everyone working on the movie to imagine what the world was going to be like in 100 years.

Robert told Entertainment Weekly: ‘I was intrigued by the concept of working on a film that nobody would ever see in my lifetime.’

The movie was financed by Louis XIII. 

100 Years takes its inspiration from how long it takes to make a bottle of cognac.