New Mutants: 5 Delayed Movies That Weren’t Worth The Wait (& 5 That Totally Were)
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Movies get delayed sometimes — it happens. But which of those delayed movies were worth the wait, and which ultimately disappointed?
You Are Reading :New Mutants 5 Delayed Movies That Weren’t Worth The Wait (& 5 That Totally Were)
Despite being part of the incredibly popular X-Men franchise, New Mutants had an extremely hard time getting the theaters. It seems like every roadblock was put in place to prevent fans from seeing the film. But when the movie was finally released in August, the general consensus was that it wasn’t worth the wait.
Sometimes these long delays can hint at the film being less than perfect. Poor test screenings can cause drastic reshoots or the studio loses faith in the film. But there are also those movies that are totally worth the wait. Have a look at some of the good and bad of the most notable long-delayed films.
10 Not Worth It: Red Dawn (2012)
1984’s Red Dawn is a cult classic about a group of young American teens who form a guerilla army when America is invaded. A remake seemed inevitable but bringing the cheesy Cold War-era patriotism into the 21st Century proved difficult.
The remake which starred Chris Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson was set to be released in 2010 by MGM. However, the studio’s financial troubles caused them to shelve the project. It was later delayed again to change the Chinese villains to North Koreans. When it was finally released, it was called a dull and lifeless take on the original.
9 Worth It: Cabin In The Woods (2011)
Chris Hemsworth had a difficult time getting a Hollywood film released early in his career. Cabin in the Woods was another film Hemsworth made before being cast as Thor but was only released after Thor came out.
The horror-comedy from Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon was originally going to be released in early 2010. It was delayed initially so it could undergo 3D conversion, but then, like Red Dawn, MGM shelved it indefinitely. Lionsgate finally picked it up and released the film despite the negativity surrounding it. The movie became a cult hit with fans of the horror genre which it lovingly skewers.
8 Not Worth It: Jane Got A Gun (2015)
The Western Jane Got a Gun began as an intriguing project starring Natalie Portman as a woman protecting her husband against a violent outlaw game. The film was to be directed by Lynn Ramsay but during the first day of production, Ramsay left the project.
Gavin O’Conner was brought in to replace her while the film underwent a series of casting struggles with actors like Jude Law and Bradley Cooper dropping out. The film was halted again by studio bankruptcy. After beginning production in 2012 only to be released in 2015. It was a financial and critical failure with many lamenting the loss of Ramsay’s original version of a modern Western.
7 Worth It: Margaret (2011)
Before making the Oscar-winning film Manchester By the Sea, writer-director Kenneth Lonergan struggled to release his second film as a director. The film starred Anna Paquin as a young woman struggling with the aftermath of witnessing a deadly accident.
Margaret was filmed in 2005 but the post-production was beleaguered by lawsuits and disagreements. Despite Martin Scorsese hailing Lonergan’s original cut as a masterpiece, Fox Searchlight refused to release it until it was edited down. It eventually received a limited release in 2011 and ended up on many “best of the year” lists despite being underseen.
6 Not Worth It: All The Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006)
The horror film All the Boys Love Mandy Lane starred Amber Heard as an outcast who is invited by some classmates to spend a weekend at a secluded ranch where they are stalked by a mysterious killer.
The movie was completed in 2006 and began being shown at film festivals by the end of the year. Despite the excited buzz from festival screenings, the movie didn’t receive a theatrical release date due to studio bankruptcy. Half a decade later it was released on VOD and a limited run in theaters. But the initial buzz seemed to oversell the film which was dismissed as a forgettable horror film.
5 Worth It: Trick R Treat (2007)
Before anthology stories became so popular on television, Trick R Treat tried to use this platform to tell several Halloween horror stories. Each of the stories involves a small, costumed figure who punishes those who don’t conform to Halloween traditions.
The film received a lot of buzz from festival screenings, but just before its October 2007 release, it was pulled from the schedule seemingly due to lack of faith from the studio. After years of no news, the film was given a straight-to-video release where it was praised by fans and developed a cult following.
4 Not Worth It: Fanboys (2009)
The case of the comedy Fanboys is a strange one as early buzz for the project caused the delays and ended up derailing the project. The film was to follow a group of friends who attempt to break into Skywalker Ranch so their dying friend can watch Star Wars: Episode 1- The Phantom Menace.
After getting George Lucas’ approval, interest in the film grew. Additional filming was approved that the original budget wouldn’t allow. Then the studio began worrying the “dying friend” subplot might hurt box office performance and a new edit was created that leaned into the vulgar humor. After two years of delays, the movie received a small release and was dismissed as a lame comedy filled with fan-service jokes.
3 Worth It: Idiocracy (2006)
Mike Judge’s Idiocracy was a science-fiction comedy about a totally average guy (Luke Wilson) who is accidentally cryogenically frozen only to wake up in the year 3000 where he is the smartest man on the very dumb planet.
The satire was originally going to be released in 2005 but was delayed by the studio who seemed to be putting no effort into promoting the film. It is thought that they worried about offending certain demographics the film could be seen as insulting. When the movie was released in 2006 it became a cult sensation that remains a timely comedy to this day.
2 Not Worth It: New Mutants (2020)
It seems strange that a superhero movie would have such a hard time getting released, but New Mutants had a hilariously long road to theaters. The movie was meant to serve as a spinoff of Fox’s X-Men universe and follows a group of young mutants trapped in a secret facility.
The movie was originally said to be an R-rated horror film, then came news that the studio wanted to lighten it up and turn it into an action film. The constant reshoots to alter the tone were followed by scheduling conflicts, the Fox-Disney merger, and COVID-19. When it was finally released in August, most people felt the film’s journey to the big screen was more entertaining than the film itself.
1 Worth It: Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Three decades after the last Mad Max film was released, George Miller returned to the franchise for Mad Max: Fury Road. Tom Hardy stepped into the titular role with Charlize Theron joining him as the badass warrior Furiosa.
Miller’s ambitious vision made for a difficult shoot with various disagreements and frustrations. A storm even threatened to destroy the film at one point. When it was released in 2015, it became clear why it took so long. Miller had created an action movie masterpiece that has been called one of the best movies ever made.
Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Colin has had a long passion and obsession with movies going back to the first time he saw The Lion King in theaters. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard.
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