the best movies never made

[kaijudirector]

Cars 2 (2011)
The surprisingly darker and more mature sequel to Cars.

• No, it won’t be a spy movie, at least not in the mold of the OTL.
• It’s more of a racing corruption story ala the 2008 Speed Racer.
• Allinol is still part of the plot, but instead the Lemons use it to help fix the outcome of the races in their favor so they can make a profit.
• Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell aren’t spies, but racing investigators.
• Lightning McQueen and Mater are co-opted into helping the investigation after Lightning suffers a bad crash in the Tokyo race thanks to the bad Allinol. Mater saves Lightning and got into contact with Finn and Holley.
• The twist of Sir Axelrod being the mastermind is retained.
• ITTL, the movie will still make a profit but intial criticism will point out that the plot is probably too complex and dark by Pixar’s standards. However, later reappraisals will say that the darker plot and mature themes were actually a good call.

 

[LAHistorian15]

Clue (2025)

Directed By:

Rian Johnson​

​

Staring:

Major Roles:​

Owen Wilson as Inspector Edgar Brown​

Katy O’Brian as Sergeant Alexis Gray​

Scarlett Johansson as Miss Vivienne Scarlet​

David Harbour as Colonel Michael Mustard​

Michelle Yeoh as Doctor Diana White​

Oscar Isaac as Mayor John Green​

Tina Fey as Solicitor Patricia Peacock​

Mark Ruffalo as Professor Peter Plum​

Tom Hiddleston as Wadsworth the Butler​

Minor Roles:​

Johnny Depp as Mister Boden “Boddy” Black​

Margot Robbie as Yvette the Maid​

Octavia Spencer as The Cook​

Pedro Pascal as The Motorist​

Jeffrey Wright as The Cop​

Hailee Steinfeld as The Singing Telegram Girl​

Plot:
The film begins with the police arriving at Hill House Manor, the home of the recently murdered millionaire Mister Boden “Boddy” Black, who, along with the bodies of five other victims, are taken. The scene is cleared off from the public as the noteworthy Inspector Edgar Brown arrives on the scene and meets with the recently promoted Sergeant Alexis Gray. The two discuss the seven likely suspects, Miss Vivienne Scarlet, Colonel Michael Mustard, Doctor Diana White, Mayor John Green, Solicitor Patricia Peacock, Professor Peter Plum, and Wadsworth the Butler who were the only ones present at the manor the previous night during a dinner party. As they await the autopsy reports of the victims, they begin interviewing the suspects who all give accounts of their movements during the night who all give similar and differentiating accounts of several events that occurred during the party. The broad account is accepted as: the guests arrive, they eat dinner, they are taken to the lounge to discuss something important with Mister Boddy, Mister Boddy is murdered, and they search the manor for the murderer while they wait for the police to arrive in the morning as further shenanigans and murders ensue. The majority of the film is told through flashbacks with breaks between them as a new suspect is introduced, a new clue is found in the manor, a new murder weapon is discovered, etc. The film ends with Inspector Brown receiving the autopsy reports of the victims who proceeds to detail the true events of the evening and revealing the true identity of the murderer who is arrested in one of three crazy endings.

Conclusion:
The film would be a financial and critical success with one critic calling it, “Hilariously funny with a well thought out plot that keeps the audience on their toes until the final curtain call.” There would be rumors of a potential standalone sequel in the years following the film’s release which would follow a new, original cast of suspects, however, no official announcement has been made.

 

[Plateosaurus]

Die Hard Alone (1995)

• Directed by Renny Harlin

John McClane and Kevin McAllister cross paths when their respective families marry. However, at the hotel where they are staying, thieves with ties to the Wet Bandits come in, and both John and Kevin team up to thwart them.

Recieved mixed reviews, but often regarded as a pretty good conclusion for both characters.

 

[CaesarKhan]

Veni (2012)
Vidi (2014)
&
Vici (2016)​

Directed By:

Ridley Scott​

Starring:

Julius Caesar - Stephen Dillane​

Octavian - Daniel Radcliffe ​

Mark Antony - Robert Pattinson​

Pompey - Russell Crowe​

Crassus - Ralph Fiennes​

Cato - Hugh Laurie ​

Vercingetorix - Damian Lewis​

Cicero - David Thewlis​

Cassius - Marton Csokas​

Brutus - Michael Sheen​

​

Cleopatra - Gal Gadot ​

Julia - Anya Taylor-Joy ​

Cornelia - Sofia Vergara ​

Pompeia - Ana de Armas ​

Calpurnia - Natalie Portman​

Synopsis:

(Dillane, pictured in the scene where he is informed of Julia's death.)
​

A Historical-Epic trilogy recounting of the life of Julius Caesar, showing his rise and eventual fall. Ridley Scott directs with Stephen Dillane in the titular role, each film focusing on a different chapter in the characters life.

The first film, 'Veni', takes place roughly from 59-52 BC, focusing on the first triumvirate and the conquest of Gaul; Damian Lewis's Vercingetorix was the films primary antagonist. The second, 'Vidi', takes place roughly from 52-48 BC, focusing on the breakdown of the triumvirate and the early stages of the civil war, culminating in the death of Pompey, played by Russell Crowe. The final installment, 'Vici', takes place roughly from 48-44 BC, focusing on the end of the civil war and Caesar's eventual assassination. The films primary antagonist is Cato, switching to Brutus following the priors defeat.

The films are regarded as some of Scott's best work, a high bar given his catalogue, and went on to win countless awards in various areas.

Perhaps most notable is the grey morality portrayed in the films, showing Caesar as not a clear-cut hero and his enemies as villains, but instead each simply individuals with conflicting ideologies or goals. For example, many point to the films as the main reason for their support of the Roman republican cause, those having been the media that opened them up the intricacies of the situation.

 

[WotanArgead]

Метод Станиславского
(Stanislavski's Method, 2018)

Soviet comedy melodrama directed by Dmitry Dyachenko. The plot tells the story of Svetlana Koroleva, a young but talented theater actress who received one of the main roles in the upcoming film. Respected by the crew, she faces an obstacle in the form of her co-star Kairat (known as "Kai") Shukenov, a pop singer from Kazakhstan popular among young girls. If Sveta is modest and is used to completely focusing on her role, then Kai suffers from star fever. He is rude and arrogant with his colleagues, does not give his best on the set, and is ready to interrupt work at the slightest provocation. This behavior gets on her nerves, and as a result, the “on-screen lovers” often quarrel. The situation is aggravated by the fact that, as it turns out, Sveta Koroleva can sing, and the management plans to release a record with songs from the film, which angers Kai, who believes that Svetlana does not take his profession seriously. Gradually, however, their conflict develops into a romance between them.

The picture was watched by a total of more than 59 million viewers, and became the highest-grossing film of 2018. According to polls, the leading actors (Dinmukhammed Kudaibergenov and Yulia Peresild) were recognized as “Best Actor” and “Best Actress”. The film is interesting in that it largely focuses on the cliches of Korean television dramas (which became popular in the USSR during the 2010s), and also highlights the division between two acting traditions in the Union - the old guard of theater school graduates, and the new mass recruitment of actors from among the pop stars and rock musicians.

Dinmuhammed Kudaibergenov as Kairat "Kai" Shukenov

Yulia Peresild as Svetlana Koroleva

(showed a photo, because I don’t think they are particularly well known in the Anglosphere)