The Unmade Films of Sylvester Stallone: What follows is a list of movies that Sly was attached to [or turned down]. As you look over the list, I’m sure you’ll find some movies that you’d wish Sly had made and some that you’ll be glad he didn’t.
Enjoy!
- “Bartholomew vs Neff” Sly and John Candy were to play feuding neighbors.
- “Beverly Hills Cop” Sly was the original choice to play Axel Foley. He wanted a more serious action picture, but the producers wanted to go with a comedy. They parted ways. Sly went on to make “Cobra” and the producers brought in Eddie Murphy.
- “Bodyguard, The” Not the Kevin Costner vehicle, but an unproduced screenplay written by Sly written in the mid 70s: a bodyguard hired to protect a millionaire’s wife and child goes on a hunt for the killers after they succeed in their mission.
- “Bogus Kingdom, The” Unproduced screenplay written by Sly in the early 70s: A group of down-and-out performers kidnap several high-ranking movie execs and using their make-up and acting skills take over the company. [I love that title! – Craig]
- “Cobra II” Before its release it was thought that Cobra would be Sly’s third movie franchise.
- “Coming Home” Sly was the first choice to play the role that went to Jon Voight.
- “Cotton Club, The” Sly was the first choice to play the role that went to Richard Gere.
- “Cry Full, Whisper Empty, in the Same Breath” Unproduced Sly screenplay from the mid 70s.
- “Deadly Reckoning” This was to be a sci-fi movie that took place in a domed city.
- “Demolition Man 2” Several ideas were discussed including having Meryl Streep play John Spartan’s daughter. Sadly nothing ever developed.
- “Dolan’s Cadillac” – Sly would have played “…the ultimate heavy, the kingpin of Las Vegas organized crime and the guy who runs the Mandarin Casino, which rises high over the strip.” Kevin Bacon was set to co-star as the teacher who gets revenge on the mobster from a Stephen King script.
- “The Driver” – Sly was in talks to play the lead, but turned it down.
- “The Executioner” At one point it looked as if Sly would star as Don Pendelton’s character with William Friedkin directing.
- “Fatalis” Fatalis was written specifically for Sly by Jeff Rovin [who had previously written a bio of Sly] and was to be made at Universal. Saber-tooth tigers attack Los Angeles!
- “Father Lefty” Unsold tv series created by Sly and to star Danny Nucci
- “Frequency” Sly turned down the lead which Dennis Quaid ended up taking.
- “Gale Force” Sly was scheduled to re-team with director Renny Harlin for another big budget action adventure that took place during a hurricane.
- “Gangster” It looked as if Sly would star from a screenplay by Paul Aulattanesio and to be directed by William Friedkin. [The advance word on the screenplay was excellent. – Craig]
- “Gangster, the Cop, the Devil, The” Sly was to team with Don Lee in an American remake of the South Korean thriller. In the film, a gangster survives a lethal attack by a serial killer. He forms an unlikely partnership with a cop to help track down the murderer.
- “Godfather Part III” Sly was being courted by Paramount to star and direct and John Travolta would co-star.
- “High Roller” Described as “Die Hard” in a casino. Sly would play an ex-hitman in a casino when gangsters take it over. Script by J.F. Lawton who wrote “Under Siege”.
- “Hunter” Sly would have played the lead. Based on the novel by James Byron Huggins. Huggins wrote the novel specifically with Stallone in mind. The story idea was even considered to be adapted for a Rambo film. Sadly Hunter never materialized.
- “Inglorious Bastards” Quentin Tarantino’s long talked about war movie a la “The Dirty Dozen.” Widely reported that Tarantino had a role for Sly. [Tarantino also reportedly had roles for Schwarzenegger, Willis, Adam Sandler, and Eddie Murphy!]
- “Isobar” Sly would have found himself pitted against a genetic mutation on a supersonic train.
- “Little America” In an apocalyptic future, Sly would have played an ex-Army Ranger hired by an Asian billionaire to find his daughter.
- “Maggie’s Eyes” Unproduced screenplay written by Sly: the story of a criminal who falls in love with a blind woman.
- “Negotiator, The” Sly turned down the lead.
- “No Rest for the Wicked” This would have been a remake of an award-winning film made in Spain. Sly would have played “burned-out cop Santos Trinidad who visits a lonely nightclub for a last drink. After a seemingly trivial incident with the owner, he ends up shooting him, his bodyguard and a waitress in a fit of rage. Only one witness escapes with his life. Santos destroys all evidence linking him to the shooting and tries to track down the witness. In the process, he uncovers an Islamist cell planning a terrorist attack.”
- “No Safe Haven” Sly would have played a disgraced ex-marine visiting his mother on Martha’s Vineyard. A militia takes control of the island in an effort to kidnap the President. To complicate matters a hurricane rages.
- “Notorius” Sly wrote and planned to star in a docudrama about the murder of rapper “Biggie” Smalls. Sly would play an cop investigating the murder.
- “Pals” Unproduced screenplay by Sly: described as a younger version of “The Odd Couple.”
- “Poe” Unproduced screenplay, again written by Sly in the early 70s: Sly’s long discussed dream project – a biography (of sorts) of Edgar Allan Poe!
- “Romancing the Stone” Sly has said that he turned down the lead [that went to Michael Douglas] to instead do “Rhinestone.”
- “Sad Blues” Unproduced screenplay written by Sly in the early 70’s: a tragic love story about a pop singer with a life-threatening condition that requires that he eat bananas every day…
- “Scarpa” Sly would have played gangster Greg Scarpa after filming of LAST BLOOD RAMBO…
- “Sinsilver” Unproduced screenplay by Sly: Hasidic Jews in the wild west.
- “Superman” Sly was considered for the role of Superman.
- “Till Young Men Exit” Unproduced screenplay written by Sly in the early 70’s: A group of frustrated actors kidnap a Broadway producer. [A great title! – Craig]
- “Trio” Fictional movie within “Burn, Hollywood, Burn” starring Sly, Whoopie Goldberg and Jackie Chan.
- “X vs. Sever” In August of 2000 reports surfaced that Sly may team up with Vin Diesel for this Warner Bros. project which follows an “older government agent pursued by a bounty hunter. [It was eventually made with Antonio Banderas and Lucy Lu]
- “Yellow Handkerchief” Sly was set to star in a love story that was the basis of the Tony Orlando & Dawn song, “Tie a Yellow Ribbon”.