Movies that were meant to be released in theatres but instead went straight to video.

[bartholemue]

What are the movies you can think of that were actually planned to be released into a theatrical release but due to various circumstances were instead released straight to video?

[chans]

Ripley's Game

[fabfunk]

THE BOOGEYMAN, Sam Raimi's first GHOST HOUSE production, is slated for DTV. I imagine MAN-THING will join it soon.

[MovieMaven]

I thought Jack Black and Ben Stiller's "Envy" was supposed to be released theatrically, but then they talked about direct-to-video. I'm not sure which it ended up being.

How about movies that SHOULD have been direct-to-video....like The Fan (the second, not the first.)

[dissent]

Looks like Prozak Nation will be getting this sort of treatment. Other recents that I recall: Comic Book: The Movie, Run Ronnie Run.

Oddly enough, Ripley's Game was shown on TV before it was released on video. Don't see that happen much.

[chans]

Two Miramax movie--DARKNESS and MINDHUNTERS will go straight to video.

It is very sad that Fine Line dumps Ripley's Game. Many people, who has seen this movie, think that this movie deserves to be released in US theatres. (including Roger Ebert)

[Greg Clark]

I remember that Warner flirted with releasing Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker theatrically, but ditched it into the DTV bin when it was deemed "too violent".

[Ne1butme]

I vaguely recall Cube 2: Hypercube either going to dvd first, or playing on Sci-fi first. Not sure which happened. Either way, crappy movie. I wonder what is the best straight to video release?

[Zollicoffer]

2 Fast, 2 Furious was headed straight to the bargain bin...but the forces of evil had other plans......

[Crazy Jim]

That Carrot Top movie, "Chairman Of The Board" was supposed to be released in theatres then apparently one of the studio execs kicked his coke habit and came to his senses.

Did "Robocop 3" ever get released in theatres? I remember seeing previews for it and actually planning to go but it never opened anywhere.

[NathanW]

I remember the movie China O'Brien was supposed to be released in theatres but it bombed badly and went on to become a hit on video so much that it spawned a sequel.

[SPEEDRAZOR]

2 Fast, 2 Furious was headed straight to the bargain bin...but the forces of evil had other plans......

anything to back that up? seems odd that a movie by john singleton and with a fairly decent budget, and lots or car chases and special effects would get that type of treatment.

oh and to contribute to the topic, the crow: salvation turned out way cheaper looking than they expected.

[Zollicoffer]

anything to back that up? seems odd that a movie by john singleton and with a fairly decent budget, and lots or car chases and special effects would get that type of treatment.

oh and to contribute to the topic, the crow: salvation turned out way cheaper looking than they expected.

It was awhile back, I think at Yahoo!, but I just remember them saying it might go DTV because they didn't get Diesel in on it, let alone the rest of the cast except Walker.

But it did fairly well, so they made the right choice.

[Chest Rockwell]

Did "Robocop 3" ever get released in theatres? I remember seeing previews for it and actually planning to go but it never opened anywhere.

Unfortunately, yes. I wonder how long it lasted in theaters though...

[Andrew O.]

Speaking of animated batman, they almost released the Mr. Freeze "Sub-Zero" movie theatrically. Unfortunately they thought rather than promote Shumacher's "Batman and Robin," like it was supposed to, it might overshadow it. How right they were.

[chappers]

Also Eye See You, Shade and Highwaymen.

[Zollicoffer]

Highwaymen went to theaters,but in a really low number of them.

[turk128]

DRIVE with Mark Dacascos. Things fell apart with the script and production, budget got cut... ended up going straight to video. Too bad since the movie was the closest thing to HK action I've seen in U.S. (Warriors of Virtue (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120479/) doesn't count).

[SPEEDRAZOR]

DRIVE is awesome.

[DickDastardly]

I thought both drive and Shade were decent films and both deserved to be seen in theatres.

I'm not 100% sure this is correct but I remember when Van-Damme's Legionnaire came out on DVD the producer or director was talking about how they where going to release it on DVD first and then theatrically once it had generated buzz. It was supposed to be a whole new way to release movies. I may be talking out my ass but I'm pretty sure that's what I read.

[fabfunk]

The former record holder for most expensive film to end up going straight to video was the $35 mil. budgeted THEODORE REX, which starred Whoopi Goldberg as a cop partnered with a dinosaur in the future. I think that record has been re-established, but by what?

[muncie girl]

If the stories are true, Paul Schrader's unseen Exorcist prequel will be on video in a few months.

[Jason P. Thompson]

Unfortunately, yes. I wonder how long it lasted in theaters though...Enough for me to see it as a kid.

[Blessed Unholy]

Unfortunately, yes. I wonder how long it lasted in theaters though...


Yeah, I saw it when it came out in theatres. I saw it on a Friday, and when I went there the next day it was no longer showing. So just one day?

[Greg Clark]

I thought both drive and Shade were decent films and both deserved to be seen in theatres.

I'm not 100% sure this is correct but I remember when Van-Damme's Legionnaire came out on DVD the producer or director was talking about how they where going to release it on DVD first and then theatrically once it had generated buzz. It was supposed to be a whole new way to release movies. I may be talking out my ass but I'm pretty sure that's what I read.

Left Behind tried that method as well. Turns out it sold more videos in its first day than it made in its entire theatrical run.

[DickDastardly]

Yeah, there are some films that are just more geared toward a video release. I will rent any crap that Van Damme or Lundgren comes out with But I sure wouldn't shell out 9 bucks to see it in the theater.

[SPEEDRAZOR]

I'm not 100% sure this is correct but I remember when Van-Damme's Legionnaire came out on DVD the producer or director was talking about how they where going to release it on DVD first and then theatrically once it had generated buzz. It was supposed to be a whole new way to release movies. I may be talking out my ass but I'm pretty sure that's what I read.

yeah i heard that it didnt come out in theatres over there, i got to see it in theatres here though, was cool. definately higher than straight to video in quality.

[chans]

OT

Sony confirmed that BOOGEYMAN will still go to theaters on February 4, 2005.

[SmokeEater]

The former record holder for most expensive film to end up going straight to video was the $35 mil. budgeted THEODORE REX, which starred Whoopi Goldberg as a cop partnered with a dinosaur in the future. I think that record has been re-established, but by what?

Oh, I've got that beat. Solar Crisis. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100649) 1990 (Theodore Rex came out in 1995). $55 million. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100649/business)

[fabfunk]

Oh, I've got that beat. Solar Crisis. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100649) 1990 (Theodore Rex came out in 1995). $55 million. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100649/business)

I stand very corrected. Bravo.

[Stew]

"The Boondock Saints" was going to be a theatrical release until Columbine happened. Then the glorification of guns and vigilantism was deemed too much.

Al Pacino's "People I Know" was going to be released for a long time, but it ended up on the video shelves.

[chans]

"The Boondock Saints" was going to be a theatrical release until Columbine happened. Then the glorification of guns and vigilantism was deemed too much.

Al Pacino's "People I Know" was going to be released for a long time, but it ended up on the video shelves.


Both of two movies was released in cinema.

According to Variety:
When arthouse thriller "The Boondock Saints," co-starring Willem DafoeWillem Dafoe, was released in 1999 by indie distribdistrib Indican, pic grossed a paltry $31,000. Pic's estimated DVD/video sell-throughsell-through sales are close to $6 million.



"People I Know" grossed $126,793.

http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=peopleiknow.htm

[Chris Wood]

Boondock was released in theaters, but only momentarily, so for all intensive purposes it was direct to video. Eye See You was released to theaters abroad, but only on video here.

[YeLLoWsAmUeL]

Ecks vs Server and Mortal Kombat: Anhilation went straight to video over here in UKland, but since they had a theatrical run in the US I'm not sure they count.

[Ade Brooks]

I remember Soldier being the most expensive DTV release in the UK, but I have no idea what the budget was for that.

[Stormin]

Did Levity with Morgan Freeman and Billy Bob ever make it to theatres?

[Anderson]

I went to a sneak preview of Levity, but I'm not sure if it ever hit theatres. Kirsten Dunst was it in, right? Homeless people drama thing?

[chans]

Levity was released in theatres.