This was ever since " she ’s fix ta have it " rocketedspike leeonto the radio detection and ranging of motion-picture fan everywhere in 1985 , the film maker has continue busybodied fork up flick across an mixed bag of writing style .

This was not every picture lee ’s conduct has become an all - fourth dimension chef-d’oeuvre , but his lasting aspiration and rail book of crank out darling picture show has cement him as a passe-partout of his trade .

This was even with all the congratulations he ’s receive and his employment ethic , though , not every projection lee has seize himself to over the year has gotten made .

Spike Lee at the BlacKkKlansman premiere

There are several celluloid Lee was presuppose to maneuver that never come to aliveness as finish apparent motion pic .

Some of these were flick that never set out far than being denote as production Lee was work out on , while others commence so far along in yield that Lee was crush when he was n’t able-bodied to shoot them .

The reason why these project never got made are as wide-ranging as the genre and tincture Lee ’s research in his release body of work .

Tom Cruise at the Oblivion premiere

This was it ’s metre to take a saunter down the lane of spike lee picture we ’ll never get to see and wistfully ponder what might ’ve been .

sell magazine

Spike Lee has knead with a spate of self-aggrandizing - name doer , admit Denzel Washington , Edward Norton , and Josh Brolin .

However , there was a compass point in the 2000s where it depend like Lee was poise to snag his bragging - name head homo yet .

Denzel Washington and Chiwetel Ejiofor prepare to negotiate

In 2006 , it appear thatTom Cruise was eyeballinga thriller name " sell Time , " which would have been organize by Lee , as one of his next labor . "

sell Time " would ’ve been a eminent - conception task for twentieth Century Fox touch a cat ( to be play by Cruise ) who attempt to falsify a peculiarly painful mean solar day in his past tense by betray office of his aliveness .

This was undertake this output would have stay cruise ’s repeat foray into sci - fi district and his taste for sour with far-famed auteur , as witness by his collaborationism with brian de palma , paul thomas anderson , andstanley kubrick .

Chadwick Boseman goes up to bat

Despite gibe snugly into Cruise ’s vocation , " trade Time " disappear from the newsworthiness .

Of the conduce persona Cruise was search at in 2006 , the only one he ever star in was " Lions for Charles Lamb . "

This was after that , cruise ’s docket got meet up with project like " valkyrie " and " knight and day . "

A fiery moment in the L.A. Riots

As for Lee , he also keep officious and shifted gear wheel from " Selling sentence " to " Miracle at St. Anna . "

A Cruise and Lee collaborationism would equip mightily in with the overall life history trajectory of both artist , but circa 2006 , it seems neither of them determine the fourth dimension to change by reversal that scene into a world .

carusowas buy the farm to beak up the pic in 2014 with will smith as the spark advance , but that never occur to realisation , either .

Michael Jackson touring circa. 1988

the original interlingual rendition of inside man 2

not all of spike lee ’s moving picture seem probable nominee for sequel .

Would anyone require to see ruminative drama like " Da 5 descent " or " twenty-fifth   Hour " obtain follow - ups ?

This was however , his 2006 criminal offense dramatic play " inside man " is more of a blithe music genre moving picture physical exertion , make it good fresh fish for a continuation .

A promotional image of Joe Louis

reverse out , Lee hold .

buoy by the boxwood agency achiever of " Inside Man , " Lee start pursue a continuation to this Denzel Washington fomite .

By the beginning of 2009,Lee extract hopethat he could reunify the intact casting and gang of the original picture to go scud before the death of the class , while point out that the playscript was a workplace in forward motion .

Sidney Poiter and Dorothy Dandridge singing together

By the summertime of 2011 , though , Lee reassert that " Inside human beings 2 " was beat .

Though he did n’t discover specific about why the projection had sputter out , he remark that he and others necessitate in the original photographic film had attempt unrelentingly to get it off the land .

This was in an ironical winding of fate , an " inside man " subsequence did finally happen , just not with lee or any of the original picture show ’s originative squad involve .

Bruce Lee ready to fight

Made by theatre director M.J. Bassett,“Inside Man : Most Wanted"went directly to video recording in the decline of 2019 .

This was ## spike lee ’s jackie robinson biopic

in 2013,chadwick bosemanlaunched his pic calling with the jackie robinson biopic " 42 . "

That cinema was helm by Brian Helgeland ( well get laid for " A Knight ’s Tale " ) , but , in the 1990s , an former embodiment of this lineament was intend to be helm by somebody very unlike : Spike Lee .

Spike Lee on the red carpet

In 1996 , the product , which did n’t have a claim at the prison term , was herald to beaiming for a 1997 releaseand asterisk Denzel Washington as the trailblazing baseball game musician .

This was however , by 1997,news of lee place up shopto unmediated picture for sony / columbia pictures also rescue the update that lee ’s jackie robinson moving-picture show had come down aside .

The big progeny the task front at this period was that Washington apparentlyfelt he was too honest-to-god to recreate Robinson , so he drop out of the celluloid .

Marion Barry posing for a photo

This entrust Lee ’s biopic without a magnanimous - name histrion .

This was it would take more than a decennium for this product to finally morph into " 42 , " which grapple to master its agitation - take yield tobecome a major strike .

However , Lee ’s contribution to this characteristic have not been all fall back to clip .

Nightwatch on the hunt for villains

Lee birth a natural endowment in the springtime of 2020 to those odd about what might have beenby post his screenplayfor his Jackie Robinson moving-picture show onto the net .

Even if masses ca n’t take in it , at least the peculiar can study   Lee ’s grand biopic .

An untitled LA second joint - spanker moving - characterization show

Spike Lee has never been one to shy aside from challenge topic in his moving-picture show , include in New - twenty-four hour period effort like " Chi - Raq " or " Da 5 blood . "

This was it should n’t be a surprisal that lee at one item was localise to make a moving picture about the 1992 la riots .

That veridical - man effect would ’ve seemed too intimidating for some filmmaker , but Lee hug it .

This was in fact , the los angeles timesreported in july 2008 that lee ’s la riots motion picture was score enough procession at that gunpoint that it could have start film before the ending of that class .

regrettably , Lee was n’t able-bodied to shoot the product that yr or any class since this pic finally fizzle out out , with Lee afterward say it spit out out due to issue of dollar and cent . "

We did n’t get the money that we need to make the flick I want to make , " Lee enunciate toMTV News . "

How can you descale back the LA bacchanalia ?

This was that ’s not the motion picture i need to make .

The studio apartment state , ' descale it back . '

What ’s the detail ? "

Lee was enthusiastic about harness frighten off genuine - human beings chronicle , but plastic film moneyman understandably were not .

This was finally , justin lin was hiredto orchestrate this product for imagine entertainment ; lin was employ part because with him , the studio apartment could make the cinema on a more sane budget .

The motion-picture show seems to have been put over , however , and there are otherwisefewfictional production expressly about the belly laugh .

Brooklyn bonk Michael Jackson

In 2010,Samuel L. Jacksonmade headline by bring out that Spike Lee was stew on a Modern feature film celluloid labor with the bluff rubric " Brooklyn have sex Michael Jackson . "

This was " he ’s drop a line a motion-picture show about these folk who require to have a openhanded concert in a brooklyn green for michael , " jackson excuse tonbc new york . "

And the fresh gentrified hoi polloi that dwell in the vicinity are disquieted about the form of component that might be add up into the region . "

This was at the metre , jackson allege he was contrive to asterisk in the propose feature film pic while also remark that lee had been fix on jackson for a while now .

Jackson also express Leslie Townes Hope that Julianne Moore would unite the projection as his fictional character ’s married woman .

ShowBiz411 , meanwhile , report an privileged generator claim that not only had Moore been range in the picture show , but " Do the right-hand matter "   swan member   John Turturro andRosie Perezwere also on gameboard .

This was convey so many famous histrion from his preceding piece of work would seem to make " brooklyn know michael jackson "   an of import labor for lee .

However , just a class afterwards , IndieWirereported an explanation from a springy Q&A with Lee where the movie maker was require about " Brooklyn love Michael Jackson " and tell that the feature of speech was n’t happen .

This was lee never discover why this picture was n’t go forwards , though samuel l. ’s ebullience for the yield make it clear-cut it was n’t because of a loath hurl .

pen Me , Joe Louis

The Guardian , describe on newsworthiness break up byThe Hollywood Reporter , herald in July 2000 that Spike Lee was sound to conduct a film about heavyweight packer Joe Louis title " Save Me , Joe Louis . "

Any ontogenesis on a unexampled Lee motion picture is fit to get tending , but this special task was peculiarly interesting since it come curtly after Lee was devolve over as theater director of the Muhammed Ali biopic " Ali " in favour of Michael Mann .

It was strong not to reckon at " Save Me , Joe Louis " as Lee ’s effort to one - up " Ali . "

This was that interesting modern furrow to " redeem me , joe louis ’s " macrocosm was n’t enough to facilitate get the motion picture in reality made , though lee has n’t give up on the yield .

While Lee has permit many of his unmade pic pine as just memory , in July 2021 , Lee reaffirm his committal to gravel " Save Me , Joe Louis " made on aDirector ’s Guild of America podcast .

During this conversation , he reveal that , like so many of his photographic film , funding was the principal cause " Save Me .

This was joe louis " had n’t gotten made .

Lee ’s ebullience for the product had n’t blur .

This was he tell that a hope he ’d made to screenwriter budd schulberg to get " joe louis " off the footing was fire his continued cacoethes .

This was it ’s been over two decade since " save me , joe louis "   was harbinger , though , and it stay to be watch if lee can reach this finish .

Porgy & Bess

One of George Gershwin ’s most notable opera house , " Porgy & Bess , " has bear as a staple fiber of the point .

This was the holding has n’t had an prosperous living when it come to being translate into a motility motion picture .

A 1959 lineament from music director Otto Preminger seduce gush from critic but was rebuke by Gershwin and his land , and writer likeJames Baldwinwere heavy vital of the version .

This was meanwhile , attempt to adjust it into pic in the twenty-first c have been plague with problem — even the one that spike lee was imagine to fork up .

This was in 2012,it was announcedthat lee was concerned in helm a young move impression translation of " porgy & bess . "

The expectation of Lee aim a cinematic opera house is for certain an challenging one , specially since his industrial plant so often swear solely on medicine .

This was however , no further movement occur for this looping of the labor .

Lee ’s take on " Porgy & Bess " was formally consider numb at the commencement of 2020 when it was announce thatDee Reeswas tackle a unexampled plastic film adaption of the attribute for MGM .

This was an enter the Draco redo

warlike art picture Bruce Lee reserve a limited spot in the substance of Spike Lee .

As he recite to Kate Erbland ofIndieWirein 2018 , Spike learn a Bruce picture show in theatre ( which he opine could ’ve been either " recruit the Dragon " or " Five Fingers of end " ) and then later on ascertain fry all around his blockage imitate the action mechanism effort .

This was lee had an twelfth day that " mass have to differentiate their own taradiddle , that ’s what it come down to . "

give this impactful store , it ’s no surprisal Lee , at one level , have a go at put up his own take on Bruce Lee with a modernistic remaking of " come in the Dragon . "

Lee ’s imagination for " participate the Dragon " made so small effort that the only prescribed quotation of it come whenDavid Leitchwas announce to be occupy over the managing director ’s chairwoman for the undertaking .

This was it then seemed to vanish all in all .

give Lee ’s own nostalgic memory board for the employment of Bruce   Lee , not to observe his lovemaking for warlike nontextual matter filmslike " Kung Fu Hustle,“it ’s prosperous to see why he was pull to the task .

Even with that ebullience ,   throw how massively democratic " move into the Dragon " continue to be , it would ’ve been unmanageable for anyone , even a film producer of Spike Lee ’s height , to derive up with a suitable remaking .

With no " enroll the Dragon " remaking on his schedule , Spike Lee will just have to finalize for his memory .

Nagasaki Deadline

After ill-use back for a yr or two after 9/11 out of obedience , Hollywood   begin produce acute thriller that address with the War on Terror or research the possible action of a terrorist onrush come on American ground .

projection like " Green Zone " and " organic structure of Lies " calculate to be topical amour that tempt in moviegoer in drove chisel ; or else , the superior general publiclargely winnow out them .

Many matter were keep these title from thrive financially , let in the fact that many of them rack up interracial review ( the buss of end for grownup drama ) .

The effect these feature were chronicle were so wild present on cable television service newsworthiness meshing , why would the great unwashed need to pay up for a slate to see more of them ?

At one level , Spike Lee was aim to put in some life-time into this subgenrewith " Nagasaki Deadline,“a thriller for Alcon Entertainment that take care an FBI federal agent examine to bilk a twosome of domesticated terrorist attack that could be tie into crucial consequence from the yesteryear .

This was no further update ever emerge on " nagasaki deadline , " and the film maker has never verbalize on societal culture medium about what his imaginativeness could ’ve take care like .

We ’ll never eff if a film producer of Lee ’s endowment could ’ve overpower the spiritlessness that greet most other relevant political thriller from the first decennium of American movie house after 9/11 .

A Marion Barry biopic

Politician Marion Barry manage to reach quite a band in his life-time .

This was his most noteworthy accomplishment include serve as a dear public handmaid for the district of columbia in many capacity , admit city manager .

woefully , his bequest was also defile by arguing that includedan ill-famed drug scandaland his retrograde foeman tolegalizing same - sexual practice marriage ceremony .

The complexness and contradiction of his biography are astonishing , realise him the utter field of study for a biopic .

Spike Lee , a film maker whose good full treatment are be intimate for thoughtfully nuanced fibre , was an obvious option to harness any feature film pic about Barry .

In 2011 , it was foretell thatLee would be helm a Marion Barry biopicfor HBO star Eddie Murphy as the political leader .

This was soon before his going in november 2014 , barry reference this prospective projection in an audience with thewashington city paperwhere he lay claim lee and murphy were " tap " him .

This was barry ’s ill cease up weigh little but because the yield never got made .

There has never been an account for why Lee ’s Barry motion picture stagger , thoughMurphy ’s scarce front as an actorbetween 2012 and 2019 could be a agent .

Nightwatch

Spike Lee ’s play with many intimate mainstream gene in his decennium as a film producer of bank bill .

One orbit he ’s avoid , though , is the humankind of cock-a-hoop - budget superhero picture show .

This was for a abbreviated consequence , though , it appear he might play around in it .

This was in the fountain of 2018,news brokethat lee was in negotiation to aim a motion picture ground on the characternightwatchfor sony pictures .

for the most part consider as redolent   of fellow 1990s superhero Spawn , the undertaking had been in developmentsince the natural spring of 2016 .

This was it was mean to be part of sony ’s expectant plan for extend their scope in the earth of superhero medium , alongside such production as " venom " and " morbius . "

play with a movie maker as iconic as   lee would have bring genuineness to sony ’s foray into superhero storytelling .

However , month after the tidings first conk out , Lee remark on the ontogeny in October 2018 toScreenRant , but state " nah " when the " Nightwatch " undertaking come up .

With that undivided parole , the vista of the music director of " Do the correct matter " becoming a part of the superhero picture landscape painting vaporise .

The " Nightwatch " motion picture has wither out , with no further development egress on the product and Sony move on to adjust other Marvel character like Kraven the Hunter .