In the world of independent filmmaking, not every project makes it all the way from the script to the screen and everyone involved in the business, on either side of the camera, is well aware of that. Often, the reason independently produced films get shelved is because of a lack of funding. Other reasons include contract disputes, inability to secure shoot locations or permissions from copyright holders, or, more rarely, an untimely death. Sometimes things get downright ugly. Contracts get voided, business ties get severed, lawsuits are brought, friendships ended, and of course, people don’t get paid for their work. A lot of times you can read all about it on social media. Sometimes you can even get both sides of the story. Of course, the pandemic put many projects on hold. Some picked up right where they left off once it was possible, some never did.
Even though title of this article is “Indie Films that Never Were,” never say never. Some film projects are put on the shelf for years, only to be revived. However, the following are a select few examples of films of various genres, that probably will never be revived. They all received a fair share of hype shortly after they were announced, but just never ended up happening (to the disappointment of some, and to the relief of others).
If you know of or were involved in an indie film project that was shelved, for whatever reason, and have something tangible to share of it (trailer, photos, poster, etc.) please feel free to drop a comment below or send us an e-mail and we’d be happy to consider it for inclusion in a future article on this topic.
Above is the teaser for Safe Place featuring Ashley Mary Nunes giving an intense performance that indicated the film probably would have been worthy of accolades had it panned out. See further on in this article for details on why the above trailer is probably all you will ever see of Safe Place.
Title: Gray State
Genre: Action drama
Production Company: Hot Head Productions
Production Began: 2012
Production halted: 2014
Actress cast: Kelly Barry-Miller
Actresses who shot scenes: Kelly Barry-Miller
Notes: Not to be confused with A Gray State (2017), which is a documentary on the making of this film and the tragic deaths of the film’s director David Crowley, his wife, and 5-year old daughter. Their bodies were found in their Apple Valley home in January 2015, but it was ruled that they had been dead since late December, right around Christmas. The police ruled that Crowley shot and killed his wife and child and then turned the gun on himself, but there has been speculation and theories that it was not a simple case of a man who suddenly just “snapped,” shot and killed his family and then turned the gun on himself. Alec Wilkinson’s article in The New Yorker takes an in depth look at the case.
Title: Nudist Camp Zombie Massacre
Genre: Adult comedy
Production Company: MMJ Video Productions
Production Began: 2006
Production permanently halted: 2015
Actress cast: Amelia Naomi, Christine Burton, Lil Rhee, Norma Stiltz
Actresses who shot scenes: Amelia Naomi, Lil Rhee, Norma Stiltz
Notes: This T&A comedy-horror film had many delays, but it was the 2015 death of director Tim Davis that permanently pulled the plug on this one. As of this writing, there is still a trailer and some production stills floating around the net, including some of a very naked Ameila Naomi and (surprisingly) Lil Rhee in roles they probably now would rather forget in a film they probably hope will remain shelved.
Title: Miranda Garcia Meets Frankenstein
Genre: Adult Comedy
Production company: Gooey Films
Production began: 2013
Production halted: Circa 2015
Actress cast: Miranda Garcia
Actresses who shot scenes: Miranda Garcia
Notes: According to the film’s screenwriter, Rock Baker:
The film never made it beyond a rough cut. We’d used a song for the film which we thought was in the public domain. When we discovered it was still under copyright, we tried to find a way around it, but it was key to a major scene. I have a friend who recorded a replacement music track for me, but I was unable to get a singer to record new lyrics. The project dragged on and on, and eventually Mr. Kennedy decided it was best to just cut our losses and abandon the picture. Not that it mattered, really, as he’d moved on to a fruitful career in the meantime. So far as I know, I own the last copy of the rough cut in existence. Out of respect to Josh, I can’t do anything with it either. Eventually, I’d like to re-shoot the picture myself with a new cast.
Title: Sorority Slumber Party Slaughter
Genre: Horror
Production company: Twitchy Dolphin Flix
Production began: 2014
Production halted: 2017
Actress cast: Margaret Ann Garza (passed away May 2017), Alexandra Bates, Vicki Illk, Tracey Ely, Brittany Flurry, Andrea Dettling
Actresses who shot scenes: All, including Margaret Ann Garza
Notes: All scenes were reported to have been shot, but there were issues in post-production that caused this to be shelved. Perhaps the May 2017 untimely passing of Margaret Ann Garza, who was one of the featured actresses, permanently put a halt to this film’s production progress.
Title: The Jaakhin
Genre: Horror
Production company: Greenway Entertainment
Production began: Development formally began in 2013, with pre-production beginning later in 2014.
Production halted: Never formally announced, though updates for Indiegogo backers were posted until 2017; the same year that rumors of a sequel to be filmed consecutively began circulating. (Click here for a look at the concept poster)
Actresses cast: Brigitte Millar, Alice Maguire (rumored)
Actresses who shot scenes: Brigitte Millar, Alice Maguire (Crowdsourcing trailer only)
Title: Like a Shadow
Genre: Horror
Production company: MSR Studios Inc.
Production began: 2018
Production halted: 2018
Actresses cast: Lynn Lowry, Donna Hamblin, Liane Langford, Daiane Azura, Geovonna Casanova
Actresses who shot scenes: None
Notes: This one seemed to get scrapped shortly after it was announced. According to a source connected to the film, it was due to “too much unnecessary drama,” so “everyone dropped out, even the producer/director.” According to another source involved with the project, the film was readapted, some cast changes were made, and it was renamed, The Dark Lullaby. However, there hasn’t been any word publicly on the status of The Dark Lullaby, so it may be another candidate for inclusion in this very article. A sad footnote here is that one of the actresses slated to star in this film, Liane Langford, passed away in July of 2020.
Title: Safe Place
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Production company: Black Heart Pictures
Production began: 2018
Production halted: 2018
Actresses cast: Ashley Mary Nunes (only one who shot a scene), Genoveva Rossi, Lara Jean Mummert, Jordan Phipps, Yvelisse Cedrez, Alyss Winkler, Kinsey Krutzler, Gabrielle Henry, Devon Hunter, Kat Kemmit (cast, but quit before film was shelved)
Actresses who shot scenes: Ashley Mary Nunes (Trailer only)
Notes: The fundraising campaign for the film was closed after only reaching a little over 10% of its goal. Despite the upbeat and and reassuring claims from one of the film’s producers, John Lepper aka Johnny Macabre (posted on September 15, 2017, which was the last update he or anyone connected with the film posted at the fundraising page) stating that the film’s budget was “taken care of” and Safe Place was “definitely happening,” it still hasn’t happened after nearly six years and probably never will. Also, the film’s Facebook page has long since been removed and the comments on Mr. Lepper’s video, both at the fundraising page and at Youtube, have not been kind.
Title: Something’s Escaped the Woods
Genre: Horror
Production company: Fanboy Productions
Production began: 2018
Production halted: 2019
Actresses cast: Helena Jordan, Kristyn Shelley-Olson, Rose Marie Machario, Janelle Jones, Gabrielle Wedderburn, Debrah Walters, Kasey Wiliford, Michelle West, Christine Atchley, Ashley Sharp (from the original film)
Actresses who shot scenes: Helena Jordan, Kristyn Shelley-Olson, Christine Atchley
Notes: After gaining popularity during a grassroots traveling campaign in 2016 that saw the filmmakers screening the schlocky, no budget, melon-bashing fever dream that is Something’s in the Woods at conventions and indie movie houses throughout the Southeast, a sequel was announced that would take the budding franchise into an entirely new, “Lynchspoloitative” direction. The project made it all the way to post-production, where it’s ultimately stayed since 2019.
Title: Remember
Genre: Horror/Supernatural
Production company: Corpening Media
Production began: 2022
Production halted: 2022
Actresses cast: April Consalo, Gracie Davis, Sarah J. Butler, Tiara Elyse Watkins, Nicolette Acosta, Carlee Soeder
Actresses who shot scenes: April Consalo, Gracie Davis, Sarah J. Butler, Tiara Elyse Watkins, Nicolette Acosta, Carlee Soeder
Notes: The newest project on our list, Remember, tells a supernatural tale heavy on sentiment and scares. Set for an eighteen-day shoot in the summer of 2022, it was to be director Jeff Corpening’s first feature film. Despite adhering to safety guidelines set in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, a round of positive tests brought principal photography to a screeching halt after only five days. A short reel of footage from the initial shoot was released shortly afterwards (above).
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About the author
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Chris flirted with the music business there and in Nashville before joining the U.S. Army and serving in South Korea. He remained in Asia for several years afterwards, teaching English, traveling, and covering the regional entertainment scenes. Currently in a mindset between Seoul and San Francisco, besides Idol Features, you can also catch his writings in the print edition of the monthly magazine, Effective.
Ashton Helton is an independent filmmaker, content producer, and performance artist from Western North Carolina. Balancing somewhere between psychotic and iconic, she most enjoys collaborating on horror features and projects with surreal or psychedelic themes. She is dedicated to "dangerous entertainment” and stresses the importance of creating content that is subversive, challenging, and unique.
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