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#REDIRECT [[Michael Cimino#Other projects]] {{R from merge}} {{R to section}}
[[File:MichaelCimino2003.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Cimino in 2003]]
The following is a '''list of unproduced Michael Cimino projects''' in roughly chronological order. During his long career, American film director [[Michael Cimino]] has worked on a number of projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction. Some of these productions fell in [[development hell]] or were cancelled.

==1970s==
=== ''Conquering Horse'' ===
''[[The New York Times]]'' reported in 1970 that Cimino was going to direct a [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]]-related drama film that summer titled ''Conquering Horse''<ref>{{cite news|last=Weiler|first=A.H.|title=A‐Jive in Denmark|date=22 February 1970|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/02/22/archives/ajive-in-denmark-danish-jive.html|accessdate=1 August 2019|quote=“Conquering Horse,” an Indian drama to be directed this summer by 27‐year‐old Mike Cimino}}</ref> but it never came to fruition. The film would have been based on [[Frederick Manfred]]'s [[Conquering Horse|novel of the same name]].<ref name=whitney>{{cite web|last=Whitney|first=Stu|title=Whitney: How 'Revenant' left Frederick Manfred behind|date=12 December 2015|publisher=[[Argus Leader]]|url=https://www.argusleader.com/story/stu-whitney/2015/12/12/reverant-movie-frederick-manfred-lord-grizzly-hollywood/77157066/|quote=There was talk of "Deer Hunter" director Michael Cimino bringing "Conquering Horse" to the big screen, but the epic failure of Cimino's "Heaven's Gate," one of the biggest flops of all time, rendered that project implausible.}}</ref> It has been said that the infamous box office failure of ''[[Heaven's Gate (film)|Heaven's Gate]]'' (1980) prevented further attempts for Cimino to adapt ''Conquering Horse.''<ref name=whitney/>

=== ''The Fountainhead'' ===
In the mid-1970s, Cimino attempted to make a film adaptation of [[Ayn Rand]]'s novel ''[[The Fountainhead]]'', with [[Clint Eastwood]] slated to star.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Mueller|first=Matt|title=Michael Cimino tells Locarno audience "I'll never stop"|date=11 August 2015|magazine=[[Screen Daily]]|url=https://www.screendaily.com/locarno/michael-cimino-tells-locarno-audience-ill-never-stop/5091507.article|accessdate=26 July 2019|quote=There were several question about an adaptation of ''The Fountainhead'', which Cimino had planned to make in the mid-1970s starring Clint Eastwood, which never came to fruition, and the director was only too happy to address them – as he did most questions – with long, rambling answers.}}</ref> Eastwood was to have portrayed Howard Roark.<ref>{{cite web|last=McWeeny|first=Drew|title=Michael Cimino, best remembered for 'Heaven's Gate,' is gone|date=3 July 2016|publisher=[[Uproxx]]|url=https://uproxx.com/hitfix/michael-cimino-best-remembered-for-heavens-gate-is-gone/|accessdate=31 July 2019|quote=...''The Fountainhead'' with Clint Eastwood playing Howard Roark...}}</ref> According to Cimino, he and [[United Artists]] had an agreement to adapt the film.<ref name=gallagher/>

===Frank Costello biopic===
Around the same time as ''Fountainhead'', Cimino attempted to make a biopic about the life of [[Frank Costello]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Sobczynski|first=Peter|title=WHAT ONE LOVES ABOUT LIFE ARE THE THINGS THAT FADE: MICHAEL CIMINO 1939-2016|date=2 July 2016|publisher=[[RogerEbert.com]]|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/balder-and-dash/what-one-loves-about-life-are-the-things-that-fade-michael-cimino-1939-2016|accessdate=31 July 2019|quote=...including unproduced biopics on Frank Costello and Legs Diamond...}}</ref> He co-wrote the script of the biopic with [[James Toback]].<ref name=gallagher/> [[Robert De Niro]] reportedly signed on for the role of Costello in the 1980s.<ref name=levy>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=givaCwAAQBAJ&q=michael+cimino+proud+dreamer&pg=PA347|last=Levy|first=Shawn|title=De Niro: A Life|year=2015|publisher=Crown/Archetype|isbn=9780307716798}}page 347</ref> The film was to have been titled either ''Proud Dreamer''<ref name=levy/> or ''The Life and Dreams of Frank Costello'' as claimed by Cimino.<ref name=gallagher/> The film was also to have been distributed by [[20th Century Fox]], according to Cimino.<ref name=gallagher/>

=== ''Pearl'' ===
Also around the same time as ''Fountainhead'' and the Costello biopic, Cimino co-wrote a musical biopic with [[Bo Goldman]] about the life of [[Janis Joplin]] titled ''Pearl''.<ref name=gallagher/> According to Cimino, that project was also to have been distributed by [[20th Century Fox]].<ref name=gallagher/>

=== ''Crime and Punishment'' ===
Between the releases of his films ''[[Thunderbolt and Lightfoot]]'' (1974) and ''[[The Deer Hunter]]'' (1978), Cimino attempted to write an adaptation of [[Fyodor Dostoevsky]]'s ''[[Crime and Punishment]]''.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news|title=Michael Cimino – obituary|date=3 July 2016|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/07/03/michael-cimino--obituary/|accessdate=31 July 2019|quote=He wrote an adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s The Dogs of War, attempted to adapt Crime and Punishment and began his long tussle with The Fountainhead, but nothing reached the screen under his direction.}}</ref>

=== ''The Dogs of War'' ===
Also between the releases of ''Thunderbolt and Lightfoot'' and ''The Deer Hunter'', Cimino wrote a screenplay based on the [[Frederick Forsyth]] novel ''[[The Dogs of War (book)|The Dogs of War]]''.<ref name=telegraph/> Cimino's screenplay was not used for the [[The Dogs of War (film)|eventual film adaptation of the same name]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Scott B.|title=Featured Filmmaker: Michael Cimino|date=26 August 2002|website=[[IGN]]|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/08/26/featured-filmmaker-michael-cimino|accessdate=31 July 2019|quote=...among them an adaptation of Frederick Forsyth¿s mercenaries-in-Africa novel The Dogs of War (the film was eventually made in 1981, but not using Cimino¿s screenplay)...}}</ref>

=== ''Perfect Strangers'' ===
In 1977, Cimino was slated to direct [[Roy Scheider]], [[Romy Schneider]] and [[Oskar Werner]] in a romantic drama film titled ''Perfect Strangers''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nHYwCgAAQBAJ&q=michael+cimino+perfect+strangers&pg=PA209|last=Kachmar|first=Diane C.|title=Roy Scheider: A Film Biography|year=2015|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476609034}}page 209</ref> Cimino described the film as "an original, a love story with a political background."<ref name=gallagher>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KB9Kv-CKfyQC&q=bo+goldman+janis+joplin+pearl&pg=PA40|last=Gallagher|first=John A.|title=Film Directors on Directing|year=1989|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9780275932725}}page 40</ref> Cimino developed the script at [[Paramount Pictures]].<ref name=gallagher/>

=== ''The King of Comedy'' ===
After [[Martin Scorsese]] initially passed on ''[[The King of Comedy (film)|The King of Comedy]]'' (1982), [[Robert De Niro]] arranged for Cimino to direct the film. However, Cimino's commitment with ''[[Heaven's Gate (film)|Heaven's Gate]]'' (1980) prevented him to direct ''The King of Comedy'', thus Scorsese ultimately directed the film.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yPhSX-Sxd5wC&q=michael+cimino+the+king+of+comedy&pg=PA69|last=Grist|first=Leighton|title=The Films of Martin Scorsese, 1978-99: Authorship and Context II|year=2013|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=9781403920355}}page 69</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HcMafLPTW-AC&q=michael+cimino+the+king+of+comedy&pg=PA255|last=LoBrutto|first=Vincent|title=Martin Scorsese: A Biography|year=2008|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=9780275987053}}page 255</ref>

=== ''The Godfather Part III'' ===
In the late 1970s, Cimino was among several filmmakers considered to helm ''[[The Godfather Part III]]'' for [[Paramount Pictures]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Dalton|first=Stephen|title=Critic's Notebook: Michael Cimino, a Comet that Blazed Brightly, Briefly|date=2 July 2016|magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/critics-notebook-michael-cimino-a-908220|accessdate=26 July 2019|quote=Cimino was briefly attached to direct both ''The Godfather III'' and ''Footloose'', but both fell through.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Davis|first=Ivor|title=SINS OF THE 'FATHER'|date=23 December 1990|newspaper=[[Sun-Sentinel]]|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1990-12-23-9003040203-story.html|accessdate=26 July 2019|quote=The name "Godfather" was a household word, something Paramount could bank on. And if the studio couldn't persuade Coppola to do Part III, there were plenty of other directors. Back in the late '70s Paramount approached many of them -- Sylvester Stallone, Martin Scorsese, Michael Cimino, Warren Beatty.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Friendly|first=David T.|title='GODFATHER III' SUREFIRE HIT -- IF IT'S MADE|date=24 November 1985|newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1985-11-24-0340480187-story.html|accessdate=26 July 2019|quote=Several years ago, when Paramount was trying to mount this sequel, a list of possible directors was drawn up. On it were names like Martin Scorsese, Michael Mann, Michael Cimino and even Warren Beatty.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Friendly|first=David T.|title='GODFATHER III': THE MOVIE WAITING TO HAPPEN|date=24 November 1985|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-11-24-ca-1536-story.html|accessdate=30 July 2019|quote=Several years ago, when Paramount was trying to mount this sequel, a list of possible directors was drawn up. On it were names like Martin Scorsese, Michael Mann, Michael Cimino and even Warren Beatty.}}</ref>

=== ''Midnight Express'' ===
According to [[JoBlo.com]], [[Oliver Stone]] approached Cimino to direct ''[[Midnight Express (film)|Midnight Express]]'' (1978).<ref>{{cite web|last=Shirey|first=Paul|title=THE BEST MOVIE YOU NEVER SAW: YEAR OF THE DRAGON|date=25 April 2014|publisher=[[JoBlo.com]]|url=https://www.joblo.com/movie-news/the-best-movie-you-never-saw-year-of-the-dragon|accessdate=31 July 2019|quote=...while handing over co-scripting chores to Oliver Stone, who had once approached Cimino to direct MIDNIGHT EXPRESS.}}</ref>

=== ''The Rose'' ===
Although he was uncredited for his work,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RZlBDwAAQBAJ&q=michael+cimino+janis+joplin+bo+goldman+pearl&pg=PA235|last=Erickson|first=Hal|title=Any Resemblance to Actual Persons: The Real People Behind 400+ Fictional Movie Characters|year=2017|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476666051}}page 235</ref> Cimino did serve as one of the screenwriters of ''[[The Rose (film)|The Rose]]'' (1979).<ref>{{cite news|title=Alan Bates, Bette Midler To Co‐Star in 'The Rose'|date=24 March 1978|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/03/24/archives/alan-bates-bette-midler-to-costar-in-the-rose.html|accessdate=26 July 2019|quote=Mark Rydell will direct from a script by Bo Goldman and Michael Cimino and an earlier draft by William Kerby from a story by Mr. Worth and Mr. Cimino.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5aBjQNrFH70C&q=michael+cimino+pearl&pg=PA138|last=Bego|first=Mark|title=Bette Midler: Still Divine|year=2002|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9780815412328}}page 138</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_TP3DAAAQBAJ&q=michael+cimino+the+rose+1979&pg=PA249|last3=Fonseca|first3=Anthony J.|last2=Willson|first2=Paige A.|last1=Goldsmith|first1=Melissa U. D.|title=The Encyclopedia of Musicians and Bands on Film|year=2016|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9781442269873}}page 249</ref> Screenwriter [[Bill Kerby]] thought Cimino was hired to direct the film.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mqrS414JAK4C&q=bill+kerby+thought+cimino+was+hired+to+direct&pg=PA229|last=Stempel|first=Tom|title=Framework: A History of Screenwriting in the American Film, Third Edition|year=2000|publisher=Syracuse University Press|isbn=9780815606543}}pages 228-229</ref>

==1980s==

=== ''The Dead Zone'' ===
According to [[Den of Geek]], Cimino was considered to helm [[Stephen King]]'s ''[[The Dead Zone (film)|The Dead Zone]]'' (1983) prior to [[David Cronenberg]]'s official involvement.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lambie|first=Ryan|title=Why The Dead Zone Is One of the Best Stephen King Films|date=21 February 2015|publisher=[[Den of Geek]]|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/the-dead-zone/33989/why-the-dead-zone-is-one-of-the-best-stephen-king-films|accessdate=26 July 2019|quote=''The Dead Zone'' was optioned shortly after its publication in 1979, and several screenwriters and directors were involved in its production before Cronenberg took over the project in 1982. Stanley Donen (Hollywood’s "King of Musicals," whose CV includes ''Singin’ in the Rain''), John Badham, and Michael Cimino were once attached to direct, while Stephen King attempted to write a draft of the screenplay himself.}}</ref>

=== ''Nitty Gritty/Live on Tape'' ===
''[[The New York Times]]'' reported in 1982 that Cimino was going to direct a film titled ''Nitty Gritty'' for [[CBS Theatrical Films]]. The ''N.Y. Times'' described the project as "a black comedy about news reporting."<ref>{{cite news|title=40 FILM PROJECTS AT CBS|date=16 January 1982|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/16/movies/40-film-projec-ts-at-cbs.html|accessdate=1 August 2019|quote=CBS Theatrical Films has announced that it will be going into the movie business in a big way this year, with 40 films in various stages of development. Two of the movies will star Jon Voight and one will be directed by Michael Cimino, who won an Academy Award for ''The Deer Hunter'' in 1978 and then directed the $40 million failure ''Heaven's Gate.''...Mr. Cimino's ''Nitty Gritty,'' a black comedy about news reporting...}}</ref> The film never came to fruition, and the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' reported that it was retitled ''Live on Tape''. The ''L.A. Times'' further described it as "a comedy-drama about TV camera crews and their competition for stories."<ref name=broeske>{{cite news|last=Broeske|first=Pat H.|title=Look Who's Back With a New Movie : 'The Deer Hunter' made Michael Cimino a winner, but his next film was the legendary failure 'Heaven's Gate.' With 'Desperate Hours,' the stakes have never been higher.|date=7 October 1990|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-10-07-ca-3191-story.html|accessdate=1 August 2019}}</ref>

=== Fyodor Dostoevsky biopic ===
In September 1982, Cimino approached [[Raymond Carver]] and [[Tess Gallagher]] to re-write a screenplay based on the life of [[Fyodor Dostoevsky]].<ref name=carver>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/conversationswit00carv|url-access=registration|quote=michael cimino purple lake.|last1=Carver|first1=Raymond|last2=Gentry|first2=Marshall Bruce|last3=Stull|first3=William L.|title=Conversations with Raymond Carver|year=1990|publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi|isbn=9780878054497}}page xxvi</ref> According to Carver, Cimino presented him an existing screenplay with no author credit, commissioned by the veteran Italian film producer, [[Carlo Ponti]]. The first draft had been written by a Russian writer, and then translated to English by two Italian writers. Carver and Gallagher opted to re-write the entire script, delivering a 220-page draft to Cimino in November 1982. The director was impressed with the results, but the producer returned to Europe shortly thereafter, halting further script development. <ref name=carver2>{{cite journal|last1=Carver|first1=Raymond|last2=Gallagher|first2=Tess|title=Dostoevsky: A Screenplay|journal = New England Review and Bread Loaf Quarterly|year=1984|volume = 6|issue = 3|pages = 355–393|publisher=New England Review and Bread Loaf Quarterly Vol. 6, No. 3 (Spring, 1984)|jstor = 40374689}}pp.355-393</ref>

=== ''The Bounty'' ===
According to Cimino's ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' obituary, he was considered to direct ''[[The Bounty (1984 film)|The Bounty]]'' (1984).<ref name=gray>{{cite magazine|last=Gray|first=Tim|title=Michael Cimino, 'Deer Hunter' and 'Heaven's Gate' Director, Dies at 77|date=2 July 2016|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/people-news/michael-cimino-dead-dies-deer-hunter-heavens-gate-1201808052/|accessdate=29 July 2019|quote=He also circled many projects eventually directed by others, including “The Bounty,” “Footloose,” “The Pope of Greenwich Village” and “Born on the Fourth of July.”}}</ref>

=== ''Reel to Reel'' ===
In 1983, Cimino was going to direct a film for [[Columbia Pictures]] titled ''Reel to Reel'', which was co-written by Cimino, [[Steven Spielberg]] and [[Gary David Goldberg]].<ref name=broeske/>

===''Footloose''===
Also in 1983, Cimino was signed by [[Paramount Pictures]] to direct ''[[Footloose (1984 film)|Footloose]]'' (1984).<ref>{{cite news|last=Rodriguez|first=Rene|title='Footloose:' a remake that makes sense|date=14 October 2011|newspaper=[[The Blade (Toledo)]]|url=https://www.toledoblade.com/a-e/movies/2011/10/14/Footloose-a-remake-that-makes-sense/stories/20111013050|accessdate=1 August 2019|quote=In 1983, in one of the biggest "What were they thinking?" moves of all time, Paramount Pictures signed Michael Cimino to direct Footloose.}}</ref> However, Cimino requested $250,000 for a rewrite of the script.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Cormier|first=Roger|title=18 Catchy Facts About Footloose|date=9 January 2016|magazine=[[Mental Floss]]|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/73151/18-catchy-facts-about-footloose|accessdate=1 August 2019|quote=Michael Cimino, the Oscar-winning director of The Deer Hunter and Heaven’s Gate, kept asking for grandiose set-ups and making more and more demands—like requesting $250,000 to rewrite the script, and to make the film darker. Paramount Pictures feared Cimino was going to lose them a ton of money after Heaven’s Gate bankrupted United Artists, and so they let him go. Herbert Ross (director of The Goodbye Girl and Steel Magnolias) took over.}}</ref> As a result, [[Daniel Melnick]] fired Cimino from the production.<ref>{{cite news|last=Harmetz|first=Aljean|title=INDEPENDENT PRODUCER AND YOUNG STUDIO UNITE|date=2 September 1987|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/02/movies/independent-producer-and-young-studio-unite.html|accessdate=1 August 2019|quote=He is a tough producer who fired Michael Cimino from ''Footloose'' when the director insisted on rewriting the script.}}</ref> According to Melnick, "It might have been a good film (if Cimino had directed), but it wasn’t the film we wanted to make. It wasn’t the film we came to the party with--do you know what I mean?".<ref name=broeske/> [[Craig Zadan]], one of the film's producers, also stated, "Cimino wanted to make a darker film. We wanted to make entertainment."<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OBQNk53ai9MC&q=michael+cimino+footloose&pg=PA110|last=Jordan|first=Chris|title=Movies and the Reagan Presidency: Success and Ethics|year=2003|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=9780275979676}}page 110</ref> Cimino was ultimately replaced by [[Herbert Ross]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/newpotofgold00step|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/newpotofgold00step/page/134 134]|quote=michael cimino footloose.|last=Prince|first=Stephen|title=A New Pot of Gold: Hollywood Under the Electronic Rainbow, 1980 1989|year=2002|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=9780520232662}}page 134</ref>

=== ''The Pope of Greenwich Village'' ===
Also according to the ''Variety'' obituary, Cimino was to have helmed ''[[The Pope of Greenwich Village]]'' (1984).<ref name=gray/>

=== ''Purple Lake'' ===
In 1984, Cimino reportedly completed an unproduced screenplay with [[Raymond Carver]] titled ''Purple Lake''.<ref name=carver/>

=== ''The Yellow Jersey'' ===
Also in 1984, Cimino was going to direct [[Dustin Hoffman]] in a film adaptation of Ralph Hurne's novel ''The Yellow Jersey'' for [[Columbia Pictures]].<ref name=broeske/><ref>{{cite news|last=Mathews|first=Jack|title=THE 12-YEAR CYCLE TO GREEN-LIGHT 'THE YELLOW JERSEY'|date=19 September 1986|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-09-19-ca-10697-story.html|accessdate=1 August 2019|quote=In 1984, Hoffman and director Michael Cimino accompanied Mehlman to France for the Tour, after which Hoffman told a French television interviewer that next to attending the birth of his child, watching the race was the most moving experience of his life. Mehlman figured that was it. But the deal fell through with Cimino, and Hoffman wasn’t satisfied with any of the directors that Mehlman or the studio suggested. The directors Hoffman said he would work with weren’t available.}}</ref> The story takes place in the [[Tour de France]] and Cimino began to work on the adaptation in 1975 when he saw the [[1975 Tour de France|62nd edition]] that year.<ref>{{cite news|title=DUSTIN HOFFMAN'S TOUR DE FRANCE|date=14 July 1984|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/07/14/arts/dustin-hoffman-s-tour-de-france.html|accessdate=1 August 2019|quote=Mr. Cimino, who directed ''Deer Hunter'' and '' Heaven's Gate,'' said he first began working on the movie in 1975, traveling with the Tour de France that year.}}</ref> The film was never made.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pNQylJinyQsC&q=michael+cimino+dustin+hoffman+tour+de+france&pg=PA89|last=Verswijver|first=Leo|title="Movies Were Always Magical": Interviews with 19 Actors, Directors, and Producers from the Hollywood of the 1930s through the 1950s|year=2003|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786411290}}page 89</ref> It has been said that Hoffman fired Cimino from the production.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=41WRDwAAQBAJ&q=michael+cimino+dustin+hoffman+tour+de+france&pg=PA97|last=Bennett|first=Bruce|title=Cycling and Cinema|year=2019|publisher=MIT Press|isbn=9781906897994}}pages 97-98</ref>

=== ''Platoon'' ===
According to [[Oliver Stone]], Cimino attempted to produce the film ''[[Platoon (film)|Platoon]]'' (1986) in 1984 with [[Emilio Estevez]] attached to play Staff Sergeant Bob Barnes.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Nashawaty|first=Chris|title=Oliver Stone Platoon Charlie Sheen|date=24 May 2011|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|url=https://ew.com/article/2011/05/24/oliver-stone-talks-platoon-and-charlie-sheen-on-the-vietnam-films-25th-anniversary-exclusive/|accessdate=29 July 2019|quote=Then there was a period in ’84 when Michael Cimino was going to produce it and Emilio Estevez was going to play the role, actually.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Jagernauth|first=Kevin|title=Oliver Stone Reveals Sidney Lumet & Al Pacino Nearly Made 'Platoon'|date=25 May 2011|work=[[IndieWire]]|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2011/05/oliver-stone-reveals-sidney-lumet-al-pacino-nearly-made-platoon-118417/|accessdate=29 July 2019|quote=Then there was a period in ’84 when Michael Cimino was going to produce it and Emilio Estevez was going to play the role, actually.}}</ref>

=== ''Legs'' ===
In the mid-1980s, Cimino was slated to direct an unmade biopic about the life of gangster [[Legs Diamond]] for [[Embassy Pictures]]. The film would have starred [[Mickey Rourke]] as Diamond and [[Leonard Termo]] as Diamond's bodyguard.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Barnes|first=Mike|title=Character Actor Leonard Termo Dies at 77|date=2 November 2012|magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lenny-termo-mickey-rourke-seinfeld-384835|accessdate=30 July 2019|quote=The pair also were set to appear in a Cimino biopic at Embassy Pictures about "Legs" Diamond that never got made, with Rourke as the legendary 1930s gangster and Termo playing his bodyguard.}}</ref> The film was to have been titled ''Legs'' and be based on [[William Kennedy (author)|William Kennedy]]'s [[Legs (novel)|novel of the same name]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Hackett|first=Pat|title=VERSATILE YOUNG ACTOR MICKEY ROURKE GETS HIS CANDOR UP ABOUT HIS|date=16 August 1985|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-08-18-8502230810-story.html|accessdate=30 July 2019|quote=What about “Legs,” the movie based on William Kennedy’s novel about Legs Diamond?}}</ref>

=== ''Atlas Shrugged'' ===
The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' reported in 1985 that Cimino was interested in adapting ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]'', another of [[Ayn Rand]]'s works.<ref>{{cite news|last=Champlin|first=Charles|title=Michael Cimino and the movie he made after 'Heaven's Gate'|date=31 August 1985|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-michael-cimino-heavens-gate-year-of-the-dragon-19850831-snap-story.html?outputType=amp|accessdate=31 July 2019|quote=Cimino has long wanted to film Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged,” and his films can possibly be read as endorsing her philosophies.}}</ref>

=== ''Porgy and Bess'' ===
It was reported in November 1985<ref>Chevrie, Marc; Narboni, Jean; Ostria, Vincent (November 1985). "The Right Place" (in French). ''Cahiers du cinéma'' (n377).</ref> that Cimino attempted to adapt ''[[Porgy and Bess]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Zum Tod des Hollywood-Schrecks Michael Cimino: Visionär und Egomane|date=3 July 2016|publisher=[[Stuttgarter Nachrichten]]|url=https://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/inhalt.zum-tod-des-hollywood-schrecks-michael-cimino-visionaer-und-egomane.752ff3bf-2e2e-4948-9be0-d8a375e0147d.html|accessdate=14 August 2019}}Article in German</ref>

=== ''Handcarved Coffins'' ===
After being impressed with his work in ''[[Year of the Dragon (film)|Year of the Dragon]]'' (1985), [[Dino De Laurentiis]] hired Cimino to direct a film adaptation of [[Truman Capote]]'s short story ''Handcarved Coffins''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pond|first=Steve|title=Dateline Hollywood|date=1 August 1985|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1985/08/01/dateline-hollywood/fdce166f-4f06-4642-b862-0f28a74974c9/|accessdate=1 August 2019|quote=And with "Year of the Dragon" just beginning to make the preview-screening rounds, producer Dino is so happy with the movie that he's reportedly already asked Cimino to direct a film version of Truman Capote's book "Handcarved Coffins" . . .}}</ref> De Laurentiis had planned to release the film in 1986 following his purchase of [[Embassy Pictures]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Harmetz|first=Aljean|title=DE LAURENTIIS TO MARKET OWN FILMS|date=4 October 1985|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/04/movies/de-laurentiis-to-market-own-films.html|accessdate=1 August 2019|quote=His first movies for Embassy, in 1986, will be ''Triple Identity,'' an urban police thriller starring Arnold Schwarzenegger; ''Trick or Treat,'' a horror movie to be released for Halloween; ''Hand Carved Coffins, the Truman Capote novella to be directed by Michael Cimino; ''Blue Velvet,'' a film written and directed by David Lynch; and a sequel to ''King Kong.''}}</ref> The film never came to fruition.<ref name=broeske/>

=== ''Santa Ana Wind'' ===
Cimino was also going to direct a romantic thriller film for [[Nelson Entertainment]] titled ''Santa Ana Wind''. The film was to have been set in the [[San Fernando Valley]] and star a cast of unknown actors.<ref name=broeske/> The film was to have been distributed by [[Columbia Pictures]], but in 1988, Nelson officially cancelled the production.<ref name=cieply/>

=== ''Born on the Fourth of July'' ===
The ''Variety'' obituary also states that Cimino was considered to direct ''[[Born on the Fourth of July (film)|Born on the Fourth of July]]'' (1989).<ref name=gray/><ref>{{cite news|last=Southwood|first=Lynnette|title='Deer Hunter' Director's Death: The 'Final Cut' On Michael Cimino's Abrupt Career|date=3 July 2016|work=[[Inquisitr]]|url=https://www.inquisitr.com/3269419/deer-hunter-directors-death-the-final-cut-on-michael-ciminos-abrupt-career/|accessdate=29 July 2019|quote=Michael Cimino directed eight films in his career, his last being Sunchaser in 1996, although Variety notes that he circled many projects; adaptations of Crime and Punishment, and Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead that never came to fruition, or projects that were eventually directed by someone else such as Footloose and Born on the Fourth of July.}}</ref>

==1990s==
=== Michael Collins biopic ===
In the early 1990s, Cimino was slated to direct a biopic about the life of Irish revolutionary [[Michael Collins (Irish leader)|Michael Collins]] with [[Gabriel Byrne]] attached to star.<ref>{{cite news|last=Clarke|first=Donald|title=Michael Cimino: the man who once ruled Hollywood|date=3 July 2016|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/michael-cimino-the-man-who-once-ruled-hollywood-1.2708900|accessdate=27 July 2019|quote=In the early 1990s, he circled a proposed Michael Collins biopic with Gabriel Byrne in the lead.}}</ref> The film was to have been distributed by [[Columbia Pictures]] and [[David Puttnam]] reportedly gave Cimino the greenlight to direct the film.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U4tpXVrFnAQC&q=michael+cimino+michael+collins&pg=PA51|last=Pramaggiore|first=Maria|title=Neil Jordan|year=2008|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=9780252075308}}page 51</ref> [[Nelson Entertainment]] was also involved in the project.<ref name=broeske/><ref name=cieply>{{cite news|last=Cieply|first=Michael|title=Firm Cancels New Cimino Film Project|date=26 January 1988|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-26-ca-38457-story.html?_amp=true|accessdate=1 August 2019}}</ref> According to Cimino, he co-wrote the script with [[Robert Bolt]].<ref name=abramovitch>{{cite magazine|last=Abramovitch|first=Sam|title=Michael Cimino: The Full, Uncensored Hollywood Reporter Interview|date=2 March 2015|magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/michael-cimino-full-uncensored-hollywood-778288|accessdate=27 July 2019}}</ref>

=== ''Paradise Junction'' ===
It was reported in 1993 that Cimino and [[Clint Eastwood]] were adapting Philip Finch's book ''Paradise Junction'' for [[Warner Bros.]]<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Moerk|first=Christian|title=Oscared pair on Rich slate|date=8 July 1993|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|url=https://variety.com/1993/film/news/oscared-pair-on-rich-slate-108511/|accessdate=14 August 2019}}</ref>

=== ''Full Circle'' ===
Filmmaker [[John Woo]] reported in 1994 that Cimino was writing a script based on a story by Woo titled ''Full Circle''.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Sandell|first=Jillian|title=Interview with John Woo|date=1 January 2001|magazine=[[Bright Lights Film Journal]]|url=https://brightlightsfilm.com/interview-john-woo/#.XVSTgOhKjIU|accessdate=14 August 2019|quote=We are also planning a project based on a story by me called Full Circle. The director Michael Cimino will be writing the script.}}</ref>

=== ''The Dreaming Place'' ===
''Variety'' reported in 1997 that Cimino was attached to direct a film titled ''The Dreaming Place'' for [[Trimark Pictures]].<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Trimark's 'Dream' helmer: Cimino|date=2 July 1997|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/trimark-s-dream-helmer-cimino-1116677556/|accessdate=30 July 2019|quote=Michael Cimino, Oscar-winning director of “The Deer Hunter,” is attached to direct Trimark Pictures’ “The Dreaming Place.”}}</ref>

==2000s==
=== ''Man's Fate'' ===
It was reported in 2001 that Cimino was planning to make a film adaptation of [[André Malraux]]'s novel ''[[Man's Fate]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Michael Cimino: war stories|date=6 December 2001|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/dec/06/artsfeatures|accessdate=1 August 2019|quote=His latest plan is to make a movie of André Malraux's La Condition Humaine (Man's Fate). He has the same publisher as Malraux, and earlier this year was awarded a Chevalier des Arts and des Lettres in Paris, a prize previously won by the French novelist. If it comes off, this exploration of a communist uprising in Shanghai will be on a gigantic scale, and Cimino, now in his late 50s, plans to shoot on location in China.}}</ref> Cimino claimed in 2010 that he had half of the budget needed to make the film.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Garbarino|first=Steve|title=Michael Cimino's Final Cut|date=15 April 2010|magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2010/04/ciminos-final-cut-200203|accessdate=1 August 2019|quote=Cimino has written an adaptation of André Malraux’s 1933 novel about the early days of the Chinese Revolution, Man’s Fate. “The screenplay, I think, is the best one I’ve ever done,” he says, adding that he has “half the money; [we’re] trying to raise the other half.”}}</ref> Cimino confirmed in a 2015 interview with ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' that he worked on the adapted script for one year and still hoped to make the film some day.<ref name=abramovitch/>

==2010s==
=== ''Cream Rises'' ===
According to [[Wild Bunch (company)|Wild Bunch]] CCO Vincent Maraval, Cimino attempted to direct [[Taylor Swift]] in a film titled ''Cream Rises''.<ref>{{cite web|last=de Guilhermier|first=Marine|title=Michael Cimino : son projet avorté avec Taylor Swift|date=4 October 2016|publisher=[[Orange S.A.]]|url=https://cineday.orange.fr/actu-cine/michael-cimino-son-projet-avorte-avec-taylor-swift-CNT000000uEfeU.html|accessdate=16 August 2019|language=FR}}</ref> [[Christopher Walken]] was also attached to the project.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pallaruelo|first=Olivier|title=Quand Michael Cimino voulait faire un film avec Taylor Swift|date=3 October 2016|publisher=[[AlloCiné]]|url=http://www.allocine.fr/article/fichearticle_gen_carticle=18656428.html|accessdate=16 August 2019|language=FR}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}


[[Category:Lists of unrealized projects by artist|Cimino, Michael]]
[[Category:Lists of unrealized projects by artist|Cimino, Michael]]

{{Michael Cimino}}

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