While a output period of a few years can be expected for a feature film , some movies have take a shockingly long fourth dimension to in the end be free . In some instances , directors have pass decade developing projects , and financial exit or other headache have meant that highly promise movies lie in development hell for extended periods before they , at last , see the light of 24-hour interval . Other times , movie maker have even passed away before they could complete their task , and years later , the movie ’s completion gets manage by other directors or production companies .

Some ofthe adept directors everhave get elongated point of time to finally release long - awaited movies . While it ’s rarely the intention to have a production stretch out out across several decades , the fact that these movies were all eventually release showcased the firm commitment of film producer and creatives to their art and workplace . Whilenot every long - gestating film turned out to be a masterpiece , all of these movies have something limited to put up and have earn a station in the complex history of cinema .

10Eraserhead (1977)

Eraserhead took six years to make

While most low - budget first - time directors will shoot their first appearance motion picture over the course of a match of week , David Lynch never did things the ordinary way . EraserheadwasLynch ’s feature - duration directional debut that signaled his transition from a panther into a fully - feather movie maker , and right out the logic gate , he had already formed his distinctive surrealist style of moviemaking . However , the product ofEraserheadwas not straightforward , and due to budgetary topic , the film was delayed for many years ( viaAFI . )

Eraserheadwas produced with the assist of the American Film Institute , although with just a twenty - page script , the institute assumed they had green - light up a short cinema and not the 89 - minute avant - garde experimentation it became . Lynch ’s frequent collaborator Jack Nance was cast as the lead in 1971 , mean he had to wield Henry Spencer ’s signature outrageous haircut for several class . However , despite taking so long to be completed , Lynch was just 31 years old when production wrapped and had plenty more sentence to continuedeveloping his unusual and idiosyncratic stylus .

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David Lynch ’s Eraserhead is a surrealist repugnance movie where Henry Spencer , played by Jack Nance , deal with the terrifying challenges of fatherhood , including caring for his deformed child . Released in 1977 , the lightlessness - and - white-hot film has touch off many discussions about its meaning and themes .

9Boyhood (2014)

Boyhood took 12 years to make

While there ’s nothing unusual about movies that take place across recollective stretches of time , it ’s much unheard of to really wait for the actors to age so that this can be filmed . However , director Richard Linklater did n’t let dizzy restrictions like the passage of time stop him from separate the story of Mason Evans Jr. ’s journey from six years old to adulthood inBoyhood . Instead , Ellar Coltrane was couch in the lead office when he was just a tiddler , and the film was shot for a few workweek every summer for 12 years ( viaBBC ) .

Boyhoodwas a major success that showcased adolescence in a style never previously depicted on sieve . As viewers watched Mason historic period in material - sentence , the emotional wallop ofBoyhood’snarrative became even grander as he fight with the consequences of his parents ’ divorce , an abusive stepfather , and the challenges of growing up . Boyhoodwas a deeply compelling movie that worked so well thanks to the acute committedness of everyone involved in it .

Directed by Richard Linklater , Boyhood describe the childhood and adolescence of Mason Evans Jr. , a young adult male from Texas whose coming - of - years during the mid-2000s is the main focus of the film . Linklater fool away the film over the track of 12 class , chronicle Mason ’s puerility in clock time with the growth of his actor , Ellar Coltrane . Besides Coltrane , Patricia Arquette , Ethan Hawke , and Lorelei Linklater also asterisk .

Collage of Willow and Clash of the Titans

8Avatar (2009)

Avatar took 15 years to make

James Cameron first began make for onAvatarin 1994 and plan to start filming the film after he wrapped production onTitanicin 1997 . However , matter did n’t quite pan out this way astechnology had not reached a point to fully express Cameron ’s vision , and he decided that he would wait until the picture show could be fully take in before officially begin yield . This provided more sentence to make grow the Na’vi linguistic communication and see to it that Pandora ’s sci - fi story was as rich and flesh out as possible .

It was not until 2006 thatAvatarstarted to calculate like a real possibility , and actors like Sigourney Weaver were range . By 2007 , 13 years after Cameron first wrote the treatment forAvatar , the technology had caught up with his intentions , and filming at last began . Then , whenAvatarwas finally bring out in 2009 , it became a worldwide sensation , a box business office belt , and the highest - gross flick of all time .

Avatar is a 2009 science fiction film point by James Cameron . Set in the twenty-second one C , it follow a paraplegic Marine sent to the moon Pandora on a commission . He becomes contravene between his orders and defending the indigenous Na’vi civilization .

Sam Wilson and New Avengers Poster Custom MCU Image

7The Thief And The Cobbler (1993)

The Thief and the Cobbler took 29 years to make

The Canadian animator Richard Williams mean forThe Thief and the Cobblerto be a major new milepost in the macrocosm of animation . Although this challenging undertaking was first devised in 1964 , it take Williams closely three decades to lend his passion project to fruition . This meant that Williams spent those years also work on on other flick , and it was only after the incredible success ofWho Framed Roger Rabbitthat Warner Bros agreed to finance and disseminate the film ( viaCulture Cartel . )

Williams developed his script and the persona forThe Thief and the Cobblerthroughout the seventies and , during the 1980s , was gathering cash in hand for the movie . With early footage that imprint Steven Spielberg , the early interpretation ofThe Thiefled to Williams working onRoger Rabbitwith Robert Zemeckis . unhappily , The Thiefwent over budget and fell behind schedule , leading to Williams being pushed out of his own product , and a disappointing unfinished version was released to negatively charged reviews in 1993 .

6A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

A.I. Artificial Intelligence took 24 years to make

The fabled film maker Stanley Kubrick first consider adapting the 1969 forgetful taradiddle " Supertoys Last All Summer Long " by Brian Aldiss back in 1977 . Reportedly , Kubrick sawStar Warsand , although he did n’t care for the film , recognized its commercial-grade voltage ( viaThe Ringer ) and sought to make something that could be just as successful . conceive as a “ picaresque golem version of Pinocchio , ” the flick becameA.I. Artificial Intelligencewas Kubrick ’s long - term goal , although he was ineffective to complete it before his death in 1999 .

A highly advanced robotic male child longs to become " real " so that he can find the love of his human mother .

5Mad Max: Fury Road

Mad Max: Fury Road took 28 years to make

GeorgeMiller first came up with the estimation forMad Max : Fury Roadin 1987 , but it would be 28 class before the moving picture was finally resign . earlier intended as a direct sequel toMad Max Beyond Thunderdome , had things gone according to architectural plan , Mel Gibson would have reprised his role as the title character he had already played in three moving-picture show . It was 1998 before Miller further develop his idea , and it was not until the former 2000s that it was set to enter production .

However , the production stalled following the attack on September 11 , 2001 ( viaTime Out ) , and by the time Miller returned to the project , Gibson ’s calling had become extremely controversial , and he necessitate to be remodel . Miller then started explicate aMad Maxprequel subtitledFuriosa , which , at one point , he study take back - to - back , which further detain the production . Finally , by 2012 , Tom Hardy had been cast in the lead role , and filming commenced , yet it still took three years for post - production to finally be complete , andFury Roadwas released to widespread acclaim .

Mad Max : Fury Road is the quaternary film in George Miller ’s long - running sci - fi franchise , with Tom Hardy starring as Max Rockstansky , a floater who lives on the route in an revelatory wasteland . When Max comes across a religious cult group that keeps its hoi polloi in fear and under control condition with a monopoly on water and other crucial supplies , he joins up with Imperator Furiosa , a warrior womanhood conduct a rebellion against the cult ’s drawing card , Immortan Joe .

Bruce Wayne in his Batman costume in The Batman

4The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018)

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote took 29 years to make

flick lovers were delighted when Terry Gilliam ’s long - gestation filmThe Man Who Killed Don Quixotewas at least released in 2018 . Gilliam first depart working on the film as far back as 1989 , but it took almost ten years for him to secure the financing needed , and shot began in 2000 . However , the story does not end there . Gilliam ’s tale about a 21st - century motion-picture show manufacturer thrown back in time would be halted due to flooding ( viaBFI ) , policy consequence , and significant financial difficulties .

With histrion Jean Rochefort and Johnny Depp originally cast in leading roles , The Man Who kill Don Quixoteattempted to resume production throughout the 2000sbut continue to undergo pregnant change . It looked like this project would never be made as it lingered in development hell for decades , with Gilliam speaking in 2016 about involve a 16 million euro budget to fetch up it ( viaLibération . ) However , the stars eventually line up as Paulo Branco came on instrument panel as producer , Adam Driver was cast as the tip , and the long - wait film was released in 2018 .

The Man Who kill Don Quixote took just shy of three decades to make , with author and director Terry Gilliam first commence oeuvre on the project in 1989 . It tells the narration of a film film director diagnose Toby , whose pupil short has a sound impact on an one-time Spanish deep-dish pie and leads to the couple embarking on many epic risky venture throughout history .

imagery-from-Megalopolis–and-Gangs-of-New-York

Custom Image By Yailin Chacon

3Gangs of New York (2002)

Gangs of New York took 32 years to make

WhileMartin Scorsese has peck of bare projection , Gangs of New Yorkwas a decade - retentive gestating film that eventually understand the light of daylight . Based on Herbert Asbury ’s bookThe Gangs of New York : An intimate History of the Underworld , Scorsese first considered an adaptation as far back as 1970 , but as a youthful director at the showtime of his career , he did not have the punch needed to get it financed . Instead , Scorsese spent the seventies making some of that earned run average ’s best movies , likeMean StreetsandTaxi Driver .

Scorsese managed to secure the screen right to Asbury ’s Bible in 1979 , but it was still another 20 years before there was any significant movement on the projection ( viaIndependent . ) In 1999 , Scorsese partner with Miramax and gained the approximately $ 100 million budget he needed ( viaThe Numbers ) and histrion like Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day - Lewis were cast . Finally , Gangs of New Yorkwas liberate in 2002 to critical and interview acclaim , even gaining a nominating address for Best Picture at the Academy Awards .

Gangs of New York , directed by Martin Scorsese , is a historical drama that explores the trigger-happy competition between immigrant group in nineteenth - century New York City . Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Amsterdam Vallon , who turn back to the Five Points arena search revenge against Bill the Butcher , played by Daniel Day - Lewis . The film dramatizes the socio - political unrest in America during that era , spotlight issues like gang warfare and ethnic tension .

David-Lynch-On-Eraserhead

David Lynch’s Eraserhead is a surrealist horror movie where Henry Spencer, played by Jack Nance, deals with the terrifying challenges of fatherhood, including caring for his deformed child. Released in 1977, the black-and-white film has sparked many discussions about its meaning and themes.

2Megalopolis (2024)

Megalopolis took 47 years to make

Although film director Francis Ford Coppola was be intimate for making some of the greatest motion-picture show of all time , likeThe GodfatherandApocalypse Now , the later part of his career was less impressive . With embarrassing dismission , likeJack , or boxwood office failures , such as his last filmTwixt , Coppola accept a footstep back from filmmaking in recent long time only to reemerge in 2019 with plans to finally makeMegalopolis , a cacoethes projection that he first conceived as far back as 1977 ( viaRomberger . )

This challenging , big - budget feature in an imagined modernistic United States where a visionary architect aspire to rebuild the city of New Rome after a devastating cataclysm . Coppola self - fundedMegalopolishimself with a astounding budget of $ 120 millionfor a controversial and experimental production categorize by improvisation and last - minute modification to the handwriting . WhileMegalopoliswas intended as Coppola ’s swansong and chef-d’oeuvre , reviews have been polarize as witness struggled to make sense of this hugely divisive movie .

Megalopolis , direct by Francis Ford Coppola , is a visionary 2024 cinema exploring the challenging dream of reconstructing New York City into a Sion , pursue a devastating catastrophe . The narrative delves into the skirmish between the designer ’s utopian vision and the political and personal turmoil that ensues . With a star - stud cast , the film examines themes of ambitiousness , power , and the human spirit ’s resilience against the background of a futurist metropolis .

erasehead poster

David Lynch’s Eraserhead is a surrealist horror movie where Henry Spencer, played by Jack Nance, deals with the terrifying challenges of fatherhood, including caring for his deformed child. Released in 1977, the black-and-white film has sparked many discussions about its meaning and themes.

1The Other Side Of The Wind (2018)

The Other Side of the Wind took 48 years to make

Orson Welles first started filmingThe Other Side of the Windin 1970 , and it was intended to be his directional retort as he undertake to establish his relevance amid the burgeoning New Hollywood movement . While filming took position on and off for six age , it would actually take 48 year forThe Other Side of the Windto see the light of day(viaCollider . ) This troubled production was plagued by fiscal , legal , and political tortuousness , which meant it remained bare by the fourth dimension of Welles ’ death in 1985 .

However , the story does n’t cease there , as many attempts were made to finish this long - awaited moving-picture show that utilized a flick - within - a - plastic film structure to state the narrative of an aging conductor ( John Huston . ) at last , in 2016 , it was denote that Netflix had negociate a deal to releaseThe Other Side of the Windand a documentary film about its troubled history ( viaNew York Times . ) At last , the movie was released in 2018 to widespread acclaim , with many considering it to be Welles ’ lost masterpiece .

Sources : AFI , BBC , Culture Cartel , The Ringer , Time Out , BFI , Libération , Independent , The Numbers , Romberger , Collider , New York Times

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Ellar Coltrane and Ethan Hawke as Mason Jr. and Sr. In Boyhood

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Directed by Richard Linklater, Boyhood depicts the childhood and adolescence of Mason Evans Jr., a young man from Texas whose coming-of-age during the mid-2000s is the main focus of the film. Linklater shot the film over the course of 12 years, chronicling Mason’s childhood in time with the growth of his actor, Ellar Coltrane. Besides Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, and Lorelei Linklater also star.

Headshot Of Ellar Coltrane

Headshot Of Patricia Arquette In The Closing Ceremony on Day Eight of the Series Mania Festival

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Avatar is a 2009 science fiction film directed by James Cameron. Set in the 22nd century, it follows a paraplegic Marine sent to the moon Pandora on a mission. He becomes conflicted between his orders and defending the indigenous Na’vi civilization.

Headshot Of Sam Worthington In the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1’

Headshot Of Zoe Saldana In The 2024 KERING Women In Motion Awards

The Thief and the Cobbler

Haley Joel Osment as David holding Teddy in AI Artificial Intelligence

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)  - Poster

A highly advanced robotic boy longs to become “real” so that he can regain the love of his human mother.

Headshot Of Haley Joel Osment In The Premiere Of Shout! Studios

Headshot Of Jude Law

A collage of Max from Mad Max in Mad Max, Mad Max 2, and Max Max: Fury Road - created by Tom Russell

Mad Max Fury Road Poster

Mad Max: Fury Road is the fourth film in George Miller’s long-running sci-fi franchise, with Tom Hardy starring as Max Rockstansky, a vagabond who lives on the road in an apocalyptic wasteland. When Max comes across a cult group that keeps its people in fear and under control with a monopoly on water and other crucial supplies, he joins up with Imperator Furiosa, a warrior woman leading a rebellion against the cult’s leader, Immortan Joe.

Headshot Of Tom Hardy In The Premiere Of The Bikeriders

Headshot Of Charlize Theron

Adam Driver’s Toby looking shocked in The Man Who Killed Don Quixote

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote Poster

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote took just shy of three decades to make, with writer and director Terry Gilliam first starting work on the project in 1989. It tells the story of a film director named Toby, whose student short has a profound impact on an old Spanish cobbler and leads to the pair embarking on many epic adventures throughout history.

Headshot Of Adam Driver

Headshot Of Jonathan Pryce In The 2024 BAFTA Television Awards

Leonardo DiCaprio as Amsterdam Vallon and Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill the Butcher standing next to each other in Gangs of New York

Gangs of New York Movie Poster

Gangs of New York, directed by Martin Scorsese, is a historical drama that explores the violent rivalries between immigrant groups in 19th-century New York City. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Amsterdam Vallon, who returns to the Five Points area seeking revenge against Bill the Butcher, played by Daniel Day-Lewis. The film dramatizes the socio-political unrest in America during that era, highlighting issues like gang warfare and ethnic tension.

Headshot Of Leonardo DiCaprio In The 35th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Night

Headshot Of Cameron Diaz

Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) experimenting with light bulbs in Megalopolis (2024)

Image via Lionsgate

Megalopolis 2024 New Film Poster

Megalopolis, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is a visionary 2024 film exploring the ambitious dream of reconstructing New York City into a utopia, following a devastating disaster. The narrative delves into the clash between the architect’s utopian vision and the political and personal turmoil that ensues. With a star-studded cast, the film examines themes of ambition, power, and the human spirit’s resilience against the backdrop of a futuristic metropolis.

Headshot Of Forest Whitaker

Peter Bogdanovich in The Other Side of the Wind