John Landis | |
|---|---|
 Landis at the 2022Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Italy | |
| Born | John David Landis (1950-08-03)August 3, 1950 (age 75) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1969–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2, includingMax |
| Signature | |
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John David Landis (born August 3, 1950)[1] is an American filmmaker and actor. He is best known for directing comedy films such asThe Kentucky Fried Movie (1977),National Lampoon's Animal House (1978),The Blues Brothers (1980),Trading Places (1983),Three Amigos (1986),Coming to America (1988) andBeverly Hills Cop III (1994), and horror films such asAn American Werewolf in London (1981) andInnocent Blood (1992). He also directed themusic videos forMichael Jackson's"Thriller" (1983) and "Black or White" (1991).
Landis later ventured into television work, including the seriesDream On (1990),Weird Science (1994) andSliders (1995). He also directed several episodes of the 2000s horror anthology seriesMasters of Horror andFear Itself, as well as commercials forDirecTV,Taco Bell,Coca-Cola,Pepsi,Kellogg's andDisney. In 2008, Landis won anEmmy Award for the documentaryMr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project (2007).
In 1982, Landis became the subject of controversy whenthree actors, including two children, died on set while filming his segment ofTwilight Zone: The Movie (1983). Landis, as well as several other parties, were subsequently tried and acquitted forinvoluntary manslaughter, but the incident had long-lasting effects onfilm industry practices.
Landis is the father of filmmakerMax Landis.
Landis was born into aJewish American family[2] inChicago, Illinois, the son of Shirley Levine (née Magaziner) and Marshall Landis, an interior designer and decorator.[3] Landis and his parents relocated to Los Angeles when he was four months old. Though spending his childhood inCalifornia, Landis still refers to Chicago as his home town; he is a fan of theChicago White Sox baseball team.[citation needed]
When Landis was a young boy, he watchedThe 7th Voyage of Sinbad, which inspired him to become a director:
I had complete suspension of disbelief—really, I was eight years old and it transported me. I was on that beach running from that dragon, fighting thatCyclops. It just really dazzled me, and I bought it completely. And so, I actually sat through it twice and when I got home, I asked my mom, "Who does that? Who makes the movie?"[4][5]
Landis began his film career working as a mailboy at20th Century-Fox. He worked as a "go-fer" and then as an assistant director during filmingMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer'sKelly's Heroes inYugoslavia in 1969; he replaced the film's original assistant director, who became ill and was sent home.[6] During that time Landis became acquainted with actorsDon Rickles andDonald Sutherland, both of whom would later work in his films. FollowingKelly's Heroes, Landis worked on several films that were shot inEurope (especially in Italy and the United Kingdom), includingOnce Upon a Time in the West,El Condor andA Town Called Bastard (a.k.a.A Town Called Hell).[6] Landis also worked as astunt double.
I worked on some [pirate] movies, all kind of movies. French foreign movies. I worked on a movie calledRed Sun whereToshiro Mifune kills me, puts a sword through me. ... I worked as a stunt guy. I worked as a dialogue coach. I worked as an actor. I worked as a production assistant.[6]
Aged 21, Landis made his directorial debut withSchlock. The film, which he also wrote and appeared in, is a tribute tomonster movies.[6] The gorilla suit for the film was made byRick Baker—the beginning of a long-term collaboration between Landis and Baker. Though completed in 1971,Schlock was not released until 1973 after it caught the attention ofJohnny Carson. A fan of the film, Carson invited Landis onThe Tonight Show and showed clips to help promote it.Schlock has since gained a cult following, but Landis has described the film as "terrible".[7]
Landis was hired byEon Productions to write a screen treatment forThe Spy Who Loved Me, but his screenplay ofJames Bond foiling a kidnapping of thePope in Latin America was rejected byAlbert R. Broccoli for satirizing theCatholic Church.[8] Landis was then hired to directThe Kentucky Fried Movie afterDavid Zucker saw hisTonight Show appearance.[7] The film was inspired by the satiricalsketch comedy of shows likeMonty Python,Free the Army,The National Lampoon Radio Hour andSaturday Night Live.[6] It is notable for being the first film written by theZucker, Abrahams and Zucker team, who would later have success withAirplane! andThe Naked Gun trilogy.
Sean Daniel, an assistant toUniversal executiveThom Mount, sawThe Kentucky Fried Movie and recommended Landis to directAnimal House based on that. Landis says of the screenplay, "It was really literally one of the funniest things I ever read. It had a nasty edge likeNational Lampoon. I told him it was wonderful, extremely smart and funny, but everyone's a pig for one thing."[9] WhileAnimal House received mixed reviews, it was a massive financial success, earning over $120 million at the domestic box office, making it the highest grossing comedy film of its time.[10][11] Its success started the "gross-out" film genre, which became one of Hollywood's staples. It also featured the screen debuts ofJohn Belushi,Karen Allen andKevin Bacon.
In 1980, Landis co-wrote and directedThe Blues Brothers, a comedy starring John Belushi andDan Aykroyd. It featured musical numbers byR&B andsoul legendsJames Brown,Cab Calloway,Aretha Franklin,Ray Charles andJohn Lee Hooker. It was, at the time, one of the most expensive films ever made, costing almost $30 million (for comparison,Steven Spielberg's contemporary film1941 cost $35 million). It is speculated that Spielberg and Landis engaged in a rivalry, the goal of which was to make the more expensive film.[6] The rivalry might have been a friendly one, as Spielberg makes a cameo appearance inBlues Brothers (as the unnamed desk clerk near the end) and Landis had made a cameo in1941 as a messenger.
In 1981, Landis wrote and directed anothercult-status film, the comedy-horrorAn American Werewolf in London. It was perhaps Landis' most personal project; he had been planning to make it since 1969, while in Yugoslavia working onKelly's Heroes. It was another commercial success for Landis and inspired studios to put comedic elements in their horror films.
On July 23, 1982, during the filming ofTwilight Zone: The Movie, actorVic Morrow and child actors Myca Dinh Le (age 7) and Renee Shin-Yi Chen (age 6) were killed in an accident involving an out-of-control helicopter. The three were caught under the aircraft when it crashed, and Morrow and one child were decapitated.[12]
In June 1983, Landis, associate producerGeorge Folsey Jr., production manager Dan Allingham, head of special effects Paul Stewart and helicopter pilot Dorcey Wingo were charged withinvoluntary manslaughter.[13] In December, Morrow's daughtersJennifer Jason Leigh and Carrie Morrow also sued Landis, Wingo,Warner Bros. Studios and others for negligence and wrongful death, resulting in Warner Bros. settling their case out of court, awarding $850,000 to each party.[14] Following the accident, Spielberg ended his friendship with Landis.[15][16]
In October 1984, theNational Transportation Safety Board reported:
The probable cause of the accident was the detonation of debris-laden high temperature special effects explosions too near a low-flying helicopter leading to foreign object damage to one rotor blade anddelamination due to heat to the other rotor blade, the separation of the helicopter's tail rotor assembly, and the uncontrolled descent of the helicopter. The proximity of the helicopter to the special effects explosions was due to the failure to establish direct communications and coordination between the pilot, who was in command of the helicopter operation, and the film director, who was in charge of the filming operation.[17]
The lawsuit finally proceeded in 1985.[18] Landis insisted that the deaths of Morrow, Le and Chen were the result of an accident.[19] However, camera operators filming the scene testified to Landis being a very imperious director, and a "yeller and screamer" on set.[20] During a take three hours before the incident, Wingo (a veteran of theVietnam War) told Landis that the fireballs were too large and too close to the helicopter, to which Landis responded, "You ain't seen nothing yet."[21] With special effects explosions blasting around them, the helicopter descended over Morrow, Le, and Chen. Witnesses testified that Landis was still shouting for the helicopter to fly "Lower! Lower!" moments before it crashed.[22]
The prosecutors demonstrated that Landis was reckless and had not warned the parents, cast or crew of the children's and Morrow's proximity to explosives, or of limitations on their working hours.[12] He admitted that he had violated California law regulating the employment of children by using the children after hours, and conceded that that was wrong, but still denied culpability.[12]Metallurgist Gary Fowler testified that the heat from two explosions engulfed and delaminated the helicopter's tail rotor, causing it to fall off, and that there had been "no historical basis" for the phenomenon.[23]
Deputy District Attorney Lea Purwin D'Agostino stated that Landis was acting "cool", "slippery" and "glib" during the trial, and that his testimony contained inconsistencies.[21] After a ten-month jury trial that took place in 1986 and 1987, Landis—represented by criminal defense attorneysHarland Braun andJames F. Neal—and the other crew members were acquitted of the charges.[24][25][26]
Both Le's and Chen's parents later filed civil suits against Landis and other defendants and eventually settled out of court with the studio for $2 million per family.[27] In 1988, Landis was reprimanded by theDirectors Guild of America for unprofessional conduct on the set of the film and the California Labor Commission fined him $5,000 for violatingchild labor laws.[15] Additionally,Cal/OSHA issued 36 citations and $62,375 in fines, although this amount was later reduced to $1,350.[15] Warner Bros. vice president John Silvia also spearheaded a committee to create new safety standards for the film industry.[18]
During an interview with journalist Giulia D'Agnolo Vallan, Landis said, "When you read about the accident, they say we were blowing up huts—which we weren't—and that debris hit the tail rotor of the helicopter—which it didn't. TheFBI Crime Lab, who was working for the prosecution, finally figured out that the tail rotor delaminated, which is why the pilot lost control. Thespecial effects man who made the mistake by setting off a fireball at the wrong time was never charged."[6]
Trading Places, aPrince and the Pauper–style comedy starringDan Aykroyd andEddie Murphy, was filmed directly after theTwilight Zone accident. After filming ended, Landis and his family went to London. The film, a big hit at the box office (the 4th-most-popular movie of 1983) did well enough for Landis' image and career to improve, along with his involvement withMichael Jackson's "Thriller".
Next, Landis directedInto the Night, starringJeff Goldblum,Michelle Pfeiffer andDavid Bowie, and appeared in the film, which was inspired byHitchcock productions, as an Iranian hitman. To promote the film, Landis collaborated withJeff Okun to direct a documentary film calledB.B. King "Into the Night".
His next film,Spies Like Us (starring co-writerDan Aykroyd andChevy Chase), was an homage to theRoad to ... films ofBob Hope andBing Crosby. It was the 10th-most-popular movie of 1985. Hope made a cameo in the Landis film, portraying himself.[28]
In 1986, Landis directedThree Amigos, which featured Chevy Chase,Martin Short andSteve Martin. He then co-directed and produced the 1987 satirical comedy filmAmazon Women on the Moon, which parodies the experience of watching low-budget films on late-night television.
Landis next directed the 1988Eddie Murphy filmComing to America, which was hugely successful, becoming the third-most-popular movie of 1988 at the U.S. box office. It was also the subject ofBuchwald v. Paramount, a civil suit filed byArt Buchwald in 1990 against the film's producers. Buchwald claimed that the concept for the film had been stolen from a 1982 script thatParamount optioned from Buchwald, and won the breach of contract action.[29]
In 1991, Landis directedSylvester Stallone inOscar, based on aClaude Magnier [fr] stage play.Oscar recreates a 1930s-era film, including the gestures along with bit acts and with some slapstick, as an homage to old Hollywood films.[30] In 1992, Landis directedInnocent Blood, ahorror-crime film. In 1994, Landis directed Eddie Murphy inBeverly Hills Cop III, their third collaboration followingTrading Places andComing to America. In 1996, he directedThe Stupids and then returned to Universal to directBlues Brothers 2000 in 1998 withJohn Goodman and, for the fifth time in a Landis film,Dan Aykroyd, who also appeared in Landis' filmSusan's Plan, released that same year. None of the above six films scored well with critics nor audiences.
Burke and Hare was released in 2010, as Landis' first theatrical release in 12 years.
In August 2011, Landis said he would return to horror and would be writing a new film.[31][32] He was the executive producer on thecomedy horror filmSome Guy Who Kills People.
Landis has directed several music videos. He was approached byMichael Jackson to make a video for his song "Thriller".[6] The resulting video significantly impacted MTV and the concept of music videos; it has won numerous awards, including the Video Vanguard Award for The Greatest Video in the History of the World. In 2009 (months before Jackson died), Landis sued the Jackson estate in a dispute overroyalties for the video; he claimed to be owed at least four years' worth of royalties.[33][34]
In 1991, Landis collaborated again with Michael Jackson on the music video for the song "Black or White".
Landis has been active in television as the executive producer (and often director) of the seriesDream On (1990),Weird Science (1994),Sliders (1995),Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show (1997),Campus Cops (1995),The Lost World (1998),Masters of Horror, and various episodes ofPsych. He also made commercials forDirecTV,Taco Bell,Coca-Cola,Pepsi,Kellogg's, andDisney. In 2011 he made an appearance inReece Shearsmith andSteve Pemberton's television seriesPsychoville. In June 2020, Landis signed on to direct and executive produce the streaming seriesSuperhero Kindergarten.[35]
Landis made his first documentary,Coming Soon, in 1982; it was only released on VHS. In 1983, he worked on the 45-minute documentaryMaking Michael Jackson's Thriller, which aired onMTV andShowtime and was simultaneously released on home video, which became the biggest selling home video release of the time.[36] Next, he co-directedB.B. King "Into the Night" (1985) and in 2002 directedWhere Are They Now?: A Delta Alumni Update, which can be seen as a part of theAnimal House DVD extras. Initially, his documentaries were only made to promote his feature films. Later in his career he became more serious about the oeuvre and madeSlasher (2004),Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project (2007) andStarz Inside: Ladies or Gentlemen (2009) for television. Landis won a 2008Emmy Award forMr. Warmth.[37] In 2023, he appeared in the Spanish documentaryThe Man Who Saw Frankenstein Cry, which covered the career of Spanish movie directorPaul Naschy.[38] Landis was friends withChristopher Lee and he appeared in the documentaryThe Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee (2024).[39]
Landis' moving image collection is held at theAcademy Film Archive.[40] The film material at the Archive is complemented by photographs, artwork and posters found in Landis' papers at theAcademy'sMargaret Herrick Library.[41]
Landis is married toDeborah Nadoolman, a costume designer. They have two children, includingMax. In aBBC Radio interview, he stated that he is anatheist.[42] The family lives inBeverly Hills, California.[43] They had purchasedRock Hudson's estate in Beverly Crest.[44]
In 2009, Landis signed a petition in support of directorRoman Polanski, who had been detained while traveling to a film festival in relation to his 1977sexual abuse charges. The petition argued that the detention would undermine the tradition of film festivals as a place for works to be shown "freely and safely", and that arresting filmmakers traveling to neutral countries could open the door "for actions of which no-one can know the effects."[45][46]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Schlock | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1977 | The Kentucky Fried Movie | Yes | No | No | |
| 1978 | Animal House | Yes | No | No | a.k.a.National Lampoon's Animal House |
| 1980 | The Blues Brothers | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1981 | An American Werewolf in London | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1982 | Coming Soon | Yes | Yes | Yes | Documentary |
| 1983 | Trading Places | Yes | No | No | |
| Twilight Zone: The Movie | Yes | Yes | Yes | Segments "Prologue" and "Time Out" | |
| 1985 | Into the Night | Yes | No | No | plus actor, as one of the Iranian henchmen |
| Spies Like Us | Yes | No | No | ||
| Clue | No | Story | Executive | Co-story with Jonathan Lynn | |
| 1986 | ¡Three Amigos! | Yes | No | No | |
| 1987 | Amazon Women on the Moon | Yes | No | Executive | Segments "Mondo Condo", "Hospital", "Blacks Without Soul" and "Video Date" |
| 1988 | Coming to America | Yes | No | No | |
| 1991 | Oscar | Yes | No | No | |
| 1992 | Innocent Blood | Yes | No | No | |
| 1994 | Beverly Hills Cop III | Yes | No | No | |
| 1996 | The Stupids | Yes | No | No | |
| 1998 | Blues Brothers 2000 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Susan's Plan | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2010 | Burke and Hare | Yes | No | No |
Executive producer
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Kelly's Heroes | Sister Rosa Stigmata | Uncredited; Also production assistant |
| 1973 | Battle for the Planet of the Apes | Jake's Friend | |
| Schlock | Schlock | ||
| 1975 | Death Race 2000 | Mechanic | |
| 1977 | The Kentucky Fried Movie | TV Technician | Uncredited |
| 1979 | The Muppet Movie | Grover | Uncredited, puppetry only in Rainbow Connection Finale scene |
| 1941 | Mizerany | ||
| 1980 | The Blues Brothers | Trooper La Fong | |
| 1981 | An American Werewolf in London | Man Being Smashed Into Window | Uncredited |
| 1982 | Eating Raoul | Man who bumps into Mary | |
| 1983 | Trading Places | Man with briefcase | |
| 1984 | The Muppets Take Manhattan | Leonard Winesop | |
| 1985 | Into the Night | SAVAK | plus director |
| 1990 | Spontaneous Combustion | Radio Technician | |
| Darkman | Physician | ||
| 1992 | Sleepwalkers | Lab Technician | |
| Body Chemistry II: Voice of a Stranger | Dr. Edwards | ||
| Venice/Venice | Himself | ||
| 1994 | The Silence of the Hams | FBI Agent | |
| 1996 | Vampirella | Astronaut #1 | |
| 1997 | Laws of Deception | Judge Trevino | |
| Mad City | Doctor | ||
| 1999 | Diamonds | Gambler | |
| Freeway II: Confessions of a Trickbaby | Judge | ||
| 2004 | Surviving Eden | Doctor Levine | |
| Spider-Man 2 | Doctor | ||
| 2005 | The Axe | Père copain Maxime | |
| Torrente 3: El protector | Embajador árabe | ||
| 2007 | Look | Aggravated Director | |
| 2012 | Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader | Professor | |
| 2015 | Wrestling Isn't Wrestling | Therapist | Short film |
| Tales of Halloween | Jebediah Rex | Segment "The Ransom of Rusty Rex" |
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Holmes & Yo-Yo | No | No | Story | Episode "Key Witness" |
| 1985 | Disneyland's 30th Anniversary Celebration | Yes | No | No | TV documentary |
| George Burns Comedy Week | Yes | No | No | Episode "Disaster at Buzz Creek" | |
| 1990–1996 | Dream On | Yes | Executive | No | Directed 17 episodes |
| 1990 | Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Celebration | Yes | No | No | TV documentary |
| 1994 | Weird Science | No | Executive | No | |
| 1995 | Sliders | No | Executive | No | |
| 1996 | Campus Cops | Yes | Executive | No | Directed episodes "Muskrat Ramble" and "3,001" |
| 1997–1999 | Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show | Yes | Executive | No | Directed episode "Honey, Name That Tune" |
| 1999–2002 | The Lost World | No | Executive | No | |
| 2002 | The Kronenberg Chronicles | Yes | Executive | No | Unaired pilot |
| 2004 | Slasher | Yes | No | No | Television documentary |
| 2005–2006 | Masters of Horror | Yes | No | Yes | Directed and co-wrote episode "Deer Woman" Directed episode "Family" |
| 2007 | Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project | Yes | Yes | No | TV documentary |
| 2007–2008 | Psych | Yes | No | No | 3 episodes |
| 2008 | Fear Itself | Yes | No | No | Episode "In Sickness and in Health" |
| Starz Inside: Ladies or Gentlemen | No | Executive | No | TV documentary | |
| 2011 | Wendy Liebman: Taller on TV | No | Yes | No | Stand-up special |
| 2012 | Franklin & Bash | Yes | No | No | Episode "Voir Dire" |
| 2021 | Superhero Kindergarten | Yes | Executive | No | 26 episodes[35] |
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Six Million Dollar Man | Michael | Episode "The Pal-Mir Escort" |
| 1990 | Psycho IV: The Beginning | Mike Calveccio | TV movie |
| 1991–1994 | Dream On | Herb | Episodes "Futile Attraction" and "Where There's Smoke, You're Fired" |
| 1994 | The Stand | Russ Dorr | Episode "The Stand" |
| 2011 | Psychoville | Director | Episode "Dinner Party" |
| Year | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Thriller | Michael Jackson |
| 1985 | My Lucille | B.B. King |
| Into the Night | ||
| In the Midnight Hour | ||
| 1986 | Spies Like Us | Paul McCartney |
| 1991 | Black or White | Michael Jackson |
| Year | Title and description | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | See You Next Wednesday, a fictional "musical autobiography" of himself if he died at 19 years old | [47][48] |
| Teenage Vampire, avampire film set in 1950sOhio | [49][50] | |
| The Spy Who Loved Me | [51][52][53] | |
| Close Encounters of the Third Kind, retitled fromProject Bluebook | [54][53] | |
| The Thing | [55] | |
| Fatal Voyage, a film co-written with John Barry described as an "Alien ripped off script" | [56][57] | |
| Big Trouble, afantasyadventure film co-written withDouglas Kenney andHarold Ramis set partially on another planet | [58][59] | |
| A Chorus Line | [60] | |
| The Incredible Shrinking Woman | [61][62][63] | |
| Burger City, aTV pilot co-written with Paula Levenback and Wendy Riche set inside ahamburger restaurant | [64] | |
| A film adaptation of SirArthur Conan Doyle's novelThe Lost World written byRichard Matheson | [65][66] | |
| 1980s | Barnum, abiopic of circus showmanP. T. Barnum written byBill Lancaster starringJohn Belushi | [67][68][53] |
| A film adaptation ofMark Twain's novelA Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court written byWaldo Salt | [69][70][71][72] | |
| Dick Tracy starringClint Eastwood | [73][74][75][53] | |
| Whereabouts, a mystery adventure written byJim Cash andJack Epps Jr. | [76][77] | |
| Clue | [78] | |
| Little Shop of Horrors | [79] | |
| Club Paradise | [80] | |
| 1990s | The Lone Ranger, a film based on theeponymous character written byGeorge MacDonald Fraser | [81][72][82][83] |
| A remake of the 1933 filmKing Kong | [84][85] | |
| Red Sleep, avampire film co-written withMick Garris,Richard Christian Matheson andHarry Shearer set inLas Vegas | [86][75][87] | |
| A sequel to his filmAn American Werewolf in London | [88][53] | |
| Anunaired TV pilot based onThorne Smith's novelTopper, starringTim Curry,Courteney Cox andBen Cross | [89][90] | |
| Fastlane, a two-hourtelevision film about people on the road with a "bitchin' car" | [91][92][93] | |
| Call Me a Cop, a comedy about a group ofgangsters who disguise themselves aspolicemen | [94][95] | |
| Cast of Characters, a film written byPeter Barnes andLarry Cohen | [96][97] | |
| The Return of Willard, a sequel toWillard starringBruce Davison | [98] | |
| Really Scary, ananthology horror film with segments directed by Landis,Guillermo del Toro,Sam Raimi andJoe Dante | [99][53][100] | |
| 2000s | Gone, a thriller set in ahaunted house | [101][102][103] |
| A film adaptation ofKeythe Farley andBrian Flemming'srock musicalBat Boy | [104][51] | |
| A film adaptation of Larry Coen andDavid Crane's one-act playEpic Proportions written byTodd Berger | [105][54] | |
| The Missionary Position, retitled fromMissionary Impossible, a comedy written by Glen Brackenridge and Curtis Brien | [106][54][107] | |
| Show Dogs, a comedy about a homelessJack Russell Terrier written by Mike Bender | [106][51] | |
| A film adaptation ofMike Richardson's novelCut | [108] | |
| The Wolfman | [109] | |
| Ghoulishly Yours, William M. Gaines, a biopic ofEC Comics publisherWilliam Gaines written byJoel Eisenberg | [110][111] | |
| The Bone Orchard, aWestern about Chinese vampires written by M. D. Presley starringRussell Brand andMila Kunis | [112][113][53] | |
| A film adaptation ofRichard Brinsley Sheridan's five-act playThe Rivals starringJoseph Fiennes,Albert Finney,James Corden,Imelda Staunton andPaul Whitehouse | [112][114][115][116] | |
| 2010s | Untitled Parisianmonster movie co-written withAlexandre Gavras | [31][116][117] |
| 2020s | Superhero Kindergartenlive-action TV series | [35] |
| UntitledSuperhero Kindergarten filmspin-off |
Other unmade projects include a book he was working on as of 2015,[118] a TV series adapted from an unproduced feature script that he was hoping to make as of 2016,[67] and aBroadway show he was said to be planning as of 2023.[119]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)I wrote a script in, like, '69, '70, calledSee You Next Wednesday, which is sort of... it's afantasy, it's amusical autobiography of me if I died at nineteen, and it's terrible but it has really good ideas, and it'll never get made.
...so when I sawChorus Line years later I was thinking this is good, this is accurate. I almost madethat movie. [...] Yeah, and then a terrible thing happened. [...] Well, [I'll] tell you, the deal on that movie was... that show was—like many shows—they sell it to the movies, but only after itsBroadway run. That show ran, you know, for many years.
Also used in the film was an excerpt from Mark Twain's novel,A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, which a 31 Jul 1981DV news item identified as a film project Landis planned to direct in 1983.
Leonard [Maltin] also said that he'd heard that, at one point, John Landis had been considering aLone Ranger script written byFlashman writer George MacDonald Fraser—a script now perhaps lost forever.
This is an early intro sequence for the "Action Pack" wheel of programs from 1994. Note that it includes 'Fastlane'. From what I can tell this was never produced. It was intended as a vehicle for John Landis to direct, about a pair of friends who find an abandoned spaceship. They did get so far as to create a mockup of the spaceship/car/whatever it was
{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)...I'm leaving forLondon in a week to make another movie even more obscure thanBurke & Hare! [...] Do you knowrestoration comedy? [...] It'sSheridan'sThe Rivals, and it takes place inBath and London in 1775 [...] it's withJoe Fiennes andAlbert Finney, a lot of good English actors.
