As we all know, Hollywood is a fickle mistress. For a movie to actually be made, a lot of items must first be checked off a list, and it’s not at all uncommon for projects to fold right before, on the day of, or even into actual shooting.

Nothing is ever guaranteed.

Not surprisingly, this means there are innumerable fantasy or sci-fi themed projects that have almost seen the light of day, but were ultimately canned. Here we take a look at a choice few.

Superman Lives

Back in the 90s, long before Brandon Routh pulled on the red-and-blue in Superman Returns, there was a lot of attention being given to another Kryptonian project. The buzz was partially good — written by Kevin Smith — and partially abysmal — starring Nicolas Cage.

I think most Superman fans can agree that this project disappearing is one of the best things to have ever happened to the Superman legacy, and indeed, movies in general. Seriously? Nicolas Cage?

Night Skies

Still fresh from the success of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Steven Spielberg was planning on making another flick about aliens. But rather than continue the sweet tone of Encounters, The Berg was planning a very different film. His imagination conjured up a dark, horrific tale where a family living in a farmhouse is terrorized by nasty aliens with mean tempers and long, hideously bony fingers that they reach out and touch you with, resulting in your death.

In a truly fascinating example of how nothing creative ever goes to waste, the film evolved into a family-friendly tale of a young boy bonding with an alien whose long, bony finger brings not death but healing, and ET continues to be one of the most loved movies of all time.

Ender’s Game

Controversial nutjob author Orson Scott Card’s tale of a heroic young boy who saves the world was written in 1985 (based on an earlier novella), and since then movie studios have been attempting to turn his work into a feature film. Unfortunately for Card, he wrote a tough story to translate to screen: an epic battle is fought by a group of adult-like genius children, which means expensive effects and a roster of characters that’s very hard to cast.

Toss in the fact that Card is a vicious, foaming-at-the-mouth anti-gay bigot, and you don’t really have a package many Hollywood types would come running to. Ender’s Game is likely to go down in history as the cool movie that could have been but never will.

Halo

Now here’s a film that has a slight chance of actually happening, but my guess is the project is just too ambitious for enough people to get on board and get their collective mojo working. One of the most popular shooters, the original Halo wowed audiences with its at-the-time ground-breaking visuals and wild but easily-digested science fiction storyline.

A movie seemed almost inevitable, and for a while, geek god Peter Jackson was even attached as a producer. Since then, momentum has fizzled, and while anything can happen, I wouldn’t hold your breath.

The Lord of the Rings … Starring The Beatles

Speaking of Peter Jackson, we all know the jovial Kiwi best for his outstanding job helming the Lord of the Rings films back in the early ’00s. Before these films, there was an animated adaptation of the classic, with the first part by Ralph Bakshi and the second by Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass.

But before the epic fantasy was even a twinkle in these filmmakers’ eyes, there was another group of Tolkien enthusiasts who wanted to make a Rings film. They went by the names John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

If that’s not bizarre enough for you, John Lennon had his eye on the role of … Gollum. Admittedly, the rest of the casting was actually pretty good: Paul as Frodo, Ringo as Sam, and George as Gandalf.

But while I love the Beatles, and I love The Lord of the Rings, like beer and ice cream, not everything we love should mix.

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A debate has raged around this month’s release of Shadow Complex, the critically-acclaimed (and now bestselling) platform-adventure game based on a series of science fiction books by Orson Scott Card.

Though he is the very successful author of Ender’s Game and many other books, Card has long held extremely anti-gay views, even recently seeming to argue for the violent overthrow of the U.S. government should the state of California continue to legalize same-sex marriage: “How long before married people answer the dictators thus: Regardless of law, marriage has only one definition, and any government that attempts to change it is my mortal enemy. I will act to destroy that government and bring it down.”

Card has also argued that gay people should be put in prison, writing, “Laws against homosexual behavior should remain on the books, not to be indiscriminately enforced against anyone who happens to be caught violating them, but to be used when necessary to send a clear message that those who flagrantly violate society’s regulation of sexual behavior cannot be permitted to remain as acceptable, equal citizens within that society.”

But Shadow Complex does not include any of Card’s anti-gay views, and the author himself reportedly had little to do with its creation.

Still, it is based on his work, and he does receive money from the sale of the game. In simple terms, some gamers don’t want to give their money to a man whose views they despise. And they’re suggesting that others withhold their dollars as well.

A similar controversy swirled around Dragon Quest, because Koichi Sugiyama, the composer for all editions of the game, is a Japanese nationalist activist who openly denies of the Rape of Nanking.

And Card has also been the object of many other protests for his anti-gay views, most recently in early 2008 when he was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award for, ironically, “helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world.”

But the reaction of many gamers to the call for a Shadow Complex boycott has been openly dismissive. At neogaf.com, accusations ranged from “Holy crap, it’s just a game” to “I keep my gaming and my political / personal opinions separate. Therefore this kind of thing doesn’t get in the way of me playing an excellent game.”

At one point, a moderator even shut the thread down, claiming the whole idea of a boycott was “stupid.”

And it’s worth asking: are an artist’s personal views relevant when judging his or her art? Are the calls for a boycott violating Card’s rights to free speech and free expression?

“Card’s political beliefs sure didn’t come up during the game’s development,” Mark Rein, vice president of the company that makes the game, told Kotaku. “Even if they had, we don’t discriminate when hiring or choosing partners based on people’s personal beliefs. Heck, Gears of War was made by Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and even a few Canadians like me. It takes all kinds to make great creative games.”

But no one is saying that the company didn’t have the right to make the game, or that others can’t choose to buy the game. They’re just saying that they personally find Card’s well-publicized views and open anti-gay activism offensive. And that by supporting him and his work, you’re supporting his views.

No one has a “right” to have their views go unchallenged, especially if they’re as bigoted as Card’s. The call for a boycott is also a part of free speech.

Indeed, part of the boycott, and part of the general push-back against Orson Scott Card is to stigmatize and marginalize him and his opinions. That’s also part of what free speech is about.

“Money is important, but far more important to [Orson Scott Card], and to history, is his legacy,” writes GayGamer, who has mixed feelings about the boycott. “You can tell from his reactions how much being called a homophobe rankles him. Increasingly and through his own work, the line on Orson Scott Card has moved away from ‘respected science fiction author’ to ‘kind of insane about this whole gay thing.’ As his views become more and more fringe, and we continue to gain the rights he’s fighting against, he’ll retreat further into a conservative ghetto.”

GayGamer also has what many are calling the perfect compromise: “I think if you’re obviously too disgusted to enjoy the game, avoid it, and speak out. However, if you want to play the game, play it. Enjoy it, but offset the hate: if you buy Shadow Complex, donate $5, $10, $15 if you can spare it to a gay charity. Let them know why you’re giving the money. Card won’t get nearly that much per game. In message boards or user reviews, in blogs or tweets, if it comes up, let people know exactly what Card has said on the matter, and where, and damn him with his own language.”