Adam McKay's unrealized projects
The following is a list of unproduced Adam McKay projects in roughly chronological order. American filmmaker Adam McKay has worked on several projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction. Some of these projects never went beyond development, were officially canceled, or progressed under a different production team.
1990s
August Blowout
In 1999, McKay and Will Ferrell wrote the business comedy August Blowout. The premise reportedly was to have seen Ferrell starring as a car salesman desperate to make his sales quote during his dealership's annual August clearance sale. While the script impressed both Ben Stiller and Paul Thomas Anderson, McKay and Ferrell opted to make Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy instead, but would later produce a similar-plotted comedy, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard.
2000s
Utopia Road
In 2001, McKay co-wrote the screenplay Utopia Road with Jay Roach attached to direct, but it fell through, and Etan Cohen later rewrote. According to Variety, the project was a comedy inspired by Roach's nearby idyllic neighborhood and "pits the neighborhood's most relentless socializer against a privacy-craving newcomer."
Land of the Lost film
In 2005, McKay was set to write, direct and produce a film adaptation of the television series Land of the Lost with Will Ferrell and Jack Black set to star, but Brad Silberling ended up directing the film without Black.
CEO
In 2005, McKay was set to direct the comedy CEO from a screenplay by Ian Roberts and Jay Martel, but made Step Brothers instead.
Channel 3 Billion
In 2008, McKay was set to direct and produce a sci-fi comedy film similar to Brazil entitled Channel 3 Billion, which he co-wrote with Dennis McNichols around the time The Other Guys started filming, but there has been no word about the film since.
2010s
The Boys movie
Untitled Lee Atwater biopic
On August 5, 2010,
3 Mississippi
In 2011, McKay was in talks to direct the Thanksgiving comedy film 3 Mississippi, with Robert Carlock and Scott Silveri writing the script and Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, and Jeremy Renner cast in the film for Warner Bros. But on April 11, 2012, Sean Anders was hired to direct the film instead as McKay was going to start Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.
Swear to God
On June 29, 2011, McKay was attached to produce and direct the remake of Swear to God with Will Ferrell attached to star in after Warner Bros. bought Alan Cohen and Alan Freedland’s screenplay. On August 10, 2012, Justin Theroux was hired to direct the movie instead of McKay.
Uptown Saturday Night remake
On April 26, 2012, McKay was set to direct the remake of Uptown Saturday Night with Will Smith and Denzel Washington possibly attached to star. On November 25, 2013, Nicholas Stoller was hired to write the screenplay for McKay’s remake, and Smith and Washington were set to star when their schedules line up.
Untitled Wall Street comedy series
On May 14, 2012, Deadline Hollywood announced that HBO was developing single-camera comedy series written by McKay and Chris Henchy, and planned to star Rob Riggle. Set in the world of bond traders in 1980s Wall Street, the series was to have reportedly followed "a successful, hard-living boss who lives a dark, self-centered, unhealthy life." The project was to have been executive produced by McKay and Henchy alongside Will Ferrell through Gary Sanchez Productions, as well as Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Peter Principato and Paul Young.
Border Guards
On April 15, 2014, McKay was eyeing to direct the comedy movie Border Guards for Columbia Pictures.
Untitled Seth Rogen/Ben Schwartz comedy film
On September 18, 2014, it was reported that McKay would team with Ben Schwartz and Seth Rogen to direct them in an untitled comedy written by Schwartz. Gary Sanchez Productions, Point Grey Pictures and Good Universe preemptively purchased Schwartz's pitch. While the involved parties all seemed enthusiastic about the collaboration at the time, the proposed film never went beyond the planning stage.
Archie stage musical
On August 5, 2015, McKay was set to write the Broadway musical based on Archie as a collaboration between Funny or Die and Archie Comics.
Irredeemable film
On May 5, 2016, McKay was set to direct and produce a film adaptation of Mark Waid’s comic book series Irredeemable, with Tommy Wirkola writing the screenplay, Boom Studios Ross Richie, Stephen Christy and Adam Yoelin producing and 20th Century Fox distributing. But, on March 17, 2022, Netflix and Boom Studios were set to adapt Irredeemable and Incorruptible into a single film with Jeymes Samuel set to direct and produce and Kemp Powers writing the screenplay, without McKay's involvement.
Bad Blood biopic
Untitled Jeffrey Epstein limited series
On October 30, 2019,
2020s
The Uninhabitable Earth TV series
On January 15, 2020,
Kings of America TV series
On August 4, 2020,
Average Height, Average Build
On April 30, 2023, McKay was set to write, direct, and produce Average Height, Average Build with Robert Pattinson, Amy Adams, Robert Downey Jr., Forest Whitaker, and Danielle Deadwyler set to star and Netflix distributing. On December 4, 2023, McKay decided to scrap this movie for a climate change movie for Netflix.
Untitled climate change film
On December 4, 2023,
Producer only
HBO I Don’t Care About Your Band TV series
On July 29, 2010, McKay was set to produce the television adaptation of Julie Klausner’s memoir I Don’t Care About Your Band for HBO with Jessica Elbaum set as the show creator and Lizzy Caplan set to portray Klausner.
Wheels
On December 7, 2010,
The Social Life
On December 15, 2011, On April 17, 2014,
King Dork
On March 8, 2012,
Crazy U
On March 26, 2012,
Untitled Adam Pally And Gil Ozeri film
On September 7, 2012,
Untitled threesome comedy film
On October 5, 2012,
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters sequel
On March 18, 2013,
Devil's Night
On October 11, 2013,
Untitled June Diane Raphael and Casey Wilson film
On November 18, 2013,
Match Maker
On April 3, 2014,
The Yank
On April 28, 2014,
Manimal animated film
On July 22, 2014, McKay was attached to produce the animated movie adaptation of the TV series Manimal through Sony Pictures Animation.
Plus One
On October 23, 2014,
Untitled escape convict film
On April 14, 2016,
Operation Prince of Freedom
On September 29, 2016,
Untitled wrestling comedy film
On October 21, 2016,
The Collector TV series
On May 5, 2017, McKay was set to produce Mark Cullen’s gambling addiction drama TV series The Collector for TNT.
The 100 Year-Old Man
On August 21, 2017,
Things You Should Already Know TV series
On August 23, 2017,
First Ladies
On May 18, 2018,
Intruders
On May 24, 2018,
American Huckster
On February 22, 2019,
Nice White Parents TV series
On December 4, 2020,
Cutblock TV series
On December 18, 2020, McKay was set to produce the limited series Cutblock for HBO through Hyperobjects Industries.
Sugar TV series
On April 8, 2021,
Untitled COVID vaccine drama series
On December 16, 2021,
J6
On January 20, 2022,
Big Swiss TV series
On March 16, 2022,
Breeders
On June 22, 2022,
Disorientation
On September 27, 2022,
The Freshening
On March 7, 2023,
Flesh of the Gods
On May 2, 2024,
Monsanto
On May 8, 2024,
The Chair Company
On September 14, 2024,
Five
On October 1, 2024,
