19 Movies that took way too long to produce

Reception And Press Preview Celebrating The Opening Of "The Art Of Avatar: The Way Of Water" Immersive Experience - Source: Getty
Reception And Press Preview Celebrating The Opening Of "The Art Of Avatar: The Way Of Water" Immersive Experience - Source: Getty

Making movies is not an easy task and comes with numerous challenges. Some movies do not face the challenges while some movies go through a lot of challenges during their production stretching the rigorous task of filmmaking even more. In this list, we are going to talk about 19 Movies that took way too long to produce.

1) Eraserhead

Eraserhead | Image Via: AFI Center for Advanced Studies
Eraserhead | Image Via: AFI Center for Advanced Studies

The movie Eraserhead had a considerably long production time of approximately 5 years. Produced by David Lynch the movie faced the challenge of funding which caused interruption during the production of the movie. Lynch had a unique vision for the movie which took longer to produce however the movie became an immense success among the viewers.

2) Boyhood

Boyhood | Image Via: IFC Productions
Boyhood | Image Via: IFC Productions

The movie took 12 years to complete which is quite a long time and it was because of several reasons. Boyhood was directed by Richard Linklater who wanted to capture the growth of the young boy played by Ellar Coltrane which because of this long production time helped him achieve the subtle details of the change in the actor as he grew up. This was an unconventional approach, however, the movie is acclaimed for its unique demonstration of storytelling.

3) Kill It and Leave This Town

Kill It and Leave This Town | Image Via: Bombonierka
Kill It and Leave This Town | Image Via: Bombonierka

Kill It And Leave This Town took a long time to produce. It took fourteen years to bring out the vision of Director Mariusz. He wanted to be meticulous with the creation and animation, each frame of which was done by hand. The film was deeply personal to the director which reflected his childhood and experiences.

4) The Other Side of the Wind

The Other Side | Image Via: Netflix
The Other Side | Image Via: Netflix

The Other Side Of The Wind is one of the movies with the longest time to produce. This movie took 40 years to produce because of several reasons. Directed by Orson Welles the movie began its shooting in 1970. However, The Other Side Of The Wind faced legal, financial, and political issues which became a hurdle and prevented it from continuing with the production properly. The movie was released in 2018 after taking more than 40 years.

5) Steamboy

Steamboy | Image Via: Sony Pictures
Steamboy | Image Via: Sony Pictures

Steamboy directed by Katsuhiro Otomo took ten years to produce. The movie pushed the boundaries of animation with its use of traditional hand-drawn techniques along with CGI. The intricate details and elaborate scenes required time to produce. The movie was visually stunning and has been appraised by the viewers worldwide.

6) 5-25-77

5-25-77 | Image Via: Moonwatcher Inc.
5-25-77 | Image Via: Moonwatcher Inc.

The movie 5-25-77 took 18 years to produce. Director Patrick Read Johnson mostly self-financed the movie which caused slow progress in the production. Securing funding for an independent movie is often difficult as a result the movie took so long to produce. Johnson who is known for his perfectionism required numerous reshoots and post-production work to create this movie.

7) Why Is Yellow the Middle of the Rainbow?

Why Is Yellow The Middle Of The Rainbow? | Image Via: Third World Projector
Why Is Yellow The Middle Of The Rainbow? | Image Via: Third World Projector

Why Is Yellow the Middle of the Rainbow? took a long time to produce about 13 years and was released in the year 1994. The movie was directed by Kidlat Tahimik who also wrote the movie and was behind the cinematography as well. The movie is a deeply personal movie that delves into the themes of identity, colonialism, and globalization.

8) Avatar: The Way of Water

Avatar: The Way Of Water | Image Via: TSG Entertainment
Avatar: The Way Of Water | Image Via: TSG Entertainment

Avatar: The Way Of Water took nearly 13 years to produce and release in the year 2022. James Cameron who is known for his perfectionism and breaking boundaries of cinematography pushed boundaries for this movie as well. The underwater motion capture required significant research and development which required time to perfect. Though the long production time was frustrating the movie had a groundbreaking success at the box office.

9) Blood Tea and Red String

Blood Tea and Red String | Image Via: Netflix
Blood Tea and Red String | Image Via: Netflix

Another stop motion animated movie which took immense time to produce. Blood Tea And Red String took 13 years to produce. The meticulous technique required for the movie where each frame required to be captured with immense patience and time was a reason for the long production time. In spite of the lengthy time it took the movie received immense critical acclaim.

10) Dead Souls

Dead Souls | Image Via: Icarus Film
Dead Souls | Image Via: Icarus Film

Dead Souls is a documentary movie that was filmed from 2005 to 2017. This movie explores the story of Jiangbiangou. The Director Wang Bin conducted 120 interviews through which the survival story of the people is explained. The movie is eight hours long and has a unique style and pacing.

11) Dangerous Men

Dangerous Men | Image Via: Sima Sim International
Dangerous Men | Image Via: Simma Sim International

This American Thriller movie took twenty-one years to produce and was released in the year 2005. The movie was directed by Jahangir Salehi Yeganehrad who faced several hurdles while filming. He is known for his meticulous approach to filmmaking, as a result, the movie required enough time to align with the director’s vision.

12) The Evil Within

The Evil Within | Image Via: Supernova LLC
The Evil Within | Image Via: Supernova LLC

The movie was directed by Andrew Getty who started filming the movie in 2002. However, the movie took over a decade to release. It was released in 2017 with the filming going on and off for several reasons. There was a budget issue along with conflicts within the cast which added to the long time of production.

13) Shoah

Shoah | Image Via: 	New Yorker Films
Shoah | Image Via: New Yorker Films

Shoah is a documentary movie directed by the esteemed director Claude Lanzmann. The movie took twelve years to produce and was released in the year 1985. The movie tells the story of six million Jews who were murdered during World War II. The footage that the movie has has been shot over 12 years through various interviews.

14) Mad God

Mad God | Image Via: Sh
Mad God | Image Via: Shudder

The movie took 30 years to produce directed by Phil Tippet. Phil Tippet’s vision for this movie using stop motion for the animation of the movie required meticulous detailing which required time. The movie also had funding challenges as it was an independent project which added to the time required for production.

15) On the Silver Globe

On The Silver Globe | Image Via: Netflix
On The Silver Globe | Image Via: Netflix

The movie On The Silver Globe took 12 years to produce and was released in the year 1988. The director Andrzej Żuławski who is known for his unconventional and experimental style had a unique vision for this movie. The filing faced numerous challenges which led to the eventual delay of the movie.

16) Legend of Destruction

Legend Of Destruction | Image Via: Seventh Art Releasing
Legend Of Destruction | Image Via: Seventh Art Releasing

Legend Of Destruction is a Historical Drama animated movie which was directed by Gidi Dar. The movie took about 8 years to finish production and was released in the year 2021. The long time was due to the unique technique used for the animation of the movie. The movie was animated using 1500 still paintings, unlike the usual method of traditional animation techniques.

17) Roar

Roar | Image Via: Film Consortium
Roar | Image Via: Film Consortium

Directed by Noel Marshall this movie took about 5 years for production. The movie took so long to produce because of several reasons including the unpredictable behavior of the animals that featured in the cast of the movie. Their behavior was unpredictable and sometimes even dangerous. The cast members were often injured and there were also issues regarding the funding of the movie.

18) Voyage of Time

Voyage Of Time | Image Via: IMAX Documentary Films Capital
Voyage Of Time | Image Via: IMAX Documentary Films Capital

The movie took about 13 years to produce and was released in 2016. Voyage Of Time was directed and written by Terrence Malick who is known for his poetic and introspective style of movies. The meticulous approach of the director along with editing that was needed to achieve the vision behind the movie was a reason for the delay.

19) Mughal-e-Azam

Mughal-e-Azam | Image Via: Sterling Investment Corporation
Mughal-e-Azam | Image Via: Sterling Investment Corporation

Mughal-e-Azam took 14 years to finish production because of several reasons. The movie faced the challenge of several studio switches along with casting members who were changed. The movie was directed by K. Asif who began filming in the year 1944 but the movie was released in the year 1960 after its struggle with several issues and became an extremely successful and well-known movie.

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Edited by Sugnik Mondal
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