Hollywood is filled with projects that never quite came to fruition. For every successful movie or TV show, many others are abandoned along the way – some early in the development process, and others even after filming is complete. A recent example is the movie Batgirl, which Warner Bros. decided to cancel for financial reasons. But sometimes, a film gets incredibly close to release before being unexpectedly halted, becoming a legendary story in itself. One such story began 33 years ago today.
Filming for Roger Corman’s troubled Fantastic Four movie started on December 28, 1992, directed by music video director Oley Sassone. The shoot lasted between 21 and 25 days, using a sound stage in Venice, California, and nearby locations like the former Pacific Stock Exchange in Los Angeles and the Loyola Marymount University campus. Though the movie—originally planned for release on May 31, 1994, but ultimately shelved—never officially came out, it’s become famous among comic book fans. Even with the Fantastic Four getting several big-screen adaptations, including The Fantastic Four: First Steps, many still hope this early, unfinished version will one day be released.
The 1990s Fantastic Four Was a Weird Project From the Very Start
The story of a Fantastic Four movie began in 1986 when German producer Bernd Eichinger secured the rights through his company, Constantin Film. But due to budget concerns, the film wasn’t immediately made. As the deadline to keep the rights approached – December 31st, 1992 – Eichinger decided to produce a low-budget version to retain them. He hired Roger Corman, known for his B-movies, in September 1992, and filming began on December 28th. By getting production started and securing distribution through Corman’s New Horizons Pictures, Eichinger successfully prevented the rights from expiring.
The movie was made and promoted rapidly, with trailers appearing in the summer of 1993 in theaters and on home video releases. The cast even hired a publicist and planned a premiere at the Mall of America in January 1994, but the event was suddenly canceled. The reason for the cancellation remains unclear. Stan Lee later claimed the film was never intended for release, simply a way to maintain the rights to the Fantastic Four characters. Roger Corman disputed this, saying the rights had been bought out. Eichinger insisted Lee was wrong and that a release was planned, claiming Avi Arad, then a Marvel executive, was involved. However, Arad later revealed he didn’t even know the movie existed. After a fan brought it to his attention, he bought the film and ordered all copies destroyed, worried it would damage Marvel’s reputation. Regardless of the exact details, this low-budget 1990s Fantastic Four film became a legendary piece of Marvel history.
Despite Never Being Released, You Can Watch the 1990s Fantastic Four
The unsuccessful 1994 Fantastic Four movie wasn’t the last attempt to bring the team to the big screen. Producer Roger Eichinger later oversaw the 2005 and 2007 Fantastic Four films. 20th Century Fox tried again in 2015, but that film also failed, and the rights eventually went to Disney when they bought Fox in 2019. This paved the way for The Fantastic Four: First Steps this year, which integrated the team into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As a special touch, the original actors from the 1994 film – Alex Hyde-White, Rebecca Staab, Jay Underwood, and Michael Bailey Smith – all made brief appearances.
Although the 1994 Fantastic Four movie was never officially released in theaters, you can still find it online. It’s been available in various places over the years, and currently you can watch it on the Internet Archive. It’s a low-budget film that’s colorful and a bit goofy, but surprisingly enjoyable, and many fans hope it will eventually get the recognition it deserves.
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2025-12-29 02:12