After attempting to produce a follow-up to New Line Cinema's financially successful 2009 reboot of the Friday the 13th franchise didn't pan out, in the summer of 2013, Warner Bros. Pictures relinquished the rights to the series back to the original owner, Paramount Pictures, as part of a deal that would allow Warner Bros. to co-produce Christopher Nolan's Interstellar. If a new entry in the series weren't produced within the next five years, Warner Bros. would get the rights back. Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes would once again be producing. Initially hired to direct the new installment was V/H/S co-director David Bruckner, who would be helming from a screenplay penned by Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing. Their draft utilized the found-footage angle, as mandated by the studio in response to the success of their Paranormal Activity films as well as the growing popularity of the sub-genre. However, this didn't last long, as Nick Antosca was soon brought in to write a more traditional draft that would ditch this approach, with Bruckner envisioning it as a throwback to the old-school slasher and classic coming-of-age films of the 1980's. Alas, Bruckner soon left the project. In the winter of 2015, it was reported that Prisoners scribe Aaron Guzikowski would be writing a new script, which would serve as an origin story for series villain Jason Voorhees. Eight months later, Breck Eisner was hired to direct, fresh off of the fantasy action thriller The Last Witch Hunter, with Paramount setting the release date for October 13, 2017 and aiming to begin production in March. Unfortunately, on February 6, 2017, the project was effectively cancelled by Paramount following the critical and commercial failure of their recently released horror sequel Rings. Thus, the rights to the franchise reverted back to Warner Bros. the following year. Follow me and ponder the question, "What if...?" Music: "Rules to Survive" – Brian Tyler (Scream) ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iNZliGOKl8

In the spring of 2011, it was announced that the Broadway rock musical adaptation of Green Day's chart-topping concept album American Idiot would be developed into a feature film to be produced by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman's Playtone Productions for Universal Pictures, with band frontman Billie Joe Armstrong reprising his role as St. Jimmy, the alter ego of Jesus of Suburbia. Michael Mayer, who also wrote the musical's book alongside Armstrong, was to reprise his directing duties as well, with the screenplay being adapted by Milk and J. Edgar scribe Dustin Lance Black. Three years later, the script was being revised by playwright Rolin Jones, who intended to make it more gritty, without much in the way of dialogue. In 2016, Armstrong confirmed that the film would now be co-produced by HBO and that the script was undergoing further rewrites. Alas, the project was ultimately not meant to be, as four years later, Armstrong revealed that any and all plans for the film were scrapped entirely. Follow me and ponder the question, "What if...?" Music: "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" – Green Day (Nimrod) ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGPIAFul8wg

For the job of directing the feature film adaptation of the late great Neil Simon's stage play The Sunshine Boys, which tells the story of two legendary vaudeville comics-turned-bitter rivals — Willy Clark and Al Lewis — who are brought together for a reunion and revival of their famous act, the producers originally looked at another famed comedian: the now-disgraced Woody Allen, who was still a relatively new director at the time and who had previously worked alongside Simon — as well as the likes of Mel Brooks and Larry Gelbart — as a writer on Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows. While Allen was interested in the material, he wasn't looking to direct, instead desiring to play one of the comics: Al Lewis, specifically. Ultimately, Allen turned down the job and Herbert Ross — who would become a frequent collaborator with Simon — was instead hired to direct, but Allen would later co-star as Lewis in the 1996 made-for-TV re-adaptation of the play. Follow me and ponder the question, "What if...?" Music: "Make 'Em Laugh" – Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed (Singin' in the Rain) ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9iO5Ri6y4o

From the early 1990's to the late 2000's, Warner Bros. Pictures had been developing The Mayor of Castro Street, a biopic — based on the book of the same name by Randy Shilts — detailing the life and times of Harvey Milk, the groundbreaking politician who would be the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the state of California. Acclaimed filmmaker Oliver Stone would be producing the project through his Ixtlan banner, also penning the adapted screenplay alongside David Franzoni and director Gus van Sant, with Academy Award winner Robin Williams in mind to play Milk. However, due to creative differences, Van Sant left, and years later, he would direct a different Milk biopic for Focus Features. At the same time that was in the developing stages, Warner Bros. attempted to revive The Mayor of Castro Street as a lower-budgeted indie production to be made through their short-lived Warner Independent Pictures label. The disgraced Bryan Singer was hired to direct, in what was to be his next film following Superman Returns, who in turn brought on Brandon Boyce — and later hire Christopher McQuarrie — to revise the initial script. Singer would also serve as a producer through his Bad Hat Harry banner, alongside Stone and Storyline Entertainment's Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. No doubt many of Singer's frequent collaborators would've also joined in, including score composer and film editor John Ottman, costume designer Louise Mingenbach, production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas, and cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel. However, due to troubles with the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike, the project died while production on Van Sant's Milk ran forward. Singer quickly moved on to make Valkyrie instead. Follow me and ponder the question, "What if...?" Music: "Pussy" – John Ottman (Suites and Themes from the Scores of John Ottman: Music Inspired by the Film Cruel Intentions) ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ901FMFsC4