For every cinephile, waiting for your favourite actor's newest project to drop can feel like it takes an eternity. But behind the scenes, production processes, approval and outlandish ideas can get in the way of putting cinema to the screen,
Read on to find out which famous films took their time making it to a theatre near you – it'll make that longed for sequel feel like the release date is just around the corner.
© Getty ImagesOrson Welles' unfinished project was released 48 years after he first started filming
The Other Side of the Wind – 48 years
The Other Side of the Wind took an incredible 48 years to reach audiences per IMDb. Production started in August 1970 but soon paused due to a tax dispute. There was hope in 1974 when filming restarted, but it was again shut down due to embezzled funds.
Director Orson Welles continued working on the project until his death in 1985. It was ultimately picked up in 2014 after years of legal battles over who exactly owned the footage. In 2018, Netflix provided funding for the project and it was finally released to audiences.
© Gamma-Rapho via Getty ImagesTerry Gilliam's film took almost three decades to reach audiences
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote – 29 years
Director Terry Gilliam had the spark of what would become The Man Who Killed Don Quixote back in 1989. After a decade of fundraising, drafting and setting up a shoot he was ready to start filming in 2000. Unfortunately, the trouble wasn't over yet. When the cast and crew got to Spain flash floods destroyed their expensive equipment while a NATO base nearby added unwanted ambient sound.
Their insurance paid out investors and it took Terry years to get the script back in his hands. Eventually, Adam Driver and Jonathan Pryce joined the cast, filming wrapped in 2017 and, after a legal stumble over international release times, the film was finally out, 29 years after it was first dreamed up according to IMDb.
© WireImage via Getty ImagesDirector Jim Jarmusch cast stars like Cate Blanchett in his anthology film
Coffee and Cigarettes – 17 years
What's better than trying to get one film ready for the screen? Trying to get several short films edited for release! Jim Jarmusch took a gradual approach to Coffee and Cigarettes, which was shot as an anthology rather than a single feature.
The film was finally released in 2003, and includes huge names like Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray, Steve Buscemi and Cinqué Lee.
© NurPhoto via Getty ImagesBrad Pitt narrated a 46 minute version of the film for IMAX release
Voyage of Time: Life's Journey – 16 years
Voyage of Time: Life's Journey was released in 2016 and narrated by Cate Blanchett, telling the story of the cosmos. The film also had a 46-minute release narrated by Brad Pitt for IMAX.
However, capturing natural events and creating HD simulations aren't cheap and certainly aren't quick filler for viewers. But to trace the history of our universe? 16 years isn't all that bad.
© AFP via Getty ImagesMughal-E-Azam's beautiful sets and key recasting meant the epic adventure took more than a decade to be released
Mughal-E-Azam – 14 years
K. Asif's 1960 epic Mughal-E-Azam takes place in the 16th century when a prince falls for a court dancer and fights against his powerful father.
But an epic feature requires incredible attention to detail and director K. Asif was focussed on delivering as authentic design as possible. Added to his perfectionism, the project had to be reshot when the lead passed away in 1949, three years after principal photography started.
© Getty Images for Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesRichard Williams created an animated epic with 24 unique drawings per second of footage
The Thief and the Cobbler – 29 years
The Thief and the Cobbler was a true passion project for animator Richard Williams. He emphasised the importance that the film was animated on "ones", requiring double the number of unique drawings for every second of footage than the industry standard of 12.
It's no surprise, then, that the film took almost 30 years from start to finish, according to IMDb. Time means money and the extensive production was an expensive project to fund, which didn't help it gain any speed in making it to the screen.
