Adam McKay's unrealized projects
Adam McKay has long been involved in projects that never moved beyond development, changed hands, or were canceled. Here’s a short look at several unreleased or reworked ideas he’s been tied to over the years.
- August Blowout (1999): McKay and Will Ferrell wrote a business comedy about a car salesman chasing his August sales quota. It didn’t get made, and they later turned to Anchorman, though they produced a similar‑vibe comedy, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard.
- Utopia Road (2001): McKay co‑wrote this project with Jay Roach attached to direct; it fell through and was later rewritten by Etan Cohen. The premise involved a conflict between a gregarious neighbor and a privacy‑seeking newcomer.
- Land of the Lost (2005): A film adaptation with Ferrell and Jack Black announced, but Black was not in the final film, which ended up directed by Brad Silberling.
- Channel 3 Billion (2008): A sci‑fi comedy with a Brazil‑style vibe that never progressed.
- 3 Mississippi (2011): McKay was in talks to direct a Thanksgiving comedy with a cast including Ferrell and Wahlberg; Sean Anders ultimately directed.
- Swear to God remake (2011–2012): A remake was lined up with Ferrell set to star; Justin Theroux was later hired to direct.
- Uptown Saturday Night remake (2012): McKay eyed a new version of the 1970s classic with Smith and Washington possibly attached.
- Bond‑trader HBO comedy series (2012): A single‑camera series written by McKay and Chris Henchy, with Rob Riggle eyed to star, was in development but never produced.
- Border Guards (2014): McKay considered directing this comedy, but it did not reach production.
- Untitled Ben Schwartz/Seth Rogen comedy (2014): Schwartz’s pitch was bought and developed but never filmed.
- Archie Broadway musical (2015): A Broadway musical adaptation was announced, but it didn’t reach production.
- Irredeemable (2016–2022): McKay planned a film adaptation of the comics with Tommy Wirkola writing; later, Netflix and Boom Studios moved forward with a combined Irredeemable/Incorruptible project led by other creators, without McKay.
- Average Height, Average Build (2019–2023): A star‑studded film with Pattinson, Adams, Downey Jr., and others; in 2023, McKay scrapped it to pursue a climate‑focused movie for Netflix.
- I Don’t Care About Your Band TV adaptation (2010–2014): McKay and HBO were developing Julie Klausner’s memoir as a TV series with various writers and schedules shifting over the years.
- Manimal animated movie (2010s): An animated adaptation of the classic show was in development at Sony Pictures Animation but never materialized.
- The Collector (2016–2020s): A TNT limited series about a gambling‑addiction drama was in development with McKay producing; it did not come to air.
- Cutblock (2020–2024): An HBO limited series project from Hyperobjects Industries that remained in development but wasn’t produced.
These examples show a pattern: McKay has pursued many high‑profile projects, but most never progressed to filming, due to changes in plans, creative shifts, or scheduling.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 02:16 (CET).