55 million expensive sci-fi disaster and a completely finished comic film adaptation

Netflix launches over 100 new series every year. But for various reasons we never see much more. Only a few of the countless series projects pitched worldwide are ordered and produced by the streamer. And not even filming is a guarantee that a show will actually see the light of day.

In recent years has Netflix pulled the plug on several projects mid-production. Some of them had already been turned off and ended up in the poison cabinet. Which ones are they? Here we have put together 8 finished and unfinished series projects for you that will probably never be published. It includes a crazy historical action epic and a sci-fi disaster that cost $55 million.

1st series from the Netflix poison cabinet: Anna K

Anna K was intended to be a modern reinterpretation of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina – and at the same time the first in-house series production from Russia. In the spring of 2022, however, the streamer decided to do so in the wake of the war in Ukraine To stop production of all Russian projects. At this point, filming for the series Anna K had already been completed.

2nd series from the Netflix poison cabinet: Baahubali – Before the Beginning

SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali films are among the most spectacular blockbusters in Indian action cinema. The prequel series Baahubali: Before the Beginning, produced for Netflix, should be no less epic. The first season, which was filmed in 2019 However, Netflix is ​​said not to have been enthusiastic about it at all. The project was supposed to be completely revised and reshot with double the budget. That hasn’t happened yet. Since 2022, the Baahubali series has not shown any sign of life and at least we will never see the first version.

3rd series from the Netflix poison cabinet: Bad Crimes

In recent years, the animation industry has had to deal with some tough setbacks. Numerous streaming services radically reduced their output of animated films and series. While many projects, such as Ava DVernay’s fantasy series Wings of Fire, were canceled in the planning phase, the cartoon series Bad Crimes was hit in the middle of production. The comedy format was supposed to be about two FBI agents (with the voices of Nicole Byer and Lauren Lapkus) who solve gruesome crimes and have a lot of fun along the way.

4th series from the Netflix poison cabinet: Conquest

Almost more exciting than any Netflix series is the hair-raising story behind the science fiction production Conquest, which should have been the start of a huge franchise for the streamer. Instead Creator Carl Rinsch defrauded Netflix of $55 million. How much material from the planned 13 episodes was actually filmed is unknown. But Netflix (and we) didn’t see any of it.

5. Series from the Netflix poison cabinet: The Green Beret’s Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse

The Green Beret’s Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse was announced by Netflix in 2017 as a mix of documentary format and comedy. This should consist of scripted and unscripted scenes and act as a strange guide for doomsday scenarios. The series was shot in its entirety and counted Peter Berg and Matt Damon among the producers. Why it was never published is unknown. Three finished episodes were released on Vimeo by director Adam Newacheck.

6th series from the Netflix poison cabinet: Grendel

Since the 80s, the dark comic adventures of the super villain Grendel, the alter ego of the writer Hunter Rose, who works as a brutal assassin and mafia boss at the same time, have been inspiring. This was supposed to be turned into a live-action series for Netflix, which was also completely filmed. After filming, the streamer canceled the project for unspecified reasons.

7th series from the Netflix poison cabinet: Nothing Special

The drama series Nothing Special is further collateral damage from the discontinuation of all Russian Netflix formats. The story would have revolved around a young actor who works in a charity for people with disabilities. The series is now over completely crazy in the Netflix poison cabinet.

8th series from the Netflix poison cabinet: The Witcher – Rats

At one point, two fantasy spin-offs about young gangs of thieves were in development at Netflix. While a fully written spin-off for Shadow and Bone was canceled along with the main series, a spin-off for The Witcher came a step further. In 2023 the first episodes of a prequel series filmed about the controversial gang of rats. After poor test screenings, Netflix didn’t want to produce more of it. However, the finished material could be incorporated into the fourth season of The Witcher, in which the rat gang plays a larger role.

Podcast: 5 terrible series endings we can never forgive

On the occasion of the five-year anniversary of the Game of Thrones finale, we look back at five controversial series endings that have stuck with us.

In this edition of our Moviepilot podcast, Streamgegewer, we delve into the history of the series and review a few of the worst final episodes that have buried the legacy of otherwise very good series. Everything from Dexter to The Blacklist is included – so be warned about spoilers at this point.