15 Things That Were Meant To Be The Next Star Wars… But Weren’t
![15 Things That Were Meant To Be The Next Star Wars… But Weren’t](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/3/8/916438_320x180.jpg)
When something comes along and changes the world, it’s inevitable that it’ll spawn imitators. Star Wars is obviously no exception — shitloads of projects have been pitched, made and sold on the idea that they might be “the next Star Wars.” Not necessarily in terms of content, but in terms of impact, scale and indelibly making a mark on the world. Who wouldn’t want the thing they’re working on to have that kind of planet-altering impact? Millions upon millions of lives changed the moment they saw a light saber rev up or heard James Earl Jones’ voice boom out of that fucking cool helmet.
It pretty much comes down to (a) fun weapons; (b) goofy hats; (c) fairytale-esque good-versus-evil at a galactic scale; and (d) a cute love story. That combination has made billions, but as some people have found, there’s slightly more to it than that. And so, nothing has yet managed to match that one story from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
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John Carter Came and Went
![CRACKED Based on a series of books by Edgar Rice Burroughs which had enormously influenced George Lucas, John Carter - despite being really fun - ended up failing to make back its hefty budget or make Taylor Kitsch into a household name.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/0/7/916407.jpg)
The Neverending Story… Ended
![CRACKED There were three Neverending Story films made, all with totally different casts, the last barely related to the original book. While there were high hopes it would kickstart an enormous German-based fantasy movie empire, things didn't quite pan out that way.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/1/1/916411.jpg)
The Last Starfighter: One and Done
![CRACKED One of the first movies to ever use CGI, The Last Starfighter is awesome, with a killer soundtrack, but didn't end up kickstarting a franchise - they should have called it The First (And Only) Starfighter.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/0/5/916405.jpg)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Trickled Out
![CRACKED Disney had huge plans for Prince of Persia, which it was hoped would start a mega franchise. However, it didn't quite strike a chord with audiences they were hoping for (and Jake Gyllenhaal playing Persian raised some eyebrows).](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/1/0/916410.jpg)
The Black Hole Sucked
![CRACKED PALOMINO Changes were made to The Black Hole (Disney's most expensive film ever at the time) after the success of Star Wars, including two robot sidekicks and a big bombastic score. It didn't stop it from being, well, kinda shit.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/0/6/916406.jpg)
Battle Beyond the Stars Was a Two-Star Movie
![CRACKED Produced by B-movie king Roger Corman, inspired equally by Star Wars and The Seven Samurai with a young James Cameron on special effects, BBTS is a good-ass time, but was never going to be seen as more than a cash-in.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/0/3/916403.jpg)
Space Raiders Relied on Ticketing Errors
![CRACKED Corman re-used a bunch of footage from Battle Beyond the Stars for 1983's Space Raiders, a cheap-ass knockoff mainly seen by people who wanted to see Return of the Jedi but got confused.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/0/8/916408.jpg)
Dune Wasn’t Doin’ Much
![CRACKED While an earlier failed attempt to bring Dune to the screen by Alejandro Jodorowsky arguably paved the way for Star Wars, David Lynch's 1984 take had all the scale, silly hats and monsters but very little of the fun.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/0/4/916404.jpg)
Flash Gordon Was a Flash in the Pan
![CRACKED Before Star Wars, George Lucas wanted to make a movie of the Flash Gordon serials he grew up with. Eventually someone did - inexplicably, the director of hardboiled British drama Get Carter. The result is ridiculous: fun but so, so dumb.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/0/2/916402.jpg)
Avatar: What in Avatarnation Even Happened in That Movie?
![CRACKED There are endless debates about the cultural impact, or lack thereof, of Avatar, but the ambition is definitely there - James Cameron wants to make the biggest series ever. They're beautiful, impressive movies that could benefit from sillier hats.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/1/5/916415.jpg)
Krull Was Dull
![CRACKED Part Star Wars, part Excalibur, Krull led Siskel and Ebert to the truly devastating description: One of the most boring, nonsensical, illogical fantasies in a long time.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/1/6/916416.jpg)
Masters of the Universe Wasn’t Exactly Masterful
![CRACKED Star Wars merchandise made millions, so making movies that were nothing but toys seemed like a no-brainer. Dolph Lundgren gives it his all as He-Man, but it all just added up to not enough - a planned sequel ended up eventually becoming the JCVD vehicle Cyborg.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/1/4/916414.jpg)
Lord of the Rings: They’re Tolkien About Another Big Franchise
![CRACKED Insistent that Peter Jackson's beloved LOTR trilogy and less-beloved Hobbit one didn't cover enough, Warner Bros. currently have plans to make a Star Wars-like franchise out of Middle-Earth.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/1/3/916413.jpg)
Battlefield Earth: John Travolta Is Wrong, Revolting
![CRACKED John Travolta, star and producer of the movie adaptation of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's sci-fi epic, used every promotional opportunity available to describe it as like Star Wars but better. It wasn't.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/1/2/916412.jpg)
Rebel Moon, A Long Fuckin’ Time Ago in a Galaxy Fuckin’ Far Away…
![CRACKED Zack Snyder's upcoming two-parter Rebel Moon began as a pitch for an R-rated Star Wars movie featuring no re-existing characters, something he described as a tough sell. Expect iconic lines like It's a fucking trap! when it arrives in December.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/0/9/916409.jpg)