Rob Zombie's unrealized projects

In 1997, it was reported that Zombie was to write and make his feature directorial debut with The Crow: 2037, which was intended to be the third film of The Crow (1994).[5]

In 2008, it was reported that Zombie was to direct a film for Dimension Films titled either Tyrannosaurus Rex or T-Rex.[1][6][7] It was believed that the project was to have been based on Steve Niles and Zombie's 2004 comic book The Nail,[1] but Zombie denied this.[8] According to The Oklahoman, the film was to have been about "a washed-up boxer who gets into the world of underground fighting after he’s released from prison."[9] Zombie also described it as a crossover between Straight Time (1978) and Raging Bull (1980).[8] Zombie said in a 2011 interview with Entertainment Weekly that Tyrannosaurus Rex was to have been his next feature after Halloween (2007).[10] When asked about the status of the project in a 2010 interview, Zombie said, "It’s nowhere. I mean it’s not in any kind of production whatsoever."[11] According to Bloody Disgusting, the film was never made because the The Weinstein Company thought it was too expensive.[1][6]

In 2009, it was announced that Zombie would write, produce and direct a second remake of the 1958 film The Blob.[12][13][14][15] Variety reported in August 2009 that Zombie had started writing the screenplay.[16] Zombie's version was said to have been budgeted $30 million.[17][18][19] Zombie said of the project: "The Blob was going to happen. I was dealing with people on the movie, even though I was on the fence about doing anything that was considered a remake again. I really didn’t like the idea of that, but just as I went down the road further with the producers and the guys that owned the property, I didn’t feel good about the situation and I just walked away from it. My gut told me this was not a good place to be."[20] It was said that Zombie's version was scrapped and that Simon West replaced him for the director's chair in 2015.[21] In 2018, concept art related to what would have been Zombie's version of The Blob was publicly released.[22][23][24]

In 2012, it was announced that Zombie was to have written, produced and directed a 1970s-set film about the Philadelphia Flyers titled The Broad Street Bullies.[25][26][27][28] In 2014, it was announced that Zombie shelved the project.[29] Zombie said of the project in a 2015 interview: "The problem is when you don't control the material. When it's an original story that I wrote I can control everything. I don't have to answer to anybody. But something like the Philadelphia Flyers, Broad Street Bullies, something that's a true story pre-existing thing there's so much more protocol you have to go through of getting people to ok things and different steps that just really slow down the process."[30]

In 2015, it was announced that Zombie was to direct and produce a biopic on Groucho Marx.[31][32] The film was to have been based on Steve Stoliar's 1996 book Raised Eyebrows: My Years Inside Groucho's House.[33][34] Zombie reportedly acquired the rights to the book.[35][36] Oren Moverman wrote the screenplay.[37][38] In 2022, it was announced that Moverman replaced Zombie for the director's chair.[39]