Which Big Stars Had Films That Were Secretly Dumped This Year?

Fragments

High-profile talent: Dakota Fanning, Forest Whitaker, Jennifer Hudson, Kate Beckinsale

After winning Oscars in 2006, Forest Whitaker and Jennifer Hudson surely had their pick of high-profile projects; unfortunately for them, they chose Winged Creatures, which limped into a handful of theaters two years after its 2007 shoot under the name Fragments. An ensemble drama filled with big stars like Dakota Fanning and Kate Beckinsale, Fragments had the misfortune of being clumsily handled by Peace Arch Entertainment, an outfit that previously buried films like The Deal, a comedy starring William H. Macy and Meg Ryan, and Watching the Detectives with Cillian Murphy and Lucy Liu.

The Maiden Heist

High-profile talent: Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken, William H. Macy, Marcia Gay Harden

This $20 million heist comedy can boast a raft of highly-awarded stars, but one thing it doesn't have is a theatrical release. Instead, it's going straight-to-DVD next month thanks to bankrupted producer Bob Yari (Crash). When Yari's independent distribution unit imploded last year, he tried to find a studio who'd pick up Maiden Heist, but none bit (not helping matters was his early decision to sell off ancillary rights to Sony, since no studio wanted to take a chance on an adult-targeted comedy without DVD and pay-TV profits down the line).

Carriers

High-profile talent: Chris Pine

Hey Chris Pine, you've become one of Hollywood's brightest young stars after playing Captain Kirk in Star Trek! How will Trek's parent company Paramount reward you for your success? By dumping your thriller Carriers after briefly exhuming it to draft off your Trek heat. The post-apocalyptic virus thriller was tossed out of the studio this month like a pesky stowaway thrown from Spock's ship. Better luck next time, Captain.

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