Orson Welles began filming in 1970, but financial and legal problems delayed completion until 2018 — 48 years later.
The Other Side Of The Wind
Richard Linklater filmed the same actors over 12 years, from 2002 to 2013, to show a boy growing up naturally.
Boyhood
Phil Tippett developed the stop-motion project for decades, beginning in the late 1980s before finally releasing it in 2021.
Mad God
James Cameron spent years developing the technology needed for underwater performance capture before production and release. The project took over a decade from its original development plans.
Avatar: The Way Of Water
Edward Yang developed the film through a long creative process before completing the four-hour Taiwanese classic, which eventually became one of his most acclaimed works.
A Brighter Summer Day
Jerry Lewis filmed the unreleased Holocaust drama in 1972, but the project remained locked away for decades and was never commercially released.
The Day The Clown Cried
K Asif's epic took around 16 years to complete, from its initial development in the 1940s to its release in 1960. Its massive sets, elaborate costumes and production challenges contributed to the long journey.
Mughal-E-Azam
From financial problems and technological challenges to changing casts and unfinished footage, some films become decades-long filmmaking journeys.