Studying Unmade, Unseen and Unreleased Film and Television: Histories, Theories, Methods

A comprehensive study uncovering the hidden histories of film and television projects abandoned despite major investment.
Unmade, unseen, and unreleased film and television are a strikingly underexplored aspect of media history, even though significant financial investment and creative labour in these industries are devoted to projects that never reach production or distribution. This groundbreaking collection offers the first comprehensive examination of this phenomenon, bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives from film history, gender and sexuality studies, industry studies, archival research, and creative practice. Each chapter presents a state-of-the-art overview of a key theme, debate, method, or theory, drawing on illuminating case studies from different historical periods and global contexts. Together, the contributions define what it means for a work to remain unmade, unseen, or unreleased, while showcasing innovative research approaches and mapping the scale of unfinished projects in film and television. Serving as both a foundational text for students and a valuable reference for established researchers, the volume’s scope will offer an essential resource for anyone seeking to understand the hidden histories of the screen industries.