Listed on this page are projects that Ellen was originally attached to, that were never made or have never been released

Jack and Diane (USA 2012)

Director: Bradley Rust Gray
Writer: Bradley Rust Gray
Cast: Juno Temple, Riley Keough, Jena Malone, Kylie Minogue
IMDb: www.imdb.com/title/tt0850677/

Plot:
Jack and Diane, two teenage girls, meet in New York City and spend the night kissing ferociously. Diane's charming innocence quickly begins to open Jack's tough skinned heart. But, when Jack discovers that Diane is leaving the country in a week she tries to push her away. Diane must struggle to keep their love alive while hiding the secret that her newly awakened sexual desire is giving her werewolf-like visions.

Backgroundinformation:
This project was mentioned for the first time during the coverage of "Hard Candy" in Spring 2006. After several months without any further developments it became known in late 2007 that Ellen would reunite with Juno co-star Olivia Thirlby to star in the lesbian werewolf thriller. At this point the two had already met with director Bradley Rust Gray in New York City to screen test, exchange ideas about costumes and filming locations, and do some general planning. While promoting their movie "Juno" at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2007, the girls gave away further details about the current status of the upcoming movie. Both admitted it wasn't possible to shoot the movie due to lack of funding. With only a brief synopsis being released up to that point, the first critical voices started to emerge a few months later. It was said the project was "too controversial and experimental" - especially for a young actress who just earned an Academy Award nomination. So it came to no surprise that Ellen eventually dropped out of the project in mid 2008 with fellow Canadian actress Alison Pill replacing her. However, even her name wasn't attached to this for long. In March 2008 the movie was still in development stage and the British newcomer Juno Temple was casted to replace Pill. Even a few weeks before filming took place, the cast kept on changing. Olivia Thirlby left the project at the last minute, making room for Riley Keough to star as Jack. After several years of pre-production and development, director Bradley Rust Gray was finally able to bring his visions and ideas to fruition in summer 2010. The movie, also featuring actress and musician Jena Malone, artist, songwriter, and actress Kylie Minogue, as well as actress Cara Seymour, was subsequently picked up for distribution in 2012 by Magnolia Pictures.

Drag Me to Hell (USA 2009)

Director: Sam Raimi
Writer: Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi
Cast: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao
IMDb: www.imdb.com/title/tt1127180/

Plot:
Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is an ambitious L.A. loan officer with a charming boyfriend, professor Clay Dalton (Justin Long). Life is good until the mysterious Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) arrives at the bank to beg for an extension on her home loan. Should Christine follow her instincts and give the old woman a break? Or should she deny the extension to impress her boss, Mr. Jacks (David Paymer), and get a leg-up on a promotion? Christine fatefully chooses the latter, shaming Mrs. Ganush and dispossessing her of her home.

In retaliation, the old woman places the powerful curse of the Lamia on Christine, transforming her life into a living hell. Haunted by an evil spirit and misunderstood by a skeptical boyfriend, she seeks the aid of seer Rham Jas (Dileep Rao) to save her soul from eternal damnation. To help the shattered Christine return her life to normal, the psychic sets her on a frantic course to reverse the spell. As evil forces close in, Christine must face the unthinkable: how far will she go to break free of the curse?

Backgroundinformation:
The announcement that Ellen had been cast for Sam Raimis' thriller received a strong media response in February 2008. Probably because it would have marked her first appearance in the horror genre. After receiving the award for "Best Female Lead" at the Independent Spirit Awards, she still spoke very enthusiastically with journalists about the upcoming film in the pressroom. Then, just a week later, the situation completely changed. It turned out the production of both "Drag Me to Hell" and "Whip It" were scheduled to start at the same time. Giving preference to Drew Barrymore's directorial debut and the associated roller derby training, she eventually dropped out of the project. Surprisingly, a replacement was quickly found as Variety reported a couple of days later that actress Alison Lohman had signed on for the lead role.

Jane Eyre (UK/USA 2011)

Director: Cary Fukunaga
Writer: Charlotte Brontë, Moira Buffini
Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Jamie Bell, Michael Fassbender, Judi Dench
IMDb: www.imdb.com/title/tt1229822/

Plot:
In the story, Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) flees Thornfield House, where she works as a governess for wealthy Edward Rochester (Michael Fassbender). As she reflects upon the people and emotions that have defined her, it is clear that the isolated and imposing residence – and Mr. Rochester’s coldness – have sorely tested the young woman’s resilience, forged years earlier when she was orphaned. She must now act decisively to secure her own future and come to terms with the past that haunts her – and the terrible secret that Mr. Rochester is hiding and that she has uncovered…

Backgroundinformation:
In May 2008 BBC Films issued a press release saying Ellen was being considered for the female lead in another film adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's classic novel "Jane Eyre." Rumour had it that the Canadian actress was already working on her English accent. Unfortunately Ellen left the project for unknown reasons in late 2009, after it had been delayed numerous times. The film was eventually made by director Cary Fukunaga between March and May 2010 in Derbyshire, England and released in 2011, with Australian actress Mia Wasikowska and Irish-German actor Michael Fassbender starring in the lead as the eponymous Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester.

The Good Canary

Can you imagine seeing Ellen Page on stage in a theatre? It looked like this would become a reality in 2010. According to Mr. Mudd's website, she was set to perform in the play “The Good Canary” written by Zach Helm and directed by “Juno” producer John Malkovich. The comedy centres on Jack Parker, a novelist with a big future. However, his wife Annie spends her days cleaning the house and taking amphetamines. She has stopped eating and her mental state is increasingly more disastrous. Jack loves her deeply and attempts to help her, but they both hide a secret that's revealed because of her strange behaviour....

Overall, the story is chiefly about love and is violent just like its characters and the script is charged with infuriating acid humour, which is both touching and spine-chilling. »It's a play about two young people who are very very much in love and it's a play about seven people who believed things to a great extent about other characters which are not true,« said Malkovich about the plot.

At the request of Malkovich, Ellen even attended a performance of »El buen canario« (Spanish version) in Guadalajara, Mexico in 2008. Although the next tour starring Ellen Page was already announced on Mr Mudd.com (see screenshot below), in the end it never happened.

(Source: www.mrmudd.com)

Tilda (USA 2011)

Director: Bill Condon
Writer: Bill Condon, Cynthia Mort
Cast: Diane Keaton, Ellen Page, Sanaa Lathan, Jason Patric, Scotty Crowe
IMDb: www.imdb.com/title/tt1663214/

Plot:
The series centers on Tilda Watski, a powerful female online Hollywood journalist with a no-holds-barred style, and Caroyln Milk, a morally conflicted creative assistant caught between following the corporate culture of the studio she works for and following Tilda, who has taken a keen interest in her.

Backgroundinformation:
The HBO series was one of the most-discussed projects in 2010 because the lead character was said to have been inspired by Deadline founder and editor-in-chief Nikki Finke. Since Finke herself wanted nothing to do with Tilda from day one, the big question was whether she would sue the pay cable network for ripping off her persona. Despite already being on thin ice, HBO green-lit production of a pilot episode and was able to get Diane Keaton, Ellen Page, Sanaa Lathan as well as Jason Patric to star in it. However, the project seemed to be doomed from the start, as tensions with director/producer/co-writer Bill Condon on the set led to creator Cynthia Mort leaving the project early on. Although HBO tried to save the show by ordering additional scripts, adding new writers and bringing former »Six Feet Under« producer Alan Poul on board to retool the concept, Tilda couldn't be saved. At the same time, Deadline's Nellie Andreeva made it once again clear that the comedy pilot was conceived, written and developed without her bosses' knowledge or involvement, which might have been another reason for HBO to finally pull the plug in order to avoid any legal issues. In a two-sentence statement, released in February 2011, the network simply stated: "HBO has decided not to move forward with Tilda. Despite everyone's best efforts ultimately this was not the right show for us at this time."