Luca Guadagnino's unrealized projects

The following is a list of unproduced Luca Guadagnino projects in roughly chronological order.

The Big Nowhere
In 2012, Guadagnino was reportedly in discussions with financiers to direct an adaptation of the James Ellroy novel The Big Nowhere, to be produced by Heyday Films' David Heyman and Jeffrey Clifford, along with Maurizio Grimaldi.

A Reliable Wife
In 2014, Sony Pictures hired Guadagnino to replace Sam Taylor-Johnson as director on a film adaptation of Robert Goolrick's romantic period thriller novel A Reliable Wife, written by Andrew Kevin Walker. It was planned to be shot in winter that year.

Rio
In May 2017, it was announced Guadagnino was attached to direct Rio from a screenplay by Steven Knight, with Benedict Cumberbatch and Jake Gyllenhaal to star. In November 2017, Michelle Williams joined the project. However, in a profile for The New Yorker, the timing did not work out and Guadagnino subsequently left the project.

Swan Lake
In July 2017, Guadagnino signed up to direct a pitch from Kristina Lauren Anderson inspired by the classic ballet story Swan Lake, with Felicity Jones in the lead role. Several studios including Universal, Paramount and TriStar bid for the film rights to the project, which was described as a "tentpole adaptation" of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet, that would follow the material closely.

Call Me by Your Name sequel
Guadagnino first alluded to doing a sequel to the film in November 2017, and confirmed in March 2018 he was working on the story with writer André Aciman. Timothee Chalamet would announce in October that same year he and Armie Hammer were intending to return for the sequel, and Guadagnino would approach Dakota Johnson for a role. In a March 2020 interview, Guadagnino reiterated that the film was set to be made, with Michael Stuhlbarg and Esther Garrel also set for role reprisals, however plans were put on hold as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2021, Guadagnino would cast doubts on the film being made as a result of his and Chalamet's other commitments, in addition to several abuse allegations being levied against Hammer.

Burial Rites
Guadagnino was set to direct Jennifer Lawrence in the film in December 2017.

Blood on the Tracks
Guadagnino announced in October 2018 that he was planning to turn Bob Dylan's album into a feature film, with Richard LaGravenese writing the screenplay.

Lord of the Flies
In July 2019, Deadline Hollywood reported Guadagnino entered negotiations to direct a new adaptation of William Golding's Lord of the Flies for Warner Bros. The project would find a screenwriter in April 2020, with Patrick Ness hired. No additional announcements were made on the project until September 2023, where producer Lindsey Anderson Beer would reveal Guadagnino was still involved.

Suspiria sequel
Guadagnino's 2018 film Suspiria, a remake of Dario Argento's 1977 film of the same name was initially set up to be part one of a series, with the title initially set to include Part One as a subtitle. However Guadagnino would ultimately rule out a sequel in November 2020 as a result of the first film's poor box office performance.

Scarface
In May 2020, Guadagnino was hired to direct a new version of Scarface for Universal Pictures, with Joel and Ethan Coen writing the screenplay. In November 2023, he would reveal he was no longer involved in the project.

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
In July 2020, a narrative feature biopic about Hollywood hustler Scotty Bowers was announced to be in development at Searchlight Pictures, based on the 2017 documentary Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood which the rights had been acquired for the year prior. Guadagnino was hired to direct the adaptation, with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg writing the script.

Wartime Lies
In September 2020, it was reported that Guadagnino hoped to direct a film based on Louis Begley's Holocaust novel Wartime Lies, and that he had examined Stanley Kubrick's papers on the project, held at the Stanley Kubrick Archive at University of the Arts London.

Brideshead Revisited miniseries
In November 2020, the BBC was reported to be adapting Evelyn Waugh's novel with Guadagnino set to write and direct, and Ralph Fiennes, Cate Blanchett and Andrew Garfield named as potential members of the cast. Guadagnino would confirm the cast, in addition to Harry Lawtey and Rooney Mara, in September 2022, but revealed that as a result Guadagnino needing $110 million to make the series and not being able to compromise on this, BBC and HBO would shelve the project.

Audrey Hepburn biopic
It was announced in January 2022 that Apple Studios had entered development with Guadagnino on a Audrey Hepburn biopic, with Rooney Mara cast to star as Hepburn. Filming had been slated to begin in late 2023, however Mara would announce in February 2024 that Guadagnino had exited the project.

The Shards miniseries
In June 2023 during an interview with the Spanish publication, El Independiente, Bret Easton Ellis confirmed that Guadagnino would direct an upcoming TV series adaptation of his novel The Shards for HBO with Ellis himself saying that he may direct some episodes as well. This would have been Guadagnino's second project for HBO after We Are Who We Are. However, in May 2024, it was announced that Kristoffer Borgli would be directing and executive producing the series, with no mention of Guadagnino still being involved.