This is a list of unproduced projects based on DC Comics imprints. Some of these productions were, or still are, in development hell. Films and TV shows that have not provided significant production announcements within at least a year would be considered in development limbo until further announcements are released. All of the unproduced films and shows are based on DC Comics imprints (Vertigo, WildStorm, Mad, Paradox Press).

List Fables Fables TV series A television series based on Fables was put into development by NBC in 2005 for the 2006–2007 season. The show received a script order and was developed by Craig Silverstein and Warner Bros. Television but was not developed any further than the scripting stage. NBC would later go on to produce Grimm, a police procedural set in a world where fairytales are real.

ABC picked up the rights to develop a pilot of Fables for the 2009–2010 television season in December 2008. Six Degrees creators and executive producers Stu Zicherman and Raven Metzner were writing the script for the hour-long drama, again set up at Warner Brothers Television, while David Semel came on board to direct. However, in December 2010, Willingham said, in an interview with Io9, that the ABC show is "probably dead", though he also admits to being "out of the loop".Lamar, Cyriaque. "We talk to Bill Willingham about 100 issues of Fables". Io9, December 5, 2010

Fables film In 2015, Warner Bros. was developing a live action Fables film with David Heyman and Jeffrey Clifford producing, Jeremy Slater and Jane Goldman writing and Nikolaj Arcel directing. Since then, there has been no further announcements.

Fables video game In 2011, Telltale Games announced The Wolf Among Us, an episodic graphic adventure game based upon Fables. With the first of its five episodes released on October 11, 2013 (and the final episode released on July 8, 2014), the game is canon with the comic book universe and is set as a prequel to the comic book. The second season of The Wolf Among Us was in production, and was planned to be released sometime in 2018, but the game was delayed and rescheduled for release in 2019 before ultimately being cancelled in September 2018 following the studio's closure.

The Books of Magic film A film version of The Books of Magic has been in development hell for many years. It was originally optioned by Warner Bros. for some years before the first Harry Potter book was published, with Neil Gaiman signing on as executive producer in 1998. After several years of drafting and redrafting, the script moved so far from the original concept that Gaiman and Paul Levitz advised the filmmakers that any audience seeing it expecting a film based on the comic would be disappointed, and decided to develop the film themselves. They worked with screenwriter Matt Greenberg, who had written early drafts of the original script, to come up with something closer to the original story, but nothing came from this.

Astro City Astro City film In 2003, Ben Barenholtz, Jonathan Alpers and Kurt Busiek hoped to develop an Astro City film, with Barenholtz as producer and Alpers as lead scripter, but the plans did not take off, whereupon Barenholtz subsequently took the project to Working Title Films. In July 2010, Working Title acquired the rights to make a live-action feature film adaptation of Astro City. Busiek was to write a script treatment, and also to executive-produce, along with Barenholtz and Alpers. Kurt Busiek later reveleed in May 2013 that Working Title's option had lapsed but he was in negotiation with another party.

Astro City TV series In March 2018, FremantleMedia North America announced a live-action Astro City TV series with a pilot episode written by Busiek and Rick Alexander. There have been no developments since.

The American Way film In 2018, John Ridley was working with Blumhouse Productions to adapt his comic into a film and direct. There has been no further development since.

Codename: Knockout film In 2001, Codename: Knockout artist Louis Small, Jr. reported that Warner Bros. had picked up the option to adapt the comic series into a film and commissioned a script, but nothing came out of this.

Y: The Last Man film The film rights to the Y: The Last Man series were acquired by New Line Cinema (a sister company to Vertigo), and in July 2007, screenwriter Carl Ellsworth and director D. J. Caruso were attached to the project with David S. Goyer as a producer. Caruso intended on finishing the script in the summer and filming during the fall of 2008. The script would be a rewrite of the original draft written by Jeff Vintar. Although Vintar's draft was faithful to the original comic book and considered by many to be a success, the higher-ups at New Line Cinema seemed unable to fully embrace the material. A subsequent draft by Vaughan himself, which departed from his own comic considerably, was even less successful in convincing the studio to proceed.

Caruso maintained that the source material was too much to be told in one film, and his team decided to concentrate on the best first film they could, which would end somewhere around issue #14 of the comic series. The entire comic series as a whole would be plotted into three films. Actor Shia LaBeouf, who has worked with these writers for the films Disturbia and Eagle Eye, has previously stated that he was unwilling to play the role of Yorick. According to LaBeouf, the role is far too similar to the character Sam Witwicky, which he portrays in the Transformers series, but expressed a chance to star. Caruso planned to use a real monkey, and not a CGI construct, to play Ampersand. Caruso also wanted Alicia Keys for the part of Agent 355. Zachary Levi, who played the lead in the TV series Chuck, has expressed interest in playing Yorick as he is a fan of the comic book series, even going as far as having his character Chuck Bartowski read the Y: The Last Man graphic novel in the episode "Chuck Versus the Nacho Sampler".

Caruso remained "loosely attached" to the project, but New Line refused to acquiesce on its development as a stand-alone film as opposed to the trilogy Caruso (who has since moved on to direct the science fiction film I Am Number Four) preferred. Caruso commented: "I didn't think that you could take Yorick's story and put it in to a two-hour movie and do it justice... I just feel like it's too much for one screenplay". He ultimately walked away from the project.

In March 2012, former Jericho writers Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia entered final negotiations to write New Line's adaptation of the series, following in the footsteps of Vintar, Vaughan, and Ellsworth. J.C. Spink, Chris Bender, and David Goyer were attached to produce; Mason Novick and Jake Weiner were executive producers. Reports in September suggested New Line was enthusiastic about the draft screenplay produced by Federman and Scaia, and had begun the process of meeting potential directors to hire for the project.

Dan Trachtenberg was attached to direct the film in early 2013. In June, producer David Goyer revealed a script and suggested the film could go into production in 2014. However, in January 2014, Brian K. Vaughan said: "It's my understanding that the rights to Y: The Last Man will revert to co-creator Pia Guerra and me for the first time in a decade if the planned New Line adaptation doesn't start shooting in the next few months". Trachtenberg later tweeted that the film was not happening. In a subsequent interview he noted that in fact "the rights reverted to Brian quite a few months ago".

A television series called "Y" starring Ben Schnetzer as Yorick Brown, Diane Lane as Yorick Brown's mother, Senator Jennifer Brown, Olivia Thirlby as Yorick's sister Hero Brown, and Ashley Romans as Agent 355 premiered on FX in 2020.

Deathbed TV series In January 2021, TNT was set to develop a television series adaptation of Joshua Williamson and Riley Rossmo's Vertigo Comics limited series Deathbed, with Neil Reynolds writing the series and Julie Plec to executive produce via My So-Called Company along with Warner Bros. Television. There have been no further announcements since.

We3 film In June 2005, New Line Cinema optioned We3, and the comic's writer, Grant Morrison, was in negotiations to write the screenplay. John Stevenson, director of Kung Fu Panda, was attached to the project as a director in December 2008, and New Line Cinema was no longer involved.Turek, Ryan. "Stevenson Attached to Direct Comic Adaptation We3" Shock Till You Drop. December 8, 2008 As of November 2010, the status of the film is that Morrison has written the script, but the project appears to have stalled, partially due to concerns over the level of violence. Morrison said in an interview that "Relativity Pictures keeps saying they're doing it, and they still haven't done it", and that they cannot say anything more as it stands.

FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics film By April 2014, the production of a film adaptation of Vertigo's FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics was in the works. Justin Marks and David Goyer were to reunite for the production of the film, with Nellie Reed producing. Since then, there has been no more announcements.

Early attempt of DMZ TV series By February 2014, Syfy was planning on making a TV series adaptation of the DMZ comics with former Mad Men writers and executive producers Andre and Maria Jacquemetton. Executive producer for the pilot is David Heyman, who previously worked on Harry Potter, Gravity and was working on the film adaptation of the Vertigo comic series Fables. In 2019, HBO Max acquired the rights for the series, with Ava DuVernay directing the pilot and Roberto Patino as writer and showrunner. The show premiered in March 2022.

Amped/Jacked TV series In April 2015, Supernatural creator Eric Kripke was writing the comic book series called Amped (later retitled Jacked) for DC and Vertigo to be released in fall 2015. At the same time, USA Network was developing a TV adaptation of the comic book series. Kripke was to serve as both writer and executive producer of the show, co-produced by Kripke Enterprises and Warner Horizon Television. No production news has followed since.

The Exterminators TV series In July 2008, Showtime announced to develop the Vertigo series The Exterminators as a one-hour drama. The comic was created by writer Simon Oliver and artist Tony Moore. Executive producer Sara Colleton's credits include the Showtime hit drama Dexter.Trechak, Brad. "Showtime is calling The Exterminators". TV Squad, July 9, 2008 However, in February 2011, Oliver revealed in an interview that the project is currently in limbo.Rogers, Vaneta. "Vertigo's NOCHE ROJA Takes Crime Noir South of the Border". Newsarama, February 4, 2011

Scalped TV series

In 2014, WGN America was developing a live action TV show based on the Vertigo comic book series Scalped. The pilot order was given in March 2016. In February 2017, Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi began directing the pilot, but in November, after WGN saw the pilot episode, they decided to abandon the series.

100 Bullets 100 Bullets TV series In 2011, David S. Goyer, co-writer of Dark City and The Dark Knight, was attached to executive produce and write a TV series based on 100 Bullets for Showtime. Goyer revealed in June 2013 that the project got "incredibly close" at Showtime before being turned down due to a multitude of mass shootings across the United States. He called the sudden turn of events "frustrating".

100 Bullets film