List of films with the longest production time

This is a list of films shot or animated over three or more years. This list does not include projects composed of series of films shot over an extended period, except where individual films within those projects meet this criterion.

List Film Release year Number of years Notes12200310Shooting began in 1993 and was finalized in 2003. The long process of filming was intentional to show the natural aging of the actors.5-25-77202218Shooting began in summer 2004. Numerous versions of the film have been screened over the years, including a rough cut at Star Wars Celebration IV. It officially premiered in 2017 followed by a limited theatrical release. The film with its final cut was released on November 22, 2022.AalambanaTBD6In November 2019, Vaibhav was cast to play the lead role in the film produced by KJR Studios and directed by newcomer Pari K Vijay, who had earlier worked as an assistant in films like Mundasupatti (2014) and Indru Netru Naalai (2015). Munishkanth was chosen to play the role of a genie, and the film was said to be in the fantasy comedy genre. Parvati Nair was cast as the female lead opposite to Vaibhav. Principal photography began with a pooja ceremony on 14 December 2019 in MGR Film City. The film was shot in Mysore Palace, Chennai and Pondicherry, and the shooting was completed in January 2021. The Act of Killing 2012 6 A documentary about perpetrators of the Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66 which was shot between 2005 and 2011.Aghathiyaa20254The project was announced on 2020, but eventually shelved by the production house due to multiple issues, later on 2023, the project was officially taken over by Vels Film International. After 4 years delays, Aghathiyaa was released in theatres on 28 February 2025.Amra Ekta Cinema Banabo20199Principal photography began in January 2009. Filming was completed in 176 days in over 9 years. Also notable for being the longest non-experimental film ever made. Apocalypse Now 1979 3 Inspired by Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness and originally pitched from screenwriter John Milius as a war comedy, the film was made in pre-production in 1975 and then filmed in 1976, completed with an overbudget of $25 million. The film was originally scheduled for an April 7, 1977, release (on director Francis Ford Coppola's birthday), the film was released two years later in 1979 as a work in progress at the Cannes Film Festival, albeit with mixed reception. The film was released in theaters months later, on August 15, 1979. Atlantis: The Lost Empire20015The development and beginning of work started in October 1996 when the idea was conceived, finished in January 2001. Avatar: The Way of Water 2022 13 This film was announced in 2010 after the release of Avatar with writing and visual effects prep work happening simultaneously for seven years. Filming began in 2017 and concluded in 2020. It was one of the films affected by COVID-19. By the time of its December 2022 release, it had been nearly 13 years since production began. Avatar: Fire and Ash 2025 16 This film was announced in 2010 and was worked on simultaneously with Avatar: The Way of Water. By the time of its December 2025 release, it had been nearly 16 years since production began. Avatar 42029 12 Filming began during the simultaneous productions of Avatar: The Way of Water and Avatar: Fire and Ash in 2017. In 2019, with about a third of the filming completed, production went on hiatus and is expected to resume sometime in 2026. The film is scheduled to be released in 2029, roughly 12 years after filming began.Ayalaan20245Officially announced in 2016, and filming began in June 2018. The film was affected due to financial constraints with the production house and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before concluding in January 2021, and additional photography took place in November 2022. Bad Taste 1987 4 Shot primarily on weekends over the course of four years. BalikBayan #1: Memories of Overdevelopment, Redux VII 2023 45 Philippine National Artist Kidlat Tahimik began shooting in 1978, with the film being released unfinished in 2010, 2015 (Redux III) and 2017 (Redux VI); the final version of the film, subtitled Redux VII, was completed in April 2023. Blood Tea and Red String 2006 13 A stop-motion film. Director Christiane Cegavske worked primarily alone. The Boy and the Heron 2023 7 Hayao Miyazaki started working on the film in 2016 whilst working on the CG animated short film Boro the Caterpillar, and planned to have it released by 2019 in time for the Olympics. Due to a slow production, with Miyazaki's age being a factor, the film was pushed back. Despite the setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic, the film's production allowed more work to be done at a consistent rate. It was released on July 14, 2023. Boyhood 2014 12 The long production schedule was intentional to show the natural aging of the actors in a story taking place over 12 years. Filming took place once or twice a year, starting in summer 2002 and ending in October 2013. The cast and crew gathered to film scenes for three or four days annually.Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva20227Its pre-production was started in 2014, filming started in February 2018 and ended in March 2022. The film was released in September 2022. 2015 20 Filming began in 1995 for a 1997 release, production was paused and then resumed in 1999 but was later cancelled again. Production completed in 2015. Closer to Home 1995 5 In the 1990s, this was one of the first American independent feature films to be shot outside the country, both in New York City and abroad (the Philippines). After pre-production in the Philippines began in 1990, shooting was completed in 1992, with reshoots in 1993. 18 months would pass while additional financing was raised to complete filming in New York City. The film was released in August 1995.https://www.wbai.org/upcoming-program/?id=12768 Coffee and Cigarettes 2003 18 The first segment was filmed in 1986, while the final six were completed in 2003. Dangerous Men 2005 21 The film was in production from 1984 to 2005, despite screening of a finished cut in 1985. Dead Souls 2018 13 Filming began in 2005, with interviews being shot in a continuous period until 2008. Further filming was then suspended due to both Wang Bing becoming ill and then due to becoming committed to other projects. Production restarted in 2014 and continued until 2017. It is also one of the longest films ever made.Dhruva Natchathiram TBA 9 Filming began in January 2017 and went into production hell as the director Gautham Vasudev Menon suffered financial constraints, before completing the film in February 2023.Dhumketu20259The filming of the film was completed in 2017, while its production lasted for 9 years due to the producer Rana Sarkar's conflicts with Eastern India Motion Pictures Association. Dimension 2010 7 Filming took place in three-minute segments from 1991 to 1997. The original plan was to film once a year, from 1991 until 2024, but director Lars von Trier abandoned the project in the late 1990s. The finished footage was released on DVD in 2010. Eraserhead 1977 5 Due to the minimal length of the script, director David Lynch struggled to finance his debut film. It ultimately took five years to complete filming. Everyday 2012 5 Filming took place twice a year, once in summer and once in winter. The cast and crew gathered for a few weeks each time, whenever they had gaps in their schedules. The Evil Within 2017 15 Originally titled The Storyteller, filming began in 2002, with director Andrew Getty constantly starting and stopping the film's production. Getty died in 2015, two years before the film's release with only editing and color correction remaining, leaving editor Michael Luceri to finish the film on his own. Evolution of a Filipino Family 2004 11 The pre-production was started in December 1993 in Jersey City, and began photography on 8 March 1994 in New Jersey. The Philippine shoot started in early 1997 in Gerona, Tarlac. The shooting ended in April 2003. But more scenes were added October–November 2004, and finally stopped 31 January 2005. It is also one of the longest films ever made. The Fall 2006 4 Shot in 24 countries.Game Changer20253The film was announced in February 2021 with Ram Charan in the lead and S.Shankar as the director in his debut Telugu directorial. Principal photography commenced in October 2021 with a proposed completion in December 2022. However, production was stalled due to Shankar resuming his other long pending project Indian 2 and working simultaneously on both films. The principal photography was eventually completed with the final schedule in July 2024.The Goat Life202416Based on the 2008 novel Aadujeevitham by Benyamin, the project was started by director Blessy in 2008 who also produced the film. Prithviraj Sukumaran was cast in the lead role. However, production was stalled due to financial constraints and the film languished in development hell until 2015 when co-producers came on board. Shooting resumed in 2018 and concluded in 2022 over six schedules being disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The film eventually released on 28 March 2024.The Grand Bizarre20185Footage was collected in fifteen countries, including Turkey, Greece, Israel, Morocco and Indonesia. Hard to Be a God 2013 6 Filming took place on and off for a period of six years, beginning in the autumn of 2000 and was followed by an additional six years of post-production.Hari Hara Veera Mallu20255The film was officially announced in January 2020 with principal photography commencing in September 2020. The film was predominantly shot in Hyderabad in several legs. The film experienced several delays due to the pandemic and Pawan Kalyan's political commitments. Hell's Angels 1930 3 A Howard Hughes' World War 1 film, referenced in The Aviator. A long shooting schedule, made longer when Hughes decided to add sound at the advent of "talkies". Hoop Dreams 1994 5 Filming included over 250 hours of footage. Originally planned to be a 30-minute piece for PBS, Hoop Dreams developed into a 170-minute documentary that took three years to edit. Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam 2002 6 It took six years to make, with long sabbaticals between shoots due to production problems.Indian 220245A sequel to director S. Shankar's 1996 film Indian, the story was conceived in 2015 and the project was announced in September 2017. Principal photography commenced in January 2019 but was affected by various factors including an accident on the sets, the COVID-19 pandemic and the filming of Shankar's Game Changer and lead actor Kamal Haasan's Vikram. Filming eventually resumed in August 2022 and concluded in January 2024. The film eventually released on 12 July 2024.Inland Empire20063It was completed over three years and shot primarily in Los Angeles and Łódź without a finished screenplay.Inside Out20153Development lasted for five and a half years, with three of its duration for the production. It Happened Here 1964 7 Filmed by Kevin Brownlow and Andrew Mollo, who began work on the film as teenagers, with a cast that mostly consisted of amateur actors. Junk Head 2017 7 This Japanese stop motion film, which started life as a short, spent seven years in production. It was directed by Takahide Hori, who also sculpted the models, designed the sets, composed the score, wrote the screenplay and provided voice work. The completed film debuted at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Canada on July 23, 2017. After a few film festival tours, Hori re-cut the film and it was given a wide release on March 26, 2021, in Japan. Khrustalyov, My Car! 1998 7 Production lasted for seven years due to difficulties in financial backing.Kill It and Leave This Town202014The film took fourteen years to animate. Wilczyński had originally intended Kill It and Leave This Town to be a short film, however eventually ended up deciding to make it his feature debut.The King and the Mockingbird (Le Roi et l'Oiseau)