The world of horror movies wouldn't be the same without some of the scrapped monsters that nearly made it to the big screen. These terrifying creations, brought to life through the creativity and imagination of filmmakers, could have completely altered the course of horror and comedy in cinema history. From the vampire face of Fright Night to the alien from Predator, let's explore some of the most terrifyingly scrapped movie monsters.

Vampire Fright Night

The iconic vampire face of Amy from Fright Night has made its mark in the movie industry, serving as the inspiration for a papier-maché cloud monster in the poster and box art. But the origins of this horrifying visage go back even further. This unsettling effect was initially created for the film Ghostbusters, where it was envisioned to be the librarian ghost—a menacing presence that could have made the film more haunted than funny. If the filmmakers had decided to go with this concept, Ghostbusters might have become a horror classic rather than a beloved comedy.

ET: The Extraterrestrial and Gremlins

Steven Spielberg, known for his visionary storytelling, has a history of pivoting film concepts based on audience reactions and creative direction. His experiments with a horror film featuring hostile aliens called "Night Skies" reveal a different direction for this idea. A different alien version with a small and meek demeanor was eventually transformed into the beloved ET: The Extraterrestrial. The original concept, however, was scrapped and repurposed into a darker film: Gremlins. This story of a child's friendship evolving into a horror film showcases how scared audiences can be in the early moments of a movie, making Gremlins seemingly more terrifying than any other.

Predator: From Duck to Deadly

One of the most intriguing scrapped monsters is the Predator from the film Predator. Initially envisioned as a far less human-looking creature, it featured a bulbous body and an animalistic duck-like snout. The effect was so bizarre that it required a custom suit that moved poorly. The head looked far too small to be worn by a human actor, leading to an unsettling bouncing and lolling motion as the alien moved. Adding to the bizarre factor, the actor hired for the role insisted on using martial arts and kick-boxing moves to fight against the characters in the film. When the filmmakers decided to retool the costume, they fired the actor who, interestingly, went on to a different career. This actor was Jean Claude Van Dam, known for his martial arts and fight choreography, whose involvement in a duck costume would have been both frightening and comical.

These scrapped monsters are a testament to the creative freedom and experimentation that goes into the film industry. They remind us that sometimes, the best creations work their way into new forms, while others remain as tantalizing curiosities that could have reignited the horror genre. From the demonic vampire face to the strange duck-headed monster, these scrapped horrors could have had a significant impact on the film landscape had they been given a chance.