Movie so controversial the government stopped production and ordered all materials to be destroyed still has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes

It's not unusual for movies to spark controversy when they make it to cinemas, but it's rare that films cause so much outrage that they never even make it to theaters in the first place.

But this was exactly the case with a movie from the 1970s which was being directed by Polish director Andrzej Zulawski, who is known for his work on movies like Possession (1981) and Fidelity (2000).

Zulawski's project was in the works around the time of the first Star Wars movie, and his film was also set in space, having been based off a set of three novels known as the lunar trilogy.

However, rather than going on to become one of the most iconic and beloved movies ever, like Star Wars, his project instead became the victim of censorship by the Polish government.

The movie was in production for two years before being shut down (Eureka Entertainment)

Starring Andrzej Seweryn, Jerzy Trela and Grazyna Dylag, Zulawski's movie was titled On The Silver Globe, and told the story of a team of astronauts who form a society after landing on the moon.

The group begin populating the moon, but come to learn that children born there grow up a lot faster than they do on Earth. Before the last of the original astronauts dies, he sends footage of his experiences on the planet back to Earth, where it's found by a scientist named Marek.

Having recently been left by his wife, Marek takes it upon himself to see life on the planet for himself. When he arrives, he's treated as a messiah by the moon people.

If this sounds like the kind of flick you want to see, I unfortunately have bad news for you: it's never been released in its entirety.

The film is said to have suffered some budgetary issues, but the biggest barrier to its creation is believed to have come from the Polish government at the time, as they allegedly weren't happy with some of the film's themes being critical of the communist establishment.

Warning: Scenes of nudity

As a result, production on On The Silver Globe was shut down before it was finished, and some of the negatives created during filming were destroyed.

Speaking to Vice about the decision, actor Seweryn said: “The order of our minister of culture was the order for everybody. [Poland] didn’t have private cinema, it was a cinema of the state so stop meant stop. We tried to protest, to sign a letter, but it was without any result.”

The consequence of the interruption means that while some of On The Silver Globe can be viewed, we'll never know what could it really have been.

However, in a bid to make sure the world saw some of his creation, Zulawski filled in some of the missing scenes from his movie with shots of everyday Polish life in 1988.

When he screened the movie at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival, he provided live narration of what was supposed to be happening during those scenes.

So while Zulawski didn't get to make the movie he wanted, those who have seen what remains of On The Silver Globe have praised the flick for its originality, with the movie receiving an impressive score of 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

One reviewer wrote: "Even out of time, even incomplete, even now that its director is gone for good, “On The Silver Globe” endures and its beautiful power will never dim."