The most important part of every movie is the last half hour. The way the audience feels about the ending of a film can make or break that movie. To avoid a divisive conclusion, an ending that has already been written or shot may be altered to enhance the viewing experience.

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With films like Get Out, a minor tweak to the third act could make a difference between going home with an Oscar or going home empty-handed. Critical receptions, box office results, and justice to character arcs are perfect standards to judge alterations to final cuts.

'Army of Darkness' (1992)

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A hardware store worker is transported back to the medieval period and has to battle an army of the dead to return home. Ash’s character arc nearly missed the mark when the original ending mistakenly called for the main character to get transported to a post-apocalyptic future instead of home.

According to The Unseen Force: The Films of Sam Raimi, Universal Pictures demanded reshoots for the bitter ending fearing the depressing tone would repel moviegoers. An alternate version was shot for the theatrical cut that saw Ash safely return to the present.

'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' (2010)

Michael Cera and Mary Elizabeth Winstead in Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Image Via Universal Pictures

Scott Pilgrim experiences love at first sight, and to date his crush, he has to duel a league of seven evil exes. Based on the graphic novel Scott Pilgrim, the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World script’s original ending predates the book's release and involves Scott Pilgrim choosing his girlfriend, Knives, while bidding adieu to his love Ramona.

After defeating Romana’s League of Evil Exes, Scott, Romana, and Knives learn valuable lessons. Romana learns about her commitment issues, Scott is taught to fight for his passion, and Knives learns to let go. The characters were robbed of these lessons in the original cut. After the book was released, the director, Edgar Wright, filmed another ending with Scott choosing Ramona over Knives that aligned with the book’s story, and Edgar Wright has gone on record stating that the second ending is his “preferred ending.”

'Fatal Attraction' (1987)

Glenn Close as Alex in Fatal Attraction (1987)

A woman stalks and torments a man and his family following their one-night stand. Glenn Close plays the sadistic stalker in Fatal Attraction and disagrees with the reshoots for the climax of the 1987 psychological thriller.

The original finale had Alex Forrest committing suicide to frame Dan Gallagher as a vengeful tactic following their affair. After negative reactions from the test screenings, a new outcome was shot: Dan’s wife shoots her dead. Although Close was incredibly upset with the new ending, she later admitted “[she didn’t] think it would become the phenomenon it became if they hadn’t changed the ending.”

'Get Out' (2017)

Daniel Kaluuya looking shocked and crying in Get Out.

In Get Out, an interracial couple visits the white girlfriend’s family, and the Black boyfriend learns her family intends to steal his body to sell it as an avatar to the highest bidder. Jordan Peele was forced to change Get Out’s initial resolution to avoid controversy following a string of police shootings of unarmed Black men close to the film’s release.

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In the original ending of Get Out, the main character was arrested after the cops arrived at the estate and discovered the dead bodies of the villainous family. Peele intended the film to reflect the harsh realities of the unfair imprisonment of innocent Black men. However, current events caused the director to pivot, and the main character Chris was escorted off the family’s estate by his best friend instead. The final script earned Jordan Peele an Academy Award for the screenplay.

'Little Shop of Horrors' (1986)

Aubrey 2 holding a victim

A carnivorous plant alien befriends and manipulates a nerdy florist to feed him blood in exchange for fame and fortune. Little Shop of Horrors is an adaption of the 1982 off-Broadway musical that featured a grim ending where evil plants successfully take over the world.

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In an Entertainment Weekly article, Frank Oz stated his goal was to keep the film close to the play’s roots, and the film’s first dark ending drew negative reactions from viewers at test screenings. A suicide attempt by Seymour and the death of the two main characters were substituted for a softer finale involving Audrey II’s demise and Seymour and Audrey living happily ever after.

'Titanic' (1997)

Jack and Rose kissing at the front of the ship in Titanic.
Image via 20th Century Studios

Titanic follows a fictional love story that takes place during the 1911 sinking of the Titanic ocean liner. After James Cameron changed the film’s ending during production, the movie became one of the highest-grossing films of all time.

Bill Paxton revealed the details of the original script in a 2017 Yahoo interview, and the script called for the treasure hunters to interrupt Rose before she tossed her diamond necklace into the abyss. Rose informs the group to value life over the treasures they’re constantly hunting for, and the team allows her to throw the “Heart of the Ocean” necklace overboard. James Cameron axed this idea in the editing bay, sensing that the audience would not be interested in a resolution for the side characters following the intense scenes of the sinking ship. Instead, the preachy ending was substituted for a close that saw Rose toss the jewelry overboard without the team’s knowledge.

'Terminator 2: Judgement Day' (1991)

Terminator 2 John Connor and T-800

In Terminator 2: Judgement Day, two cyborgs are sent back in time, one to protect the eventual savior of humanity, and the other is tasked with annihilating him. After Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 model is submerged in sweltering steel, the theatrical cut concludes with Sarah Conner’s voiceover explaining that the Terminator’s change of heart gives her hope for humanity.

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The theatrical cut is the resolution that most fans know and love. There was a special edition cut that was released and included an alternate ending set thirty years after the main events of the movie. Sarah is at a park bench watching her son play with his granddaughter. Most fans agree the sequence seems out of place. Also, the visuals haven’t aged well, so the film’s version of the 2020s seems laughable today.

'I Am Legend' (2007)

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I Am Legend stars Will Smith as Robert Neville, a military scientist searching for a cure during a zombie apocalypse. The film’s original ending drew criticism for departing from the book’s finale. An alternate ending for I Am Legend was added to a special edition DVD release.

The film’s first close had Neville blowing up a group of Darkseekers and himself with a grenade to allow his two allies to make off with the cure. The alternate ending had a Darkseeker reason with Neville to retrieve a lab subject. Neville realized his research findings were false about the Darkseekers showing signs of intelligence. The ending mirrored the book and resulted in a regretful Neville showing compassion towards the mutated Darkseekers.

'Clue' (1985)

clue-movie copy
Image Via Paramount Pictures

1985’s Clue film adapts the mystery board game where guests at a mansion band together to figure out which one of them had committed a murder on the premises. Various endings were sent to different theaters, allowing audiences to experience one out of three versions of the motion picture.

Met with mixed reviews, Clue was a box office failure, and many spectators felt the multiple endings were a horrible gimmick. Over time, fans of the game have embraced the film and recognize the multiple stops that remain true to the board game that inspired the movie. The speculative nature of the game is realized by the three endings that demonstrated “How It Might Have Happened,” “How About This?,” and “What Really Happened.”

'Star Wars: Return of the Jedi' (1983)

Luke Skywalker standing next to Darth Vader

Lukę Skywalker leads the Rebels on a quest to destroy Darth Vader’s Death Star in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Luke pulls his father from the grips of the dark side before his death. The revised ending includes Luke noticing the Force ghosts of his father and mentors during the celebration at the end of the saga.

The initial idea involved Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Anakin using the Force to will themselves back to life and embracing the rebels during the celebration. The June 12, 1981 rough draft of the script was discarded and eventually transformed to the finale fans are familiar with.

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