Movies that almost had completely different endings are more common than you might think. Have you ever finished watching a movie and thought, “What if the ending had been different?”
Well, that almost happened with several films we know and love. Some of these alternative versions could have completely changed our perception of the story.
There are endings that would have been much sadder, others that would have left everything confusing, and some that could even have been better than what made it to the big screen.
The truth is that Hollywood is full of surprises, and screenwriters love to play around with different possibilities before deciding what makes the final cut.
Many of these alternative versions come to light later, when interviews, leaked scripts or the famous special editions reveal them. And, of course, we imagine how it all could have happened if the directors had chosen another route.
With that in mind, I've selected four films that almost had completely different endings. Some would have been shocking, others would have changed the entire message of the film, and there are even some that would have completely frustrated fans. Let's check them out!
Titanic (1997)
I bet you remember the ending of Titanic, right? Jack freezes to death in the water, Rose survives and throws the necklace into the ocean. But did you know there was another version of this ending? And it's just... weird.
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In an alternate ending that was filmed, Rose does not drop the necklace herself. Instead, treasure hunter Brock Lovett and his team appear and try to convince her to hand over the jewel.
Then, in the middle of a weird motivational speech, she throws the necklace into the water right in front of them. The result? A scene that is more comical than emotional.
The crew starts screaming in despair, as if they had just lost the chance of a lifetime (which, technically, they did).
In the end, this version was discarded because it took away from the emotional impact of the moment and made everything a bit too theatrical. Thank goodness, right?
If the creators had chosen this ending, we might never have felt that melancholy that makes Titanic so iconic.
Movies that almost had completely different endings always generate debate, and this is one of those cases where, honestly, the final choice was the best.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
If you've seen The Silence of the Lambs, you know that the ending is simply perfect: Hannibal Lecter escapes, picks up the phone, calls Clarice, says he "has an old friend for dinner" and calmly goes on his way.
But did you know there was another idea for this ending? Well, in an alternative version, Lecter sent a letter to Clarice, thanking her for the time they spent together.
The problem is that this would make the ending much softer and perhaps less threatening. What makes the original ending so good is precisely the tone of danger.
We leave the film knowing that Lecter is still at large and ready to commit new atrocities, making everything even more intriguing. If they had opted for the more “sympathetic” version, he would almost seem like a repentant villain, which would take away much of the impact.
Many people don't know, but a simple change can completely transform films that almost had completely different endings. And this is a great example of that.
The ending that aired is terrifying, and that's what makes us remember Hannibal Lecter for so long.
I Am Legend (2007)
If you've seen I Am Legend, you'll remember that the ending in the movies shows Dr. Neville sacrificing himself to save Anna and Ethan, while discovering the "cure" for the infection.
In the alternate ending, Neville realizes that the "monsters" are not so savage after all. He understands that they only want to get one of their own back and, in the end, the real villain of the story was him.
By the time he returns the captured female, the infected are gone, and he realizes he has spent years killing creatures that actually had their own form of society.
This version, in fact, is much more faithful to the book. But the studios thought that the public would not enjoy this more philosophical approach and changed it to a more cliché ending of a hero sacrificing himself.
Films that almost had completely different endings, like this one, make us think about how much one detail can change the entire message of the film.
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
If you're into horror movies, you'll remember the iconic ending of Rosemary's Baby: she discovers that her son is literally the antichrist and, in the end, ends up accepting the child.
But there was a version where she did not accept this fate. In the original script, Rosemary tried to run away with the baby or even kill him.
However, Roman Polanski decided it would be more impactful to show her giving in to the pressure and embracing her new role. This made the ending even more disturbing and ambiguously frightening.
If they had gone with the alternate ending, the film would have had a completely different feel. Instead of the feeling of helplessness and psychological horror, we would have had a more traditional story of fight and flight.
But, as we know, Rosemary's Baby became a classic precisely because of its sinister ending.
Services – Movies That Almost Had Totally Different Endings
Ultimately, movies that almost had completely different endings show how important the choice of outcome is.
Small changes can completely alter a film’s message and how audiences receive it. Fortunately, directors often get the final decisions right and deliver iconic moments that have gone down in film history.
But let's face it, it's always fun to imagine what could have been, right? Which of these endings would you have liked to have seen on screen?
- CinePop (website)