Cinema’s Lost Pages: Test Your Knowledge of Hollywood’s Alternate Endings!

What was the original ending of “Pretty Woman” before it was changed?

Vivian starts her own business.

Edward and Vivian part ways.

Vivian and Edward get married.

Edward moves into Vivian’s apartment.

The original ending of “Pretty Woman” was darker, with Edward and Vivian parting ways. The ending was changed to a more fairy-tale conclusion due to negative audience reactions to the initial more realistic finish.

Which film originally had the main character die at the end?

Fatal Attraction

The Terminator

Titanic

Dodgeball

In “Fatal Attraction,” the original ending had Alex committing suicide, framing Dan for her murder. Test audiences disliked this, leading to a reshoot where Dan’s wife shoots Alex in self-defense.

In which movie does the protagonist originally fail to save a key character?

I Am Legend

The Butterfly Effect

Se7en

The Sixth Sense

I Am Legend originally ended with Will Smith’s character, Neville, realizing he was the real monster and making a peaceful exchange with the mutants. This ending was changed after negative audience reactions.

What ending was originally planned for “Blade Runner”?

Deckard is confirmed as a human.

Deckard and Rachael fly to the mountains.

Rachael dies from her expiry date.

Deckard is revealed as a replicant.

The original ending of “Blade Runner” included a scene where Deckard and Rachael fly off to the mountains, suggesting a hopeful future. This was cut in favor of a more ambiguous ending.

Which film originally ended with the villain winning?

28 Days Later

Avengers: Endgame

The Descent

Gladiator

The Descent originally ended with the protagonist hallucinating an escape and realizing she was still trapped in the cave. U.S. audiences saw a version where she escapes, although it is ambiguous.

What happens in the discarded ending of “Thelma & Louise”?

They turn themselves in.

They escape to Mexico.

They drive off a cliff.

The police catch them.

Thelma & Louise did end with the protagonists driving off a cliff, but originally the film continued slightly longer to show the car crashing, which was deemed unnecessary and overly grim.

Which movie originally had a darker conclusion for its hero?

The Shawshank Redemption

Rambo: First Blood

Rocky

Forrest Gump

The original ending of “Rambo: First Blood” had the hero, John Rambo, dying by suicide. However, it was changed to allow for the possibility of sequels.

What was the first ending of “Clerks”?

The store closes permanently.

Dante is killed during a robbery.

Dante and Randal reconcile.

Jay and Silent Bob leave town.

In the original ending of “Clerks,” Dante was shot and killed during a robbery at the store. This was changed because it was felt to be too dark and not in keeping with the tone of the rest of the film.

Which film originally ended with a freeze-frame of the main character?

American Psycho

Dodgeball

Die Hard

Clerks

Dodgeball originally ended with the Average Joes losing the tournament, marked by a freeze-frame of Vince Vaughn’s character in defeat. This was changed after poor test audience reactions.

In the original ending of “Testament of Youth”, what happens to Vera?

She reunites with her fiancÃ©.

She remains a nurse.

She becomes a pacifist speaker.

She dies in a bombing raid.

In “Testament of Youth,” the original ending had Vera Brittain reunite with her fiancÃ© Roland Leighton, who in real life died during WWI. This was changed to reflect the true historical outcome and her later life as a pacifist and writer.

Which film had a reshot ending where the main character survives?

The Descent

Little Shop of Horrors

Big Fish

The Mist

In the original ending of “Little Shop of Horrors,” both Audrey and Seymour are eaten by the plant, Audrey II. This ending was changed to a happier one where both survive, due to negative audience reactions during test screenings.

What changed in the final release of “Sunset Boulevard”?

Norma is declared innocent.

Joe survives.

A different narrator.

No changes were made.

Sunset Boulevard originally had a different opening with Joe Gillis’s body in a morgue, which included dialogue with other dead characters. It was changed because it was poorly received by early viewers, making Norma’s eventual acquittal the focus instead.

Which horror movie originally ended with a suicide?

The Omen

The Shining

1408

Scream

The film “1408,” based on Stephen King’s story, initially concluded with the protagonist, Mike Enslin, dying by suicide. This ending was altered to him surviving but being haunted by his experiences, following negative feedback from test audiences.

What original film ending was removed due to its bleakness?

American Beauty

Pulp Fiction

Fight Club

Seven Pounds

Seven Pounds initially had a darker ending that left audiences feeling unsettled. The ending was reworked to provide a clearer, albeit still somber, resolution that emphasized the protagonist’s redemptive arc.

In which movie was the love interest originally going to die?

Titanic

Speed

Serendipity

Groundhog Day

In “Speed,” Annie (played by Sandra Bullock) was originally supposed to die, which would have darkened the tone of the film significantly. This was changed after test screenings to allow for a happier resolution.

What film had its ending changed from a dream sequence?

Brazil

American Psycho

The Wizard of Oz

Office Space

Brazil originally ended with a long, surreal dream sequence. However, the studio insisted on a more definitive conclusion, leading to a revised ending where it’s revealed the protagonist has lost his mind.

Which action movie changed from a tragic ending to a happier one?

Die Hard

Lethal Weapon

First Blood

The Last Samurai

Lethal Weapon originally concluded with Martin Riggs dying, which would have made it a standalone film. Test audience reactions led to a rewrite where Riggs survives, allowing for future sequels.

In what film was the villain supposed to survive?

Silence of the Lambs

Heat

Fatal Attraction

Cape Fear

Fatal Attraction originally had the villain, Alex, survive, planning to continue her pursuit of the family. The ending was reshot to have her die in a dramatic climax due to audience feedback favoring a more definitive conclusion.

Which romantic comedy initially had a breakup at the end?

My Best Friend’s Wedding

Notting Hill

Love Actually

The Proposal

My Best Friend’s Wedding originally concluded with Julianne alone, without reconciling with either Michael or her friend George. The ending was changed to her dancing with George, creating a more uplifting finale.

Which movie originally featured a main character’s relapse into crime?

Ocean’s Eleven

The Italian Job

Matchstick Men

A History of Violence

Matchstick Men originally ended with the main character, Roy, going back to his con artist ways. This was changed to a more optimistic ending where he’s seen leading a normal life, after it was felt the original ending was too cynical.