Four Movies With Ending Scenes That Were Later Changed: Find Out Why

The “what ifs” you will never be able to watch again.

Making a brilliant ending for a film is not an easy task. If filmmakers do not create a fitting conclusion to the story, the audience might get upset or angry — and sometimes it requires a lot of trial and error. Some movie endings are perfectly formed, while others take time to evolve. In some cases, films feature finales that are omitted from the movie by the time it is released in theaters. Possibly the ending scene was altered because test audiences hated it, or maybe the director realized the plot required an overhaul. Whatever the reason, below are some movies with endings that were dramatically altered later.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

In Thor: The Dark World, Thor and his brother Loki team up to fight Malekith, a wicked Dark Elf. Initially, the ending scene featured Loki sacrificing his life for Thor, but the test audiences were very distressed by his demise — hence, Marvel shot another finale and slightly tweaked the ending scene that revealed Loki gets away and pretends to be Odin, occupying Asgard’s throne.

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

The filmmakers wanted the iconic film to have a much bleaker end. Reportedly, the film was supposed to conclude with E.T. dying, leaving behind Elliott alone. Another anti-climatic finale was also considered by the filmmakers. It would disclose that the jerry-rigged communicator was still operating on the roof, suggesting E.T. and Elliot were still long-distance space pals. Fortunately, both ideas were discarded for the classic emotional scene we all love.

Pretty Woman (1990)

The original Pretty Woman ended on a note which was far from depicting a feminist statement. Originally, the film was supposed to conclude with Vivian Ward streetwalking after being rejected by Edward Lewis and forced back onto the streets. But test audiences considered this ending too depressing. Therefore, the filmmakers changed the ending and depicted them reuniting.

My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)

This film was originally created to have a delightful ending — where Jules Potter falls for the best man (John Corbett). This would be after trying to sabotage her best friend’s wedding and attempting to split up the couple. But test audiences believed Jules was mean-spirited and too cruel, and she didn't deserve a potential boyfriend in the end. As a result of this opinion, the filmmakers decided to settle for a bittersweet ending, where Jules realizes that she should first work on herself.

The original endings of films are often omitted or changed in favor of something that would please the viewers more, and we are thankful to the filmmakers for giving these films the ending they deserved.