Did You Know? 15 Films Where The Original Ending Was Changed

In the 1993 film Army of Darkness, "Ash" (Bruce Campbell,) is transported back to the Middle Age, where he has to fight the dead, and he is able to return to the present with the help of a magic potion in the end. However, in the original version, the character takes the potion, falls asleep, and instead of waking up in the present, he wakes up in a post-apocalyptic world!

In I Am Legend Will Smith plays "Robert" tries to find an antidote to the virus while defending himself against nocturnal mutants. In the film's last scene, he is surrounded by mutants and blows them and himself up with a hand grenade. The original ending was very different, however. It becomes clear that the mutants can think and feel. "Robert" frees the Alpha mutant woman and she is reunited with her lover, the Alpha mutant male. Once they are together they leave, taking all the other Dark Seekers with them... 

In the 1976 horror film The Omen, "Damien" (Harvey Spencer Stephens) is the son of the devil. However, his diplomat parents have no idea what his real identity is. When they find out who he really is, they are quickly killed. The American President, who is a good friend of "Damien's" adoptive parents, takes the boy in. In the last scene, "Damien" is smiling devilishly into the camera at his adoptive parent's funeral. The original ending was a happier one, in which he was defeated!

In First Blood, war veteran "John Rambo" (Sylvester Stallone) starts a fight with the chief of police of the small Washington town. He ends up being arrested and is taken to the local prison. In the original version of the film, he was meant to die at the end of the film, as he asks his friend "Colonel Trautman" (Richard Crenna) to kill him because he feels that he will never be able to survive jail. After a tense discussion, "Colonel Trautman" agrees to shoot him. Fortunately, the end was changed, otherwise, there could only have been one Rambo film, which would have been a great shame!

The Princess Diaries, starring Anne Hathaway, tells the story of "Mia," a normal teenager, who suddenly discovers that she is the heir to the throne of the fictional kingdom Genovia. Despite some initial difficulties, she is able to adapt to her royal role and is crowned Princess at the end of the film. The film's closing scene shows her in her new castle. The coronation scene was originally meant to be the last scene, but the director's five-year-old granddaughter felt that this was an unsatisfactory ending so it was changed!

Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis play murderers "Mickey" and "Mallory" in Natural Born Killers. The media is fascinated by the couple. They are arrested, but manage to escape and the closing scene shows them driving in a car with two children. The director originally had a different ending planned. "Owen" who had helped them escape, was meant to murder them as he was a secret serial killer himself!

In the classic film When Harry Met Sally the characters were supposed to remain friendly acquaintances but never ending up together! Everything changed when the director of the movie, Rob Reiner, met her real-life wife while filming and had a change of heart that led to a happier ending!

In the mystery thriller Butterfly Effect, starring Ashton Kutcher, "Evan" is able to travel into the past. In order to resolve some of his childhood traumas, he makes use of this ability and in doing so accidentally triggers a chain reaction that has disastrous consequences. At the end of the film, he travels back to the past one last time to save his childhood friend "Kayleigh" (Amy Smart.) The original end, however, was far more brutal. "Evan" realises that he is to blame for all the bad things that happen around him. He travels back to the past, to the moment in time just before he is born and strangles himself with his own umbilical cord...

In Pretty in Pink, "Andie" (Molly Ringwald) falls in love with rich "Blane" (Andrew McCarthy.) He is not interested at first, but, his friend "Duckie" (Jon Cryer) is. At the end of the film "Duckie" and "Andie" go to the prom together. It is here that "Blane" finally declares that he is in love with "Andie" and the last scene shows the couple embracing. An alternative end was planned originally however, she was meant to reject "Blane" and pick "Duckie" instead!

In the film 28 Days Later, "Jim" played by Cillian Murphy, wakes up from a coma after having been involved in an accident. While he was in his coma, a viral epidemic transformed England's population into zombies. Along with a few other survivors, he tries to escape the undead. He ends up being shot, but is nursed back to health by "Hannah" (Megan Burns) and "Selena" (Naomi Harris,) and the three are finally able to send for help. The original ending was not a happy one. In it, the two women are not able to save "Jim" and their future looks very uncertain...