1. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
The ending toE.T.that we all know has Elliot saying a tearful final farewell to the alien, who then flies off in his spaceship.
But there was an alternate ending that ended the film on a more cheerful note. This deleted scene was meant to be tacked onafterthe ending we are all familiar with.
It shows Elliot at the helm of aDungeons and Dragonsgame. The camera pans up to the roof of the house where the communicator is still functioning, hinting that Elliot can still communicate with E.T.
2. Independence Day (1996)
This alternate ending toIndependence Dayshows Randy Quaid’s character flying a biplane—not an F-18—into the alien spaceship. It looks as cartoonish and ridiculous as it sounds. They really made the right decision changing this scene.
Related:The Best Movies About Alien Abductions, Ranked
3. Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
The alternate ending of 1986’sLittle Shop of Horrorsis similar to the stage musical it was adapted from—a much darker and more awesome ending than the one they ended up going with.
Rick Moranis is devoured and the carnivorous plants spread and presumably destroy the world. The movie probably would have suffered financially, but the ending would’ve been cool. Fortunately, they included it it the director’s cut!
4. Army of Darkness (1992)
The ending toArmy of Darknessthat most people are familiar with comes from the theatrical cut. It ends with Ash slaying a demon in the S-Mart and saying one of his trademark one-liners: “Hail to the king, baby.”
But there was another, longer director’s cut with a different ending—one that was preferred by both Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell. This version ended on more of a down note, but still managed to be hilarious.
In the director’s cut, Ash takes too many drops of a sleeping potion and wakes up in the distant future. Society is in ruins and Ash ends up on his knees, screaming “I slept too long!” It’s similar to the ending ofPlanet of the Apes, but way funnier!
5. Alien: Resurrection (1997)
The ending ofAlien Resurrectionthat made it into the movie shows Ripley and Call flying over Earth after defeating a giant Newborn (Xenomorph-human hybrid) by ejecting it into space.
The alternate ending has them landing on the surface in the ruins of a post-apocalyptic Paris.
The shot looks really similar to the alternate ending ofArmy of Darkness. You half expect a bearded Bruce Campbell to stumble out of a cave screaming about how he slept too long.
6. Donnie Darko (2001)
This alternate ending toDonnie Darkoshows Donnie impaled by airplane wreckage while still breathing. The actual version that made it to theaters shows the airplane engine crushing Donnie, but he isn’t visible in the shot.
It’s rumored that the graphic nature of this replaced scene was so bad that it couldn’t even qualify for an NC-17 rating. I haven’t found a solid source to verify this rumor though, and the scene seems far tamer than many rated-R films.
The ending lost nothing in terms of emotional resonance or plot resolution by leaving this shocking bit out. Scrapping it was definitely a wise decision.
Related:The Best Time Travel Movies of All Time
7. Alien (1979)
One of the ideas that Ridley Scott had for the end ofAlienwas to have the Xenomorph tear Ripley’s head off. Then it would mimic Dallas' voice and radio for a ship to pick it up.
The studio execs were appalled, so Ridley Scott changed course. Luckily for us, Ripley and the cat escape with their lives intact and we get to enjoy the fantastic sequel,Aliens.
That other ending would have been pretty cool though.
Related:The Most Iconic Sci-Fi Movie Scenes
8. The Terminator (1984)
This alternate ending toThe Terminatorshows Cyberdyne Systems employees finding a chip from the crushed T-800 and sending it down to their R&D department.
It’s a cool scene that hints at a sequel. James Cameron decided it was unnecessary, though, and that audiences would be able to fill in the gaps themselves when the sequel came out.
It turns out he was right! People had no trouble keeping up with the plot ofT2. But seeing this scene in retrospect is pretty cool.
9. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
The alternate ending toTerminator 2: Judgment Dayshows an older Sarah Connor sitting in a playground surrounded by kids playing. Then the movie just ends—with no nuclear explosion!
The ending we got was better for the movie, but this one would have spared us all from the disappointing sequels.
Read next:Why Terminator 2 Is the Best Action Movie Ever Made
