Horror Movies That Had Darker Original Endings

By RodneyHatfieldJr for Movies

Most of our favorite movies originally had different endings than what we received. Either through an executive decision or test screenings, our iconic movies could have had alternate endings than the ones we love. Today we are going to look at some of these films. And yes it would have created a whole new and most likely negative reaction from fans.

I am going to assume you have already watched these films, and yes there will be spoilers. We are talking about the endings here. Naturally, these are in no way, shape, or form in any order.

 

I Am Legend


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All of them, Omega Man and The Last Man on Earth, I Am Legend all differ from the book. We are going to look at the end of I Am Legend. The film ends with Dr. Neville sacrificing himself to save two human companions who then deliver the cure to a human settlement. Mostly a happy ending, however, the original book features a major bummer of an ending. 

Neville discovers that the mutant vampires feel emotions and are attempting to rebuild society. Realizing that he is, in fact, the villain to all these vampires, he takes suicide pills while awaiting his likely execution. All three films abandoned this ending to some degree, opting instead for less morally gray finales. 


Army of Darkness


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The ending has Ash getting back to the Necronomicon, reciting a magic phrase (Klaatu Barada Nikto), and going back to work at S-Mart in the present. The original ending was much darker.

Sam Raimi wanted to end the movie by having Ash travel too far into the future, landing him in a post-apocalyptic Hellscape.  The best part is that this version is on Youtube, so go watch it.


Happy Death Day 


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When Groundhog Day combines with a slasher flick, we get a fun film. And I know people who don't like it. Anyway, a college girl named Tree has to relive the day she's offed by a masked figure until she can solve the mystery and stay alive. 

In the original ending, Tree wakes up and starts going about her day as though she has succeeded in escaping, but is then slain one last time. Thankfully for test audiences, they were extremely upset, and we get the happy ending the movie deserved.


You're Next


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It’s Home Alone with horror. The movie ends with a cop shows up and almost gets hit with a booby trap. Yet, the movie almost had a huge crap of an ending.

The cop was supposed to barge in and kill Erin. Come on, the movie isn’t good enough for a Night of the Living Dead ending.


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To escape the room, Enslin sets the hotel room on fire, which alerts the fire department; they come to his aid just before he's engulfed in flames. First responders save the day again. Everyone is happy. But in the original ending that was shown to test audiences, not so much.

Enslin perishes in the fire and becomes a ghost. 


28 Days 


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Jim and the rest of the survivors then move to a cottage where they wait for the infected to perish. But that is actually the third ending.

The original ending had Jim dying and leaves his two friends to wait out the plague in the cottage. The second ending saw Jim passing in an abandoned hospital after his friends fail to save his life. 


Dawn of the Dead 


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Back in 1978, the film ends with the final two surviving characters fighting their way to a helicopter on the roof of the mall and flying away. Yea.

In the original script, Pete and Francine were supposed to take their own lives. The ending was never filmed, but effects master Tom Savini did make test footage.


 Alien 


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Ripley beats the alien and everyone is happy. But the original script would have changed the whole franchise. 

Ripley dies while fighting the alien. Then it was going and record the last entry in Ripley's log by parroting her voice as the film faded to black. That would mean no Ripley and talking aliens. No thanks.



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