3 Movies That Changed Their Sources' Ending (For The Better)
Sometimes filmmakers come up with such stunning endings for movies that are based on books that even the authors of the original source admit to their superiority.
We're used to the fact that the source is almost always considered better than the adaptation by viewers, but the changes to the endings of these three movies are the exception to this rule.
The Mist
The Mist is one of the most successful adaptations of Stephen King 's work. Moreover, the King of Terror appreciated the changed ending.
Stephen himself loves happy endings, or at least neutral endings, but horror movie fans don't really appreciate them. So directors have to come up with something new.
In the original story King leaves the ending open, his heroes go in search of a military unit, and whether they find it or not is unknown.
Director Frank Darabont came up with a much more gruesome ending (spoiler!): the main character, in desperation, kills all his relatives five minutes before being rescued.
Needless to say, the vast majority of the viewers was in raptures at such a finale.
Fight Club
Director David Fincher followed Chuck Palahniuk's book almost exactly, the only thing he changed was the finale.
In the original text, the detonators do not work and the narrator wakes up in a psychiatric hospital, surrounded by orderlies who are eager to save their leader and continue the war against society.
Although Tyler Durden is dead, the hero seems doomed to remain his pale shadow. Fincher acted more boldly – he wanted to clearly show that anyone can conquer their inner Tyler and take a step towards their own life.
Jack and Marla choose each other as they watch the old world crumble. Palahniuk admitted that he liked Fincher's ending better than his own.
I Am Legend
The controversy over which ending is better continues unabated. In addition to the one in which Robert Neville dies, giving hope to humanity with his death, another finale was filmed.
In it, the leader of the zombies comes to Robert to take his beloved, and Neville sees that they are capable of feeling, which means they are capable of building a society. The main character stays alive and leaves the city.
This ending is closer to the novel by Richard Matheson, and some believe that it better reveals the essence of the story. However, many fans agree that the first ending is much more impressive and heartbreaking.