Sometimes things don’t go according to plan. However, even if a movie production is forced to go through reshoots, regardless of the purpose behind them, it’s not necessarily a guaranteed recipe for failure. But, just as reshoots have led to successes, it’s not as if that is a universal result. The following films, from thrillers and horror flicks to science fiction classics and superhero epics, all had to go through the reshoot process, and results varied. In some cases, these films ended up becoming cinematic classics. Others received a far more tepid response. In all cases, it was either the filmmakers or the studios that felt bringing back the crew for major reshoots was the best course of action. It’s just up to the viewer to determine whether they were right or not.
10Jaws (1975)
In an alternate universe, there’s a version ofJawsthat is rated R (no PG-13 available at the time) and is far less effective. The shark leaps from the water in the first act and drags little Alex Kitner down through his raft in a gory geyser.
The geyser is still there, but the shark is nowhere to be seen, and the film is all the better for it. While filming the classic, the 27-year-old director wisely figured out that what’s left unseen is scarier than blood and bone, so much of the stuff involving the shark was reshot. And, thank goodness because, while the shark is seen before Brody’s ‘Bigger boat’ line, it’s only to the slightest degree (a single fin during Kitner’s death and the side shot of the submerged beast as it clamps down on the boat instructor in the pond). If any film has been vastly improved by reshooting it’s Spielberg’s summer movie season-creating masterwork.
9E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
If there’s a most lovable film ever made, how could itnotbeE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial? With a unique tone and well-drawn characters, there’s nothing about the movie that doesn’t work. However, that wasn’t always the case, and the difference would have madeE.T.the anti-feel-good movie of 1982, even grimmer thanThe Thing.
Why? Because in the original version E.T. flat-out died. There’s no resuscitation via Elliot’s love, there’s just death and no returning home. Thankfully, Spielberg realized this turn of events was entirely too dark for not just kids (who would naturally make up much of the PG film’s audience and, thusly, box office viability), but adults as well. He was right. Seeing E.T. pale on a river bed near-death is heartbreaking enough, no matter how many times one has viewed the film. However,much to his own eventual regret, Spielberg wasn’t done with the classic, as he edited out the guns and added in a few wholly unnecessary brief scenes for its re-release back in 2002.
8Back to the Future (1985)
Eric Stoltz, ofMaskandAnacondafame, is undoubtedly a talented and likable performer with range to spare. But, he simply wasn’tBack to the Future’s Marty McFly.
Robert Zemeckis and the producers realized this after quite a bit of footage was shot with Stoltz in the role. And, while it’s easy to assume the footage wasn’t atrocious, it wasn’t what the movie needed. It needed Michael J. Fox, not to mention his chemistry with Christopher Lloyd, Crispin Glover, and Lea Thompson. All’s well that ends well and Stoltz has done just fine. After all, Michael J. Fox wasn’t inPulp Fiction.
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7Fatal Attraction (1987)
As it stands,Fatal Attractionis Adrian Lyne’s best and was one of 1987’s great cinematic financial successes. But the third act needed work.
And, as it turned out, that work was already done, then undone. The steamy thriller initially ended with Glenn Close’s disturbed Alex Forrest taking her own life, then pinning her death on Michael Douglas' Dan Gallagher. It’s a perfect final twist of the knife from beyond the grave, and infinitely superior in a thematic sense to how the theatrical cut ends, which is effectively like the third act of aFriday the 13thfilm. When Anne Archer’s Beth Gallagher puts bullets in Forrest, she should stay down, because nothing in the narrative has strained credibility to the point where she could survive it. But she does, and it’s all for a cheap jump scare.
6The Exorcist III (1990)
For those wanting an adaptation of the novelLegion, the director’s cut (which like the theatrical cut was helmed by book author William Peter Blatty) ofThe Exorcist IIIis absolutely the way to go. And, truth told, it’s the better film. But, there is merit to the theatrical cut ofThe Exorcist III, especially for those who were hoping it would be directly connected to William Friedkin’s original masterpiece.
For one, Jason Miller is back, albeit briefly and in fits and starts, as Father Damien Karras. Does his relation to the Gemini Killer (a wonderful Brad Dourif) make much sense? Not really, but he’s a familiar face just as there’s familiarity in the third act’s exorcism sequence, which only exists in the theatrical cut. It makes sense why investors would want the film directly connected to a box office smash, but the changes that exist in the thirdExorcistfilm aren’t wholly necessary. However, regardless of which version the viewer takes in (all are available on Scream Factory’s terrific 4K and Blu-ray releases) it’sa far shot betterthanThe Exorcist II: The Heretic.
5Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
The best Will Ferrell comedyvery nearly wasn’t. What was initially to be a film about some anchormen surviving a plane crash only to fight off apes in the jungle was, of course, changed for the sake of budget and logistics. But, what it turned into wasn’t even the film’s final form.
Specifically, the original version of the filmheavilyfocused on a bank robbery, and it’s utterly unfunny. But, thankfully, audiences ended up getting the madcap adventure that wasAnchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, and if fans want to see the original versionWake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movieis readily available.
4All the Money in the World (2017)
All the Money in the Worldwas a controversy magnet in more ways than one. And not all of iteven had to do with Kevin Spacey.
But most of it had to do with Spacey, and the fall-out of the accusations leveled against him. In no way could the movie have been released with him at that point (or even now), nor should it have. Not to mention, a better actor, Christopher Plummer, made for a more than suitable replacement, though not even his talent could save the stale film.
3Justice League (2017)
Cheekily renamed ‘Josstice League’ by some fans, the blandJustice Leaguetakes everything that ended up working fairly well forZack Snyder’s Justice Leagueand sucks the life out of it. That said, the opening scene with the always terrific Holt McCallany is a treat.
In a way, the two films are effectively the same. There are some Motherboxes, Steppenwolf wants them, Superman’s dead, Superman’s not dead, Steppenwolf fails. But,somuch was left on the cutting room floor and much of it, e.g. Cyborg’s thread, is much better than the rote nothing Whedon ended up shooting to take its place.
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2Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Anunfortunate high-priced blunder at the box office,Solo: A Star Wars Storyis a Frankenstein’s monster of a movie, but it’s a monster that functions well enough. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller ofThe Lego Movieand21 Jump Streetfame were originally the film’s directors, but Disney wasn’t impressed by their dailies.
So, they felt a change was in order and brought in the always reliable Ron Howard to raise a capsized ship. Unfortunately, what ends up on the screen, while fun enough, is assuredly less interesting (and comedic) than what that duo would have given audiences. And, consideringSoloflopped, maybe it would have been better to just leave thing as they are…worst case scenario the budget would be lighter, and the audience would have a very different film to break up the monotony of whatStar Warshas become.
1X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
Leaving theaters just as quickly as it entered them, Simon Kinberg’sX-Men: Dark Phoenix(originally justDark Phoenix) managed to be an even bigger failure than Brett Ratner’s letdown of a trilogy capperX-Men: The Last Stand. In terms of box office performance, it performed infinitely worst, standing as one of the lowest-grossing high-budget superhero films ever made.
And even as a narrative it’s only comparable, if not outright worse. Big moments, like the death of Raven, fall completely flat, and then once it enters the third act (rather jarringly) the film makes it clear there are no surprises in store to allow the audience to leave the theater partially satisfied. Specifically, instead of the intended and shot space finale, the climax was moved to a train for a poorly-choreographed and boring fight sequence. But, considering they had to do what they had to do to avoid comparison to the same year’sCaptain Marvel, it’s logical for there to have been reshoots. They just weren’t worth the money.
