'World War Z' & 6 Other Movies With Weird Alternate Endings

Brad Pitt's zombie-war movie could have had a totally different ending. (Warning: Spoilers ahead!) The thriller was originally supposed to end with Brad Pitt's character fighting the zombie brigade in Russia — that is, lopping off heads and leaving zombie blood all over the former USSR. Of course, that didn't sit too well with the execs and they decided to re-write the ending, leading to Pitt's character outsmarting the zombies without violence and returning home to his family. How sweet. But it's not the only film that had an alternate ending. Here's a list of films that could have ended on a much different note. Image: Paramount Pictures

This underrated Ashton Kutcher drama about a guy who can travel through time via memory had two separate endings, one which was shown theatrically and the other which was available once the film came out on DVD. In the original ending, Kutcher's character finally realizes that being in the life of his one true love will only bring her and her family harm. So, he decides to shun his former love by telling her to stay away from him, forever. They eventually see each other on a city street and pass one another by. Not very dramatic. But the alternate ending — the one that really packed the punch — involved Kutcher's character watching his own sonogram and going back to the memory of him being in his mother's womb, where he strangles himself with an umbilical cord. Image: New Line Cinema

This light-hearted rom-com about a southern girl who tries to cover up her roots so she can marry a wealthy New Yorker had a very bizarre alternate ending. At Melanie's (Reese Witherspoon's) wedding to her ex-husband (Josh Lucas), her ex comes into the party holding Melanie's apparently lifeless body. He tells the entire party that Melanie is dead — to which they react in absolute horror, because, obviously. But it's all a joke, see! A joke that represents Melanie's rebirth into the southern community! You crazy kids. Naturally, this alternate ending didn't have a chance at making its way into theaters.

This creepy horror film about an orphan who is definitely not what she seems had a traditional cinematic ending — the evil kid (who actually turned out to be a 33-year-old dwarf, because reasons) was defeated and drowned, leaving the family safe. Well, not so much in the alternate ending. In this one, Esther — the orphan — doesn't die, and instead goes back to her room with cuts and bruises, ready to reassume her identity as a child. Plus, we have no idea what happened to the rest of the family! Terrifying. Image: Warner Bros. Pictures

Sadly, Jack doesn't survive in the alternate ending, either. In this super cheesy version, the people searching for the Heart of the Ocean find old Rose about to drop it into the sea. When the men confront her, she drops this little gem of wisdom: "Only life is priceless, and making each day count." Cool, but can I have my ten million dollar diamond now? Image: Paramount Pictures

The filmmakers decided to go with a very different approach to this sports story. Instead of Average Joe's triumphing gloriously over Globo Gym, in the alternate ending, Joe's simply ... loses. They lose, Globo Gym does a victory dance ... and then it cuts right to the credits. Is this alternate ending hilarious or just depressing? You decide. Image: 20th Century Fox

This classic Hitchcock movie could have had a completely different feel. Instead of the birds simply ceasing their crazy behavior, the ending of this film would have shown a shot of a swarm of birds flying over the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco to cause more havoc. Eep! Image: Universal Pictures