Alternative Versions of Movies That Are Way Better Than The Original

Given the intense amount of work it takes to make a movie, most viewers could assume that films serve as a significant labor of love for all parties involved. However, like any artistic endeavor, an unavoidable aspect of filmmaking involves occasional creative differences between the director and the studio. Sometimes, these arguments result in two alternative versions of movies seeing a release, with only marginal differences between each cut.

Other times, the director might insist on sticking with their original creative vision for the movie, reissuing their film through a special edition or director's cut. In most cases, these lengthier, director-approved alternative versions of movies supersede the studio-produced cuts of the movie, ensuring an altogether more enjoyable viewing experience for every audience member.

The Lord of the Rings: Extended Edition (2001-2003)

Perhaps the most famous alternative versions of movies available on the market today, Peter Jackson's definitive version of The Lord of the Rings trilogy comes loaded with an additional two hours of footage. Bumping LOTR‘s runtime up from nine hours to 11, Jackson uses the films' greater length to touch upon issues left up to audience interpretation in the original theatrical cut, providing epilogues for every major character (including supporting players like Saruman, Faramir, and Eowyn, among others).

Blade Runner: The Final Cut (2007)

While Ridley Scott has become known for releasing alternative versions of movies, Blade Runner exists as a different sort of animal. With seven different cuts of the movie bouncing around the industry, Scott has stated his belief that the 2007 Final Cut serves as the definitive version of the film. Of course, upon seeing the finished film–complete with its ambiguous allusions to Decker's status as either a human or replicant–fans will have a hard time arguing against Scott's favorable preference with The Final Cut.

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006)

Nervous about the growing budget for 1980's Superman II, the film's producers made the bold decision to oust director Richard Donner, replacing him with the equally capable Richard Lester. With Lester deciding to omit most of Donner's ambitious ideas, the theatrical cut of Superman II proved a far cry from Donner's original conception of a two-part Superman saga. Three decades later, though, Donner released his own re-edited cut of the film, which fans believe surpasses the already impressive version eked out by Lester.

Apocalypse Now: The Final Cut (2019)

Another film with multiple edited versions, fans should look to the Francis Ford Coppola-approved Final Cut of Apocalypse Now when determining which version of the film to watch. A satisfactory compromise between the 147-minute long theatrical release and the 193-minute Redux, Coppola polished back Redux enough for an overall smoother transition from one scene to the next, measuring in at a runtime of just over three hours.

Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut (2009)

A re-edited version of the already re-edited Director's Cut, Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut balloons the movie's theatrical runtime of 162 minutes to a whopping 215.

Paying faithful homage to its source material, Zack Snyder threw in extensive footage centered around Dr. Manhattan and Laurie and even the death of Hollis Mason (a horrifying sequence that shows the original Nite Owl's tragic demise). Not only that, but The Ultimate Cut weaves in 30 minutes of “Tales of the Black Freighter,” an animated side-story taken straight from the pages of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' original comic.

Once Upon a Time in America: The Extended Director's Cut (2012)

Legendary Italian director Sergio Leone garnered a reputation for his mammoth-sized historical epics, cranking out such seminal works as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West. Despite his proficiency in crafting lengthier cinematic odysseys, American distributors endured cold feet when releasing Leone's original 269-minute-long Once Upon a Time in America.

After the studios' disappointing 139-minute-long cut failed to wow critics in 1984, the film saw a home media release that salvaged most of Leone's original film, raising the length back up to 251 minutes.

Kingdom of Heaven: The Director's Cut (2006)

Compared to the Ridley Scott-approved Director's Cut, the theatrical release of Kingdom of Heaven fails to achieve the dramatic splendor of its alternative version. With an extra 50 minutes at his disposal, Scott zeroes in on the fascinating dynamic between each character, whether in the form of Balian and his scheming half-brother or Sybilla and her leperous son.

Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)

After prolonged fan outcry over Joss Whedon's MCU knockoff version of Justice League, viewers had their vocal support rewarded with Zack Snyder's 2021 cut of the film. Yes, it may not rank as the best film in the DCEU. Still, the stark color composition, the layered characterization, and the immersive action improve upon the hackneyed weaknesses of Whedon's 2017 Justice League in every way imaginable.

Brazil: The Director's Cut (1985)

Fighting an uphill battle against the studio–not unlike his own protagonist's war against a dystopian bureaucracy–Terry Gilliam did all he could to ensure his original vision for Brazil saw the light of day. Embarking on an embittered ad campaign against his employers, the Monty Python alum eventually got his way. Though a sparse TV edit of the film also exists (clocking in at an underwhelming 94 minutes), fans will want to stick with the Director's Cut of Brazil to see this powerful satirical comedy in its entirety.

Little Shop Of Horrors: The Director's Cut (2012)

In theory, the theatrical release of 1986's Little Shop of Horror works fine on its own, ending on a celebratory note that sees the characters triumph over the man-eating plant invading New York. Yet in Frank Oz's initial cut of the movie, Audrey II spreads across the world, demolishing humanity's feeble attempts at survival.

For the 2012 recut of the film, Oz returned this bleaker, far more interesting ending to the film, to the utter elation of diehard Little Shop fans everywhere.

Aliens: The Director's Cut (1991)

Like his contemporary Ridley Scott, James Cameron has gained notoriety for the multiple alternate versions of movies

Case in point with Cameron's 1986 sci-fi masterpiece, Aliens, the action-packed follow-up to Scott's own 1979 classic, Alien. After shedding 17 minutes for the theatrical release, Cameron cobbled the original footage back together with his 1991 director's cut, which includes such scenes as Ripley learning of her daughter's death and a prolonged alien attack involving automated turret guns.

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid: The Director's Cut (1988)

Butting heads with the studio throughout his work on the film, Sam Peckinpah's 1973 Western, Pat Garett and Billy the Kid, came fraught with tension from the very get-go. While MGM's butchered cut of the movie failed to leave much of an impression, Peckinpah's untouched version of the film has been called one of the most underrated films of the New Hollywood era, as well as one of the greatest revisionist Westerns of all time.

The Hateful Eight: Extended Version (2019)

Quentin Tarantino seized on an opportunity brought to him by Netflix to release an extended version of The Hateful Eight–Tarantino's 2015 Western whodunit. Dividing the film into four succinct episodes, this new miniseries version of The Hateful Eight premiered on Netflix in 2019, bringing with it just under 20 minutes of trimmed footage. With extended conversations between characters, the miniseries recut of The Hateful Eight also heightens the tension behind the central mystery in the film, with each character receiving a more significant backstory.

I Am Legend: The Director's Cut (2007)

Yes, I Am Legend‘s director's cut features a mere three minutes of added screentime. Yet those three minutes provide a far deeper meaning to the entire plot of Richard Matheson's original novel.

In the film's climax, Will Smith's scientist faces off against the vampiric monsters running rampant in New York, coming to terms with their advanced emotional and mental awareness. Realizing his infamous reputation among these sun-hating creatures, Smith acknowledges his status as a “legend” to his post-apocalyptic counterparts (I.E. the whole point of Matheson's book).

Touch of Evil: The Director's Cut (1958)

Throughout his prestigious career, Orson Welles faced an onslaught of battles with American producers, from his earliest work on Citizen Kane to his long-belated passion project, The Other Side of the Wind. Like each of his films, 1958's Touch of Evil endured its own degree of interference, with Universal retooling the movie into a more conventional noir crime film.

Thanks to a 58-page memo written by Welles before his death in 1985, editor Walter Murch recut the film into something far closer to Welles' distinct vision.

Das Boot: The Director's Cut (1997)

Another film re-edited into a miniseries, five different versions of Das Boot exist, from the unreleased 209-minute 1981 cut to the 293-minute Original Uncut Version.

While each iteration of Das Boot has its strengths, audiences might find the 1997 director's cut far more manageable and enthralling to sit through. At an epic 208 minutes, the serves as a somewhat leaner take on the five-hour-long Original Uncut Version.

Honorable Mention: Rebel Moon (2023)

Taking a page out of Ridley Scott and James Cameron's playbooks, Zack Snyder has become synonymous for the various versions of movies in filmography. Following in the footsteps of Watchmen and Justice League, Snyder has stated his intention to release longer, R-rated versions of each Rebel Moon film he works on.

With plans for a prospective trilogy, fans can expect to see three more Snyder-approved director's cuts added to his track record.