Top 10 Movies That Were Changed At The Last Minute

Top 10 Movies That Were Changed at the Last Minute

Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 movies that were changed at the last minute.

For this list, we’ll be going over the films that received significant alterations either during or after production.

If there’s a last minute movie change you wish we’d included under the wire, please don’t wait to comment down below!

#10: Less Shark

“Jaws” (1975)
“Jaws” was a hugely influential movie that almost looked very different. A big reason for that was its animatronic shark. Unfortunately, the mechanical animal barely worked. Since it was costly to shoot with, director Steven Spielberg decided to rework how he shot the film. He ultimately went for a “less is more” approach with the shark. Thankfully, this turned out for the best. The largely unseen shark and the menacing music left more to the audience’s imagination, and made it more terrifying than a prop could ever be! And when we do see the shark, all that build-up just made it scarier!

#9: A Speedy Redesign

“Sonic the Hedgehog” (2020)
The first “Sonic the Hedgehog” trailer ran into tons of backlash for the blue blur’s live-action design. Apparently, the special effects team took inspiration from the “Ted” franchise to give Sonic more realistic eye placement and fur than his animated counterparts. Although the studio believed they’d just get complaints from fans, a universal rejection of Sonic sent them scrambling. Director Jeff Fowler let everyone know on Twitter there would be a full redesign. Although the movie was supposed to come out in November 2019, its release was delayed a few months to February 2020 to accommodate the changes. Thanks to veteran Sonic designer Tyson Hesse and a $5 million budget, Sonic got a much-needed and well received makeover just in time.

#8: A New Marty

“Back to the Future” (1985)
Marty McFly doesn’t just vanish from his family photo in this time travel movie – his actor also disappeared! Or rather, was recast. Although Michael J. Fox was the first choice for the role, he wasn’t the first actor to play it. The filmmakers initially cast Eric Stoltz as Marty and shot over a month with the actor. But Stoltz took a more dramatic approach to the role that didn’t fit the light tone of the film. He was eventually let go during the film shoot. When Fox took over the part, his comedic timing and fantastic chemistry with the cast was evident in every frame of the movie. This recasting ensured Marty McFly would become an unforgettable sci-fi protagonist.

#7: Diego Was Meant to Die

“Ice Age” (2002)
Diego is a saber-toothed cat charged by his pack with leading Manny the mammoth, Sid the sloth, and their human baby charge into an ambush. Diego forms a friendship with the group and has a change of heart as the journey goes on. While trying to make up for his actions, Diego is injured by his pack’s leader and left behind by Manny and Sid. Although the movie sees him return later, Diego was originally intended to have died here. But his demise left children upset in early test screenings. So, the filmmakers decided to bring him back. The sequels would certainly look very different without one of the main cast members.

#6: Aragorn Replaced

“The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy (2001-03)
It’s hard to imagine seeing any of the main “Lord of the Rings” cast played by different actors. But Aragorn, the grizzled heir to the throne of Gondor, wasn’t always played by Viggo Mortensen. Actor Stuart Townsend was cast as Aragorn first. He spent months in New Zealand undergoing training with the rest of the cast. But mere days before shooting was due to begin, Townsend was let go and replaced by Viggo Mortensen. Director Peter Jackson felt that Townsend was too young to portray the gravitas of the character. Mortensen didn’t have much more notice either, having less than a day to decide on the role and then because his son insisted on it. Although we're glad he did, we wonder what Townsend would have been like.

#5: Gun Beats Sword

“Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981)
When Indiana Jones is accosted in Cairo, he’s attacked by several henchmen who try to slay him and Marion. After they’re separated, one with a particularly intimidating looking sword sizes him up and looks ready to duel. Indy proceeds to take out his gun and shoots his enemy. While Harrison Ford is no stranger to shooting first, this moment was going to play out very differently. The initial idea was to have a complex duel that would’ve pitted Indy’s whip against the fighter’s sword. But Ford improvised the change after he came down with dysentery and didn’t feel well enough to do something so elaborate. Fortunately, it led to one of Indy’s best scenes.

#4: The Epilogue

“The Shining” (1980)
“The Shining” has one of the most iconic and mysterious endings in horror. The deranged Jack Torrance pursues his family through the maze of the Overlook hotel and they escape as he apparently freezes to death. But a cryptic vintage photo of him from years earlier at the hotel leaves us stunned and full of questions. Originally, the movie was shown with a scene at a hospital, in which Jack’s family is told that Jack’s body was never found. But director Stanley Kubrick was unhappy with the scene and decided to have it removed. Surprisingly, he made this change after the movie was already circulating in theaters. We like to think film professionals said “Heeere’s Johnny!” as they made this cut.

#3: The Ending

“I Am Legend” (2007)
In this post-apocalyptic film, Dr. Robert Neville conducts experiments on the mutated, vampiric monsters that many humans have become in the hopes of finding a cure. The version of the film released in theaters ends with Neville sacrificing himself to ensure his allies escape with a cure he devised. But this movie could’ve had a more poignant conclusion. An alternate scene sees Neville realize the mutated humans care for each other and he has become a monster to them. He lets his last test subject go and decides to leave with his allies. Unfortunately, this morally ambiguous and complex ending wasn't received well by test audiences and was swapped out.

#2: Mike Myers as Shrek

“Shrek” (2001)
Although Shrek has become more of a meme in modern times, the original movie and character are seriously amazing. A big part of that success is Mike Myers’ pitch perfect performance as the grumpy ogre. Surprisingly, the former “SNL” actor was not only not the first one cast in the role, but he also wasn’t even the first “SNL” actor cast as Shrek! Chris Farley was cast as Shrek first, and he had even recorded almost all of his lines for the film. Tragically, Farley passed away during the recording process. Rather than try to complete the film with Farley’s lines, the filmmakers elected to recast him. Myers did a fantastic job taking over the role.

Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Hugh Jackman, “X-Men” (2000)
The Definitive Wolverine Was Cast 3 Weeks Into Filming After the 1st Choice Was Injured

John Meets Hans, “Die Hard” (1988)
At First, McClane Wasn’t Supposed to Meet Gruber Until Their Final Confrontation

#1: Vader’s Rampage

“Rogue One – A Star Wars Story” (2016)
One of the most iconic scenes in this rebellious “Star Wars” anthology movie occurs near the end. Darth Vader, in a scene straight out of a horror film, mows through rebel soldiers as they desperately try to get the Death Star plans off their ship. It’s an amazing scene that showcases Vader’s power and intimidation in a more visceral manner than any we’ve seen yet. But it was actually not part of the initial shooting for “Rogue One.” The hallway scene was added during reshoots. Its addition certainly ensured the filmmakers didn’t choke on their aspirations.