Top 10 Times Movie Studios Listened to Fans

Script Written by Nathan Sharp

Top 10 Times Movie Studios Listened to Fans

May your voice be heard! Because sometimes, the studios really are listening. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Times Movie Studios Listened to Fans.

For this list, we’ll be looking at various instances in which movie studios listened to fans or test audiences and changed their movie to accommodate their demands. Now, we aren’t necessarily saying that these changes are for the better. We’re merely including the times that movie studios listened to demands, whether for good or ill.

#10: Rey’s Lineage

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (2019)

“The Force Awakens” is often criticized for being a rehash of “A New Hope,” but it still raised some intriguing questions – primarily, the lineage of Rey. In “The Force Awakens,” Rey was a simple scavenger with a muddy past, and many people were quick to assume that her mysterious lineage would become important. However, this was infamously subverted by Rian Johnson, who made Rey’s parents random nobodies who abandoned her on Jakku for “drinking money.” It was a risk, but it didn’t pay off. Fans were enraged, and “The Rise of Skywalker” turned her into the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine. See, they didn’t abandon her for drinking money – they were protecting her from her evil grandfather! Your mileage may vary with this one…

#9: A Different Editing Style

“Goodfellas” (1990)

Sometimes the test audiences actually know what they’re talking about! Not all the time, mind you. But sometimes. Luckily, they are directly responsible for the manic last act of “Goodfellas.” Henry becomes an anxious wreck in the final act of the movie thanks to his abundant cocaine use, insomnia, and unrelenting paranoia. The test audiences found these sequences too drawn out in the original cut, so Scorsese and editor Thelma Schoonmaker tightened up the pacing and added the signature jump cuts. The result was magnificent – a relentlessly-paced and manic sequence that firmly places the viewer in Henry’s drug-fueled and paranoid headspace.

#8: Licence Revoked

“Licence to Kill” (1989)

It seems like everyone but the most ardent James Bond fans forget about Timothy Dalton’s movies – “The Living Daylights” and 1989’s “Licence to Kill.” It’s a fitting name, as “Licence to Kill” is easily the darkest and most brutally violent Bond movie ever made. But can you believe it was almost called “Licence Revoked?” That was the original name of the movie, and MGM even commissioned posters with the “Licence Revoked” title. However, fans hated and were left confused by the title, as they thought “licence revoked” referred to Bond’s driving licence! MGM listened to the outrage and changed the title to “Licence to Kill.” No one is confusing that with a driving licence!

#7: Scott Leaves with Ramona

“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” (2010)

Edgar Wright adapted Bryan Lee O’Malley’s “Scott Pilgrim” before it was even finished. And, like another certain story that was adapted before it was finished, the ending was met with considerable backlash and controversy. In Edgar Wright and Michael Bacall’s original ending, Scott ditches Ramona and gets back together with Knives. This ending proved highly divisive, but things got even worse in July 2010 when O’Malley released the final chapter in the “Scott Pilgrim” series. In his ending, Scott reunites and leaves with Ramona. Discouraged by O’Malley’s alternate ending and the poor reception to his, Edgar Wright decided to change the ending of his movie to match the one found in the comics.

#6: Making “Star Trek” More “Star Trek”-y

“Star Trek Beyond” (2016)

The first two films in the rebooted “Star Trek” series certainly weren’t bad, but they weren’t very “Star Trek.” They were action blockbusters. Very well-made action blockbusters, yes, but “Star Trek” was never about the action. Enter writer J.D. Payne, who stated that his script “[got] back to the sense of exploration and wonder” that the “Star Trek” series was known for. That said, Simon Pegg was then brought in to make the film more palatable, as “the studio was worried that it might have been a little bit too Star Trek-y.” Overall, the quality of the movie and dumbing down of the script aside, there’s no denying that “Beyond” is certainly more old school and “Star Trek” than “Into Darkness.”

#5: Ditching “Victor Domashev”

“Fantastic Four” (2015)

Comic book fans really take the source material seriously. Case in point – “Fantastic Four.” Before the movie was released (AKA before we knew it was a flaming pile of garbage), it was rumored that Doctor Doom’s real name would be Victor Domashev. This resulted in an insane amount of backlash, as fans were insistent that he retain his comic name of Victor von Doom. Fox listened to the incensed fans and Victor’s name was changed during the reshoots to match the one found in the source material. Not that that really mattered. This movie needed way more changes than a simple name alteration!

#4: Including a Xenomorph

“Alien: Covenant” (2017)

By the time “Covenant” rolled around, the “Alien” franchise had long been dormant. We hadn’t gotten a true, scary “Alien” film in decades, as “Resurrection” was some ridiculous B-movie nonsense and “Prometheus” was busy pondering the philosophical. Ridley Scott was on board with this direction, telling Yahoo! Movies in 2014 that he was retiring the xenomorph. However, the hostile reaction towards “Prometheus” made him rethink his plans. As such, Ridley Scott and screenwriter John Logan wished to return the series to its horror roots with “Alien: Covenant.” After extensive script rewrites, the ol’ xenomorph was brought back in, and “Alien: Covenant” had its signature mix of old school thrills and philosophical musings.

#3: The DCEU Stops Being So Dark

“DC Extended Universe” (2013-)

We get what the DCEU was trying to do, and we respect it. But it just wasn’t working. To compete with Marvel’s lighter fare, DC released the dark, dreary, and critically disappointing “Man of Steel,” “Batman v Superman,” and “Suicide Squad.” All three of these movies, while ultimately profitable, still underperformed at the box office, and it became clear that general audiences weren’t enjoying the DCEU brand. So they changed it. After “Suicide Squad” was the lighter and better received “Wonder Woman,” followed by the Marvel-esque “Aquaman” and “Shazam!” Even “Justice League” was quippier and more colorful than its gloomy predecessors, a clear attempt at making the brand more family-friendly and accessible.

#2: Reducing Jar Jar’s Role

“Star Wars” prequel trilogy (1999-2005)

Modern fans may bemoan “The Last Jedi,” but that is nothing compared to the absolute furor surrounding “The Phantom Menace” and “Attack of the Clones.” These movies were considered total travesties, and much of the blame was aimed squarely at a specific character – poor Jar Jar Binks. Jar Jar was the most hated character in the world following “The Phantom Menace,” and his terrible mistakes in “Attack of the Clones” certainly didn’t help his reputation. Due to the intense backlash, actor Ahmed Best recommended that George Lucas kill off Jar Jar in “Revenge of the Sith.” His recommendation was not answered, but Jar Jar’s role was significantly reduced, and numerous scenes involving the character were cut from the theatrical release.

#1: Changing Sonic

“Sonic the Hedgehog” (2020)

It was a long time coming, but in 2019, we finally got our first glimpse of the highly anticipated “Sonic the Hedgehog” movie. And it was… not great. Let’s be serious, the expectations of “Sonic” fans have LONG been lowered. But even the lowest of expectations couldn’t brace us for what we were about to see. The humanoid Sonic design was utterly detested and quickly memed, and the trailer was bombarded with dislikes on YouTube. It was a certified PR nightmare for Sega and Paramount, and they instantly went into damage control mode. They quickly announced that they were redesigning Sonic and subsequently delayed the movie. And yes, the redesign was considerably better. At least we know they’re serious about pleasing the fans…