The Most Expensive Deleted Scenes That Were Never Released

In simpler terms, great films seem well-rounded and perfectly orchestrated as if they were destined for the screen. However, making movies can be chaotic; they often involve rough stages, discarded ideas, and creative impasses during the lengthy process of transforming concepts into cinematic experiences. Consequently, there are scenes that get removed from the final cut, even at the very end of production. These scenes, though unnecessary for the finished product, were around long enough to consume resources (and a lot of money) from the artists responsible for bringing these movies to life. Therefore, eliminating these segments was an expensive but crucial step.

Typically, studios eliminate costly scenes before investing excessive funds in them. Unfortunately, not every film gets this luxury, and numerous productions wind up creating expensive (and sometimes amusingly unseen) deleted scenes destined for the cutting room floor. The reasons behind keeping these scenes under wraps can stem from various factors – they might have been considered too inappropriate, or perhaps the director decided the public wasn’t meant to view leftover footage from a project. Whatever the cause, their absence from theaters sometimes transforms these expensive cuts into cinematic folklore. Despite our inability to watch them, tales of the content and rationale for their removal continue to circulate.

The original Mike Myers audio from Shrek

It’s hard to imagine “Shrek” without Mike Myers, even though Chris Farley was initially cast for the role. However, it’s Myers’ use of his unique Scottish accent to voice the grouchy ogre that has become intrinsically linked with this series, making it surprising to learn that he originally played the character with a different voice.

Initially, Shrek’s Canadian accent was based on the voices Mike Myers heard growing up in his homeland. Yet, as a meticulous artist, Myers felt the role required something more. It was his wife, who hailed from Scotland, who proposed that Shrek should adopt a Scottish brogue. Looking back, it seems like a logical choice, but at the time, executives at DreamWorks Animation were quite apprehensive about altering such an iconic character.

In this case, the issue lay in the fact that expensive computer animations had been produced to align with Mike Myers’ Canadian-accented voice for Shrek. To switch his accent to Scottish would demand a significant amount of money and effort. At that point, it was reported that the initial cost for redoing Shrek’s animation could reach up to $5 million, though Myers has since challenged this figure. Regardless of the exact sum, scrapping the original Shrek scenes wasn’t a budget-friendly choice. However, as events unfolded, this decision turned out to be a clever move. The Scottish accent for Shrek was exactly what the character required and played a crucial role in making him adored by moviegoers worldwide.

World War Z’s initial third act

In the making of “World War Z,” the filmmakers might have found it less stressful to handle real zombie mobs compared to the turmoil that transpired off-screen during the 2013 blockbuster starring Brad Pitt. Originally, the high-priced adaptation of Max Brooks’ book was planned to include a vast, action-packed third act featuring Pitt’s character, Gerry Lane, brutally fighting zombies in Russia. This final sequence was intended to position “World War Z” within the realm of summer blockbusters like Michael Bay’s “Transformers” series.

During the post-production stage, it was realized by everyone working on the project that the action sequence prioritized grandeur over detail. In 2012, filmmakers such as “Lost” creator Damon Lindelof were enlisted to devise an alternate ending for “World War Z.” This eventually resulted in a more personal scene reminiscent of classic zombie movies, where Lane navigates through a hospital filled with the undead.

The true cost of the original Russia-set finale for the movie World War Z has never been disclosed. It’s known that the overall budget for World War Z grew to $190 million, part of which likely went towards the final sequence. However, the CG zombies for this sequence were not fully completed, potentially saving production companies some money. Removing the elaborate set piece, which took a long time to film, was not inexpensive for World War Z. This was just one of many challenges encountered by this 2013 blockbuster movie.

Maleficent’s original first act

Initially, the movie “Maleficent” wasn’t an immediate success story for Disney. Directed by Robert Stromberg, who is well-known for his work in production design, the film faced numerous challenges before it reached the big screen. Starring Angelina Jolie, it went through significant reshoots under the guidance of “The Blind Side” director John Lee Hancock. The additional scenes were focused on revealing Maleficent’s origin, detailing her early life. These reshoots were so extensive that they required replacing several actors in the initial sequence of Maleficent. For instance, Ella Purnell replaced India Eisley as Young Maleficent in later scenes.

In this editing process, all scenes featuring Peter Capaldi as King Kinloch and Miranda Richardson as Queen Ulla (who played Maleficent’s uncle and aunt in the film) were eliminated. This decision was made by director Stromberg to reduce the overall runtime of “Maleficent”. It’s also possible that excluding Maleficent’s immediate family members served to emphasize her growing relationship with human boy Stefan.

Regardless of these factors, it’s somewhat astonishing that Richardson and Capaldi, along with the expensive special effects to transform them into fairies, didn’t end up in the final version of “Maleficent”. Their scenes were not shown publicly, but in 2024, some online detectives found photos of Capaldi in makeup as Kinloch, giving fans a peek at what could have been the opening sequence of “Maleficent”.

Thor: Love and Thunder’s lost cameos

Peter Dinklage transformed from a respected character actor during the 2000s to earning high-end paychecks, regardless of whether he’s the main star in a film or series. For instance, in the final season of “Game of Thrones,” Dinklage earned an impressive $1.2 million per episode, and it’s said that he made $2 million for his supporting role in “The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” a few years later.

Although it might be challenging to match Jeff Goldblum’s current earnings, it’s likely that he doesn’t come at a low price. However, this high cost didn’t deter Goldblum or Dinklage from filming scenes for “Thor: Love and Thunder,” which ultimately weren’t included in the movie’s theater release. Both actors were reprising their roles from previous Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Nevertheless, the opportunity to continue MCU storylines and utilize two well-known actors didn’t guarantee their inclusion in the final version of “Love and Thunder,” even for a brief appearance.

Taika Waititi, the writer/director, has stated that the footage won’t be made available to the public for the same reason it was initially removed: Waititi felt these scenes weren’t particularly strong. Despite the impressive acting skills of both Dinklage and Goldblum (not forgetting their high salaries), the scenes they filmed for “Love and Thunder” didn’t reach a standard that would justify public viewing. Consequently, whatever they were doing in “Love and Thunder” will remain confined to the minds of MCU fans.

The initial version of Bolt

Initially, the production of “Bolt,” produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, faced several challenges before reaching cinemas. Originally titled “American Dog” and directed by Chris Sanders, who had previously worked on “Lilo & Stitch,” it was intended to be his significant follow-up project. The storyline revolved around a lost Hollywood dog exploring everyday America, but with more eccentric character designs that reflected Sanders’ unique artistic style.

The project named “American Dog” was initiated by Sanders and his team around late 2003, with a planned release set for summer 2008. Regrettably, their hard work didn’t bear fruit as Disney acquired Pixar Animation Studios in early 2006. The new leadership at Disney Animation Studios, headed by John Lasseter and Ed Catmull, assessed ongoing projects like “American Dog” following the acquisition.

By the end of 2006, Chris Sanders parted ways with the project due to artistic disagreements with the new Disney Animation leadership. Following this, an entirely fresh creative team took over, eventually developing the film into “Bolt.” In the book “On Animation: The Director’s Perspective Vol. 2,” Sanders acknowledged that the final product bore little resemblance to his original concept. Although the exact amount spent on “American Dog” before its transition to “Bolt” is unknown, the film’s production spanning over three years certainly wasn’t inexpensive. The journey to making “Bolt” was arduous and costly, necessitating a pricey and challenging creative detour. It eventually became a lucrative venture, but not without navigating a difficult and expensive creative path.

Fantastic Four’s original finale

In many superhero movie productions, significant scenes often need to be re-filmed. However, it is unusual when this happens without the main cast member present. Remarkably, Toby Kebbell, who was cast as Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom in director Josh Trank’s “Fantastic Four,” has disclosed that he wasn’t on set during the reshoots for the film. Instead, another actor took over the role of Doctor Doom for those specific scenes.

The production of “Fantastic Four” was chaotic, as numerous scenes from the original version were altered during reshoots. The final scenes of the movie, originally intended to be the ending, underwent significant changes and have never been officially released by 20th Century Fox. It’s unclear how much these visually complex sequences cost, but given they featured different dimensions and heavy CGI effects, it’s safe to say they weren’t inexpensive.

Since the underperformance at the box office of “Fantastic Four”, internet enthusiasts have gathered various publicly available images and extra footage, offering a glimpse into what these unseen deleted scenes might have been. Scenes shown in the trailers, such as Reed Richards reaching out frantically on an alien planet or Sue Storm weeping over Johnny’s body, seem to be part of these cut sequences. However, it is important to note that none of this material was officially released as part of the troubled production of “Fantastic Four”.

The entire B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations movie

Prior to Warner Bros. Discovery deciding to scrap “Batgirl,” DreamWorks Animation had previously canceled “B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations” approximately six months before its scheduled release date. In this film, Seth Rogen and Melissa McCarthy portrayed ghostly protagonists battling an evil spectral entity (portrayed by Bill Murray, a veteran from “Ghostbusters”). The project was led by Tony Leondis, who later directed “The Emoji Movie.” Actors such as Octavia Spencer, Rashida Jones, Jennifer Coolidge, and Matt Bomer were part of the ensemble cast. Animators had been diligently working on the production when it was put on hold. Some estimates suggest that about 60% of “B.O.O.” had already been completed before the decision was made to cancel it.

Despite investing over $100 million into the project named “B.O.O.”, Jeffrey Katzenberg and other DreamWorks executives decided it was not suitable for release due to concerns about the movie’s quality, its ending, and the heavy plot detail involving a protagonist who is a deceased father. This aspect in particular raised doubts as to whether children would be interested in such a feature. These issues ultimately led to “B.O.O.’s” cancellation, and DreamWorks has never officially disclosed any footage from the production. However, some unauthorized clips of the animation (including completed ones) have appeared online.

Dark Phoenix’s first attempt at a third act

It’s not just “Fantastic Four” that underwent significant changes in its final act at the last minute, but also the Marvel film from 20th Century Fox, “Dark Phoenix,” initially conceived a completely different ending for its climactic scene.

During interviews to publicize the release of “Dark Phoenix,” star Tye Sheridan disclosed that an original ending for the movie featured Charles Xavier and the X-Men visiting the President of the United States at the U.N. building in New York City. The purpose was to warn him about incoming alien threats planning to assassinate him. Jean Grey would have instigated turmoil at the U.N., with this scene also involving Skrulls. This discarded storyline may be why notable actor Brian d’Arcy James, who played the POTUS in the film, had a limited appearance in the final version.

James McAvoy contributed to the mysterious backstage events of “Dark Phoenix” by mentioning that its final scene was altered to prevent similarities with a contemporary superhero film, most likely “Captain Marvel.” The unnamed rival comic book movie primarily used Skrulls, which could explain why “Dark Phoenix” opted for the D’Bari aliens and a more contained finale set in train cars. Although McAvoy and Sheridan mentioned this, they didn’t disclose the cost of the initial deleted ending. However, it’s said that changing and reshooting the final scene caused “Dark Phoenix”‘s budget to exceed $200 million.

The Camelot sequence in War of the Worlds

The films directed by Steven Spielberg frequently gain such enduring popularity that even the discarded scenes from these movies are often spoken about in mythical terms. For instance, an unseen cut from “Jaws” has gained a legendary status due to its supposed extreme violence.

Instead of some deleted sci-fi movie moments that viewers didn’t even know existed, there’s a previously unseen Spielberg scene that has intrigued science fiction film enthusiasts for years – a significant, alien-focused sequence from “War of the Worlds.” Known as “Camelot” by fans, this scene unfolded towards the end of the movie and depicted Ray and his family witnessing alien tripods attacking people hiding in what was once a pristine neighborhood. From their shelter, they watched as these mechanical beings killed humans within their homes. Although some images from “Camelot” were published in Cinefex in mid-2005, this sequence has never been officially released to the public.

Since it primarily focused on digital tripod battles in realistic settings, which were expensive to create, producing “Camelot” was costly. However, this sequence didn’t make it into the final version of “War of the Worlds,” and neither did any deleted scenes appear on the home video release. Yet, decades after the original premiere of “War of the Worlds,” “Camelot” has gained a legendary status online. Internet petitions have been started to release this sequence, and a simple Google search reveals numerous fan-made illustrations of the set piece.

Rogue One’s original climax

Initially, the part of the “Star Wars” universe that includes “Rogue One” was fraught with difficulties before it became the popular setting for the TV series “Andor”. A year prior to the release of “Rogue One”, the production was a challenging endeavor. The original version directed by Gareth Edwards required significant reshoots, leading to the involvement of Tony Gilroy, director of “Michael Clayton”, who contributed new content and oversaw additional filming. Many aspects of “Rogue One” underwent changes due to this process, but most of the modifications were concentrated on the final act, where the main characters collaborate to steal the Death Star plans and ultimately work together as a team.

The specific costs associated with the discarded scenes from the final cut are unclear, but it’s certain that Gilroy pocketed a minimum of $5 million solely for developing fresh content for “Rogue One”. It remains unknown how much was spent on constructing sets, hiring staff members, and other essential resources required for both the initial and reshot versions of crucial scenes in both iterations.

Although these cut scenes gained notoriety, they were not included in the home video version of “Rogue One”. Director Gareth Edwards considered them too short to be classified as full “scenes”, and due to their minimal length, including them in the final release didn’t seem logical to him. Consequently, fans of Star Wars can catch a glimpse of some deleted Rogue One scenes only in the movie’s pre-release trailers and promotional videos.

The original Kevin Spacey scenes in All The Money in the World

One striking instance of crucial scenes being removed from a film at the last second is the 2017 Ridley Scott movie, “All the Money in the World.” This crime thriller was heavily publicized due to its climactic revelation that Kevin Spacey portrayed the elderly J. Paul Getty. With Spacey earning up to half a million dollars per episode on “House of Cards” as late as 2017 and the costly prosthetics used to age his appearance, this role was a significant financial investment for the studio. Unfortunately, a wave of sexual assault and misconduct accusations against Spacey disrupted the production of “All the Money in the World.

Prior to the December 2017 release of “World”, filmmakers led by Ridley Scott had to re-film Kevin Spacey’s scenes with Christopher Plummer due to unforeseen circumstances. This unexpected move added over $10 million to the production budget, on top of what was initially spent. It’s often puzzling why expensive deleted scenes aren’t distributed for public viewing, but it’s clear why Scott has been firm that Spacey’s “All the Money in the World” scenes will never be shown again. As new accusations and lawsuits against Spacey continued until 2025, the creators of “World” choose not to provide him with further exposure.

2025-05-03 23:32