As a film enthusiast who has spent countless hours delving into the intricacies of various cinematic universes, I must say that the potential return of Edge of Tomorrow to our screens is an event I eagerly await. The unique blend of humor, action, and suspense in the original movie made it a standout film in my personal collection.
10 years following its initial release, garnering both critical praise and financial success, Doug Liman’s science fiction action spectacle “Edge of Tomorrow” saw a resurgence in popularity on Netflix in 2024. Since it joined the platform in August, it has consistently ranked among the most-watched movies. The Tom Cruise-led film is edging ever closer to an official sequel, as suggested by Liman’s interview with Variety in July 2024. In this interview, he mentioned that the original cast and crew are eager to revisit the world of the time-loop action-thriller. However, if the film’s revised ending were still in place, their feelings might be different.
Fans of “Edge of Tomorrow” might not realize that a much grimmer conclusion was initially planned for the sci-fi thriller. Interestingly, Tom Cruise himself proposed a more optimistic and inspiring finale for the film, which highlights why he is considered one of the most influential movie stars-turned-storytellers in the 21st century. With “Edge of Tomorrow” turning 10 years old in 2024, revisiting its original darker ending and speculating about “Edge of Tomorrow 2” couldn’t be more fitting at this moment.
Edge of Tomorrow’s Official Ending
In my perspective as a film critic, I’d say that the movie “Edge of Tomorrow,” loosely adapted from Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s novel “All You Need is Kill,” offers an exhilarating blend of science fiction, action, and thriller genres under Doug Liman’s skilled direction.
After being sent to fight the Mimics in France, Cage detonates a landmine to eliminate an Alpha Mimic. However, the next morning, he finds himself back at Heathrow Airport, which leads him to understand that he has perished and is living the same day over and over again. Each day, Cage meets a brutal end on the beach due to the time-changing Omega blood flowing through his veins, only to resurrect at Heathrow and relive the nightmare. Despite the daily torment, Cage gradually acquires combat skills and knowledge about the loop, learning more about its mechanics with each repetition.
In their collaboration, Cage and Vrataski uncover that the Mimics form a collective organism under the leadership of Omega. Each time an Alpha Mimic is slain, Omega rewinds time, modifies its tactics, and ultimately wins until the aliens triumph. Upon this revelation, they prepare to confront Omega by repeatedly entering time loops to enhance their battle skills. The film concludes with Cage saving the world by annihilating Omega and the Mimics, but he is the sole one who recalls the events that transpired, offering a more optimistic and inspiring finale than screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie initially envisioned.
The Much Darker Alternative Ending
In an unused, more somber ending of Edge of Tomorrow, the narrative would have continued with Cage and Vrataski battling the Omega in Paris. Instead of surprising the audience, Cage would explain at length that killing an Alpha Mimic causes a time loop reset. He warns his team, “We’ll find ourselves right back here, talking about this, without even realizing it.
After his team was warned, one of Cage’s soldiers gets separated and is compelled to eliminate an Alpha when it attacks. Exactly as Cage had cautioned, the Alpha’s death triggers an Omega to reset the time loop, causing Cage and his crew to repeat the same discussion again. Following a chilling statement about their impending doom, a barrage of bullets rains down on the plane. Instead of concluding with a dramatic climax, the movie would have concluded with Cage and his team bracing for death as the Mimics carry out their assault. Liman thinks that this scene’s heavy emphasis on explanations might have left viewers feeling drained and further complicated an already intricate narrative.
According to Liman through Film School Rejects, when Tom loses power and the team goes to Paris, he briefs them on movie rules as they enter Paris. In essence, he advises them that they can kill as many Mimics as they wish but absolutely must not harm an Alpha. If an alpha is killed, they’ll find themselves back in this conversation without realizing it. The enemy will know they’re coming and will kill them all if they do so. He further elaborated:
Upon arriving in Paris, a chilling scene similar to a classic horror movie unfolds, where one of the characters becomes separated from their group and is subsequently set upon by an Alpha creature, which he manages to slay. In the process, the audience catches a glimpse of the Omega character resetting the day and gains a sinister perspective through the eyes of the antagonist. The narrative then returns to the plane, where the same speech repeats for the second time. When the line, “You can bet they’ll have a plan to kill us all,” is spoken this time, the ship unexpectedly takes a hit. As viewers, it becomes clear that the enemy has foreknowledge of their impending arrival. The exhaustion felt by the audience upon reaching that point is palpable.
McQuarrie chose the brighter, more optimistic conclusion (as suggested by Cruise) because it complemented the humor added to the storyline. If the movie had a gloomier ending, the jokes written to entertain viewers would have lost their impact. However, if you pay close attention, some lines from the original darker ending can still be found in the final version. Despite this, the outcome of the film doesn’t significantly affect the possibility of a sequel, which all parties involved – Liman, Cruise, and Blunt – are keen on producing.
What Is the Status of Edge of Tomorrow 2?
By July 2024, Doug Liman had a conversation with Variety about the possibility of a sequel to “Edge of Tomorrow.” The director mentioned that the main cast is eager to revisit the setting of war-ravaged future Europe, which has been ten years since the original film. In his own words:
We’ve been discussing it quite a bit recently, as it’s been over a decade since I last watched it. Upon rewatching, I was struck by how excellent the film is. Indeed, we adore its universe.
Apart from Liman and Cruise revisiting the science fiction genre, the director hints that Emily Blunt expresses interest in resuming her role in the series. As per Blunt herself:
Doug and I frequently discuss this topic. Tom seems eager to take action on it at some stage, though the timing is crucial. However, it’s important to note that it’s been a decade since we first conceived the idea… There was an exceptional screenplay in development, but given the passage of time, I believe its success would have been more likely if we had filmed it eight years ago. I’m not implying that we’re outdated, but considering it’s been a decade, age is a factor to consider.
Despite jokes about poor box office performance, Edge of Tomorrow stands among Karl Liman’s highest-grossing films financially. The movie raked in $370 million globally on a budget of only $178 million (as reported by Box Office Mojo), and has since maintained its popularity with action movie enthusiasts. Just one month after Liman’s interview with Variety, Edge of Tomorrow climbed to the top of Netflix’s most-watched movies, which significantly increases the likelihood of a remake or sequel in the near future.
Edge of Tomorrow is available to stream on Netflix.
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2024-09-15 17:01