Whether they improved on a great film (“Aliens”) or restored a filmmaker’s masterful vision (“Once Upon a Time in America”), these director’s cuts are worth seeking out.

14 director’s cuts that surpass the originals

Whether they improved on a great film ("Aliens") or restored a filmmaker's masterful vision ("Once Upon a Time in America"), these director's cuts are worth seeking out.

June 16, 2026 2:56 p.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Sigourney Weaver in 'Aliens'; Harrison Ford in 'Blade Runner'; Will Smith in 'I Am Legend'. Credit:

Twentieth Century Fox; Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty; Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros.

The version of a movie that's released in theaters isn't always the version that the filmmaker intended for you to see.

Though alternate cuts are less common in the 21st century, Disney recently announced a new director's cut of *The X-Files: I Want To Believe. *Chris Carter's 2008 feature film, which acts as a sequel to the hit TV series, was poorly received upon release, though many fans have long believed that a better cut is out there.

The director's cut was set to be released as a bonus feature for the film when it premiered on Disney+ on June 11, a date that has come and gone without further news. ** has learned that the studio pushed the release to later this summer to accommodate some last-minute adjustments, and that a new release date will be announced soon.

In the meantime, let's revisit 14 famous director's cuts of films that were even better than the theatrical versions.**

Blade Runner (1982)

Harrison Ford in 'Blade Runner'.

Warner Bros./Archive Photos/Getty

The theatrical cut of *Blade Runner *that was released in 1982 is the most widely seen version of Ridley Scott's sci-fi noir classic, but it's not the filmmaker's preferred cut.

In 1990, Warner Bros. released an earlier workprint cut of the film, labeled as the Director's Cut, without Scott's involvement. It was the version screened for test audiences prior to the 1982 release, prompting the studio to push Scott for changes — most significantly, he added voiceover narration from Harrison Ford's protagonist, Rick Deckard, and gave Deckard and Rachel (Sean Young) a happy ending.

After Warner Bros. released the misleading Director's Cut, the studio collaborated with Scott on a proper version, resulting in *The Final Cut*. Released in 2007, *Blade Runner: The Final Cut* doesn't include Ford's voiceover narration, restores an impactful dream sequence involving a unicorn, and maintains the director's original ambiguous ending. In the special introduction included on the 4k restoration, Scott says, "Of all the versions of *Blade Runner* this is my favorite. I hope you agree."

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Martin Sheen in 'Apocalypse Now'.

In 2001, over two decades after *Apocalypse Now* first hit theaters, director Francis Ford Coppola released *Apocalypse Now: Redux*, an extended version of his harrowing Vietnam War epic. Clocking in at 202 minutes (compared to the theatrical release's 147 minutes), the extended version included several scenes cut for the theatrical version.

To celebrate the film's 40th anniversary in 2019, Coppola unveiled another version, *Apocalypse Now Final Cut*, which is 20 minutes shorter than *Redux*. "When I was asked [by the distributor, Lionsgate,] which version I wanted to show this time, I knew I didn’t want to show the [147-minute] 1979 version,” Coppola told *Vanity Fair* at the time. “I felt that in my lust to make it shorter and less weird back then, I removed so many important things. When we did *Redux*, we just put things back in — but I was troubled about showing that version this time, because I really feel that, for many people and even for the theme of the film, it required more time than seemed right to me. I knew I wanted to balance *Redux* a little better.”

Coppola's preferred version of the film, *Final Cut*, removes or trims a handful of sequences, including the exchange between Willard (Martin Sheen) and the Playboy Playmates, and Kurtz (Marlon Brando) reading from *TIME *magazine. It also restores a French plantation sequence that Coppola felt offered important political context.

Heaven’s Gate (1980)

Kris Kristofferson and Isabelle Huppert in 'Heaven's Gate'.

United Artists/Getty

Michael Cimino's highly anticipated followup to the Oscar-winning drama *The Deer Hunter* (1978) was a flop upon release and derided by critics. As recounted by Peter Biskind in *Easy Riders, Raging Bulls*, Cimino ran long and went over budget on his epic drama about the Johnson County War, which saw cattle barons attacking immigrant laborers in late 19th-century Wyoming. The filmmaker's original three-and-a-half-hour cut was heavily criticized, prompting United Artists to commission a much shorter cut that was released theatrically and similarly panned.

In 2012, The Criterion Collection released a restoration overseen by Cimino himself that reinstates key sequences, including a 20-minute prologue featuring John Hurt's graduation speech at Harvard, as well as the roller-skating scene in which Jeff Bridges plays a fiddle. Cimino was also able to utilize newer technology to fix the theatrical release's heavily criticized color grading and restore the beautiful work of cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond.

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Ellen Greene, Steve Martin and Rick Moranis in 'Little Shop Of Horrors'.

The Geffen Company/Getty

When Warner Bros. screened *Little Shop of Horrors* for test audiences ahead of its 1986 release, the reactions were extremely negative. As director Frank Oz told EW in a 2012 interview, "It was a complete disaster."

Oz had maintained the apocalyptic ending of the off-Broadway musical, which concludes with the carnivorous Audrey II killing protagonists Seymour and Audrey (played in the 1986 film by Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene) and taking over the world. Moviegoers didn't like it, to say the least.

For years, the original color version of this ending was thought lost, but a new Blu-ray edition released by Warner Bros. in 2012 included the restored 20-minute director's cut ending. “That’s where the movie really stakes its own claim and its own stylistic place," composer Alan Menken explained to EW in 2012. "[T]hat’s where Frank Oz really got to do his homage to horror movies. I think it’s pretty fantastic. I think it’s shocking to some people because it’s a very unusual ending to a musical.”

Mikey and Nicky (1976)

Peter Falk and John Cassavetes in 'Mikey and Nicky'.

FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty

Elaine May's battle with Paramount over the release of her 1976 film *Mikey and Nicky* is the stuff of legend. For many years, it was much easier to find information about the notorious production than it was to actually see the film, which is about two gangsters (John Cassavetes and Peter Falk) who spend an entire evening holed up in a hotel room.

As explained in *Filmmaker Magazine*'s thorough retrospective on the making of *Mikey and Nicky*, May captured more than 1.5 million feet of film (more than triple that captured for *Gone With the Wind*) and took nearly two years to edit the film amid lawsuits between herself and Paramount. The studio ultimately assumed control of the film and, with little promotional support, released a theatrical cut filled with continuity problems.

A version of *Mikey and Nicky *approved by the filmmaker screened a few times in the 1980s, but it wasn't until 2019 that Criterion released May's restored cut. Criticized following its initial release, the director's cut, which is more expertly paced and edited, has earned *Mikey and Nicky* a much-deserved reappraisal.

I Am Legend (2007)

Sam and Will Smith in 'I Am Legend'.

Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros

As with other films on this list, *I Am Legend* underwent a few changes due to negative reactions at early test screenings. The post-apocalyptic horror film stars Will Smith as a virologist and the last living human in a New York ravaged by a plague that turns humans into vampiric mutants. The theatrical release was a huge hit despite notable quibbles with its CGI and the ending, in which Smith's protagonist sacrifices himself.

Director Francis Lawrence's original theatrical cut of the film features several crucial moments, including evidence that the infected retain human qualities (a thematically important development) and a more hopeful ending. "I agree it's the better ending," Lawrence told *ScreenRant* in 2018. "I mean, it's the more philosophical version of the end."

This alternative theatrical version was included in the two-disc special edition of *I Am Legend* released on DVD and Blu-ray in 2008, and it's the ending that Lawrence's long-developing sequel seemingly plans to honor, should it ever get made.

From 'E.T. 2' to 'Friday the 13th' : the 'Best Movies Never Made'

The Wildest Movie Endings You Never Saw

Brazil (1985)

Jonathan Pryce and Kim Greist in 'Brazil'.

Terry Gilliam's original 142-minute cut of *Brazil* was released overseas by 20th Century Fox, which held the international distribution rights. But Universal Pictures, which was handling domestic distribution, demanded a different cut with a happy ending to appease U.S. audiences — somewhat ironic for a film about a low-level government worker (Jonathan Pryce) fighting bureaucracy in an oppressive dystopian future.

Gilliam took his fight with then-Universal Pictures chairman Sid Sheinberg to the press, calling him out in a full-page ad in *Variety* and, as Gilliam recounted to *The Hollywood Reporter* in 2023, during a memorable appearance with star Robert De Niro on *Good Morning America*. After the Los Angeles Film Critics Association anointed *Brazil* with a trio of awards, including Best Picture, Sheinberg relented and released a 132-minute cut supervised by Gilliam.

Though *Brazil* was released theatrically to critical acclaim and earned a couple of Academy Award nominations, it wasn't Gilliam's preferred cut of the film. The filmmaker's original 142-minute cut was distributed in the ’90s by Criterion, which released a remastered version on Blu-ray in 2025.

Miami Vice (2006)

Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx in 'Miami Vice'.

Frank Connor/Universal

Filmmaker Michael Mann revisited his classic ’80s buddy-cop series on the big screen with 2006's *Miami Vice*, a markedly sleeker and darker iteration starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx. The feature film remains divisive, but has developed a devoted cult following in the two decades since.

When Universal Pictures released it on DVD in 2006, *Miami Vice* became one of the best-selling discs of all time, thanks in part to the inclusion of Mann's Director's Cut. That version of the film runs seven minutes longer than the theatrical release and restores the film's original opening scene — a cinematic boat race — which clarifies plot beats that were confusing in the theatrical version. It also includes scenes that help deepen the relationships between the protagonists and their love interests, an element that was previously heavily criticized.

As Mann told *Vulture* in 2023, even the Director's Cut isn't his ideal version of the film. "It doesn’t have its proper ending," Mann explained. "Because we weren’t able to shoot those last three weeks in Ciudad del Este. We shot for three days. And so there’s a very different ending that belonged on that film."

Aliens (1986)

Michael Biehn, Sigourney Weaver, and Bill Paxton in 'Aliens'.

Bob Penn/Sygma/Sygma via Getty

*Aliens* is among the rare sequels that are as good as the original film (if not better, depending on whom you ask). James Cameron's sequel to Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi classic features Sigourney Weaver reprising her role as protagonist Ellen Ripley in an action-packed showdown with the terrifying xenomorphs. Though it was a massive hit and critically acclaimed, the theatrical version of *Aliens* wasn't Cameron's preferred cut.

That version, dubbed the Special Edition, is about 20 minutes longer than the theatrical cut and includes a different opening sequence featuring the family of young protagonist Newt (Carrie Henn), as well as scenes that deepen various characters' narrative arcs. The Special Edition was released on DVD and VHS in 1999 and included in later releases along with an introduction from Cameron, who said, "I actually prefer this version to the released version, because, as it's been best described by one of my friends, it's 40 miles of bad road. I think it's a longer, more intense and more suspenseful version of the film."

Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

Orlando Bloom in 'Kingdom of Heaven'.

David Appleby/Twentieth Century Fox

Speaking of Ridley Scott, he appears for the second time on this list for 2005's *Kingdom of Heaven*. Though financially successful, Scott's medieval historical epic about the events leading up to the Third Crusade and the complex relationship between Christians and Muslims was derided by critics, many of whom struggled with the fractured narrative and convoluted character arcs.

When his director's cut was released in December 2005, Scott told *Empire*, "This is the one that should've gone out." That cut features 45 minutes of additional footage that clarifies character motivations and restores Eva Green's part, which was cut from the film. Not only is the director's cut of *Kingdom of Heaven* a more cohesive film, it's also a very *good* movie — a complete 180 from the theatrical version.

Star Alexander Siddig agrees. "It’s way better than the first cut," he told *Vulture* in 2025. "The first cut got panned by the critics, and the person who suffered was Orlando [Bloom], because they thought he was just rubbish as a lead."

Doctor Sleep (2019)

Ewan McGregor in 'Doctor Sleep'.

Jessica Miglio/Warner Bros.

An adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name and a sequel to *The Shining*, director Mike Flanagan threaded an impressive needle with 2019's *Doctor Sleep*. The film, which stars Ewan McGregor as the adult version of Danny Torrance, successfully bridges the gap between Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of *The Shining* and King's source material, and effectively works as a sequel to both. Though Flanagan had to make some tough choices for the 152-minute theatrical cut, he was optimistic about including a director's cut on the physical release.

"[W]e worked on it alongside the theatrical cut throughout post," Flanagan revealed in 2019, "and it made it a lot easier to make hard decisions in the edit, knowing that someday this cut might see the light of day."

The Director's Cut of *Doctor Sleep* clocks in at 180 minutes, and as Flanagan explained at the time, it includes "new material throughout (including in the final act at the Overlook)," along with scenes between young Danny and his mom, Wendy (played by Alex Essoe), and additional scenes of protagonist Abra (Kyliegh Curran) that help deepen her narrative arc.

Almost Famous (2000)

Kate Hudson in 'Almost Famous'.

Neal Preston/Dreamworks

In 2000, Cameron Crowe released *Almost Famous*, his acclaimed semi-autobiographical drama about a 15-year-old aspiring journalist who lands a dream gig profiling an emerging rock band for *Rolling Stone*. The following year, Crowe confirmed to EW that he was working on an extended cut, dubbed *Untitled* — Crowe's original title for the film, which was nixed by studio execs — or The Bootleg Cut.

The extended edition includes 40 minutes of additional footage, much of it extended versions of scenes that were in the theatrical cut, giving more screen time to Lester Bangs (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman) and fictional band Stillwater's on-stage performances. The Bootleg Cut includes additional character moments, like protagonist and Crowe stand-in William (Patrick Fugit) making a habit of stealing little items from hotel rooms.

"If people haven’t seen The Bootleg Cut, I highly recommend it to them," Fugit told *IndieWire* in 2021. "Man, if you dig the original cut, The Bootleg Cut is kind of where it’s at for me."

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

James Woods and Robert De Niro in 'Once Upon a Time in America'.

Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty

*Once Upon a Time in America* is Sergio Leone's swan song and the final entry in the Italian filmmaker's *Once Upon a Time* trilogy, preceded by *Once Upon a Time in the West *(1968) and *Duck, You Sucker* (1971). After a decade or more of development, Leone's preferred cut of *Once Upon a Time in America* ran over four hours total, but he cut that version down to three hours and 49 minutes for the Cannes premiere.

The version of Leone's gangster epic that was released in U.S. theaters in 1984 and panned by critics was much shorter and heavily edited by the studio, which transformed the nonlinear narrative into a chronological one. "He never considered it a version of his movie," his daughter, Raffaella Leone, told the *Los Angeles Times* in 2014, the year Warner Bros. finally released the director's cut on DVD and Blu-ray.

"To bring back to the screens that movie in its original version has been very difficult and time consuming," the younger Leone said. "But finally reaching our goal after so many years has been a huge satisfaction — a homage to my father that was due and that we all strongly wanted. This is the movie that our father showed us when he finished editing ‘his’ movie."

The director's cut of *Once Upon a Time in America* restores Leone's original vision for the film and includes 22 additional minutes of footage, revealing the more coherent and grander film that the director intended for audiences to see.

Metropolis (1927)

Brigitte Helm in a scene from the movie 'Metropolis'.

Donaldson Collection/Getty

Fritz Lang's *Metropolis* has a longer and more complex history than any other film on this list. The silent sci-fi film, which depicts a dystopian future in which the wealthy upper class prospers in a utopia while the working class lives and toils in a dismal underground society, was released in theaters in 1927. But that "original" theatrical cut wasn't even Lang's version of the film.

Kino Lorber included a detailed history of the various versions of the film in its eventual release of *The Complete Metropolis*. Paramount had Lang's film drastically recut from 153 minutes to about 90, eliminating crucial scenes and context. Despite the studio's meddling and polarizing reactions at the time of release, Lang's efforts still impressed viewers, and in the decades that followed, many attempts were made to restore Lang's vision to varying degrees of success.

A 2001 cut of *Metropolis* was long believed to be the closest we'd get to seeing Lang's original cut, but in 2008, a 16mm negative was discovered in Argentina. That cut included a whopping 25 minutes of footage previously thought to be lost. A team of experts reconstituted and restored the film, resulting in *The Complete Metropolis*, which has been available since 2010 and generated a new wave of acclaim for Lang's masterpiece.

- Movie Reviews & Recommendations

- Movie Industry

- Film Production

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Film”