The original ending to the hit film “Fight Club” has been restored in China after a censored ending released in late January confused and angered fans, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Those who had seen the original 1999 David Fincher film, starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton, were quick to note that the newly released cut of the film on the Chinese video streaming service Tencent had an alternative ending.
The censored version removed the bomb explosions in the movie’s final scene, replacing it instead with a black screen with text noting that police were able to thwart the anarchists’ plan. It’s common practice in China to censor components of films that promote anti-government values and societal disharmony; however, such measures are usually reserved for local Chinese films, notes The New York Times.
After facing backlash from fans who were dismayed over the rewritten ending, it appears Tencent has reverted the film back to its original storyline.
Eleven of the 12 minutes that were edited out in the initial cut have been restored, including the original ending. Nude sex scenes, which account for about a minute of screen time, still remain censored, notes The Hollywood Reporter.
Chuck Palahniuk, the author of the novel on which the film was based, has not yet commented on the restored ending. He praised the censored version of the film, however, saying it was actually closer to his version of the story.
“The irony is that … they’ve aligned the ending almost exactly with the ending of the book, as opposed to Fincher’s ending, which was the more spectacular visual ending. So in a way, the Chinese brought the movie back to the book a little bit,” he told TMZ.
It remains unclear if the censorship was ordered by the Chinese government or was Tencent’s decision.