Warning: spoilers for the ending of Interstellar follow.
Interstellar's original theatrical ending was, to put it lightly, divisive. Some loved the surreal time-traveling black hole dive, while others found it to be too weird and out-of-place in a movie that tried to stick so close to actual science. Many argued that, not only was it out of place, but it was extremely confusing. It was a happy ending, sure, but many movie-goers were left scratching their heads as they left the theater.
Well, as it turns out, the first draft of the script featured a very different conclusion - and it wasn't a happy ending, that much is certain.
While speaking at a press event for the film's Blu-Ray launch (via Nerdist), Interstellar writer Jonathan Nolan took to the floor to answer a few questions. There were a few questions aimed at the scientific side of the movie, but one question (and its answer) stood out from the others: what exactly happened at the end of Interstellar?
Jonathan Nolan's first response? "You've got the wrong, brother."
While it's not the answer that most people expected, Nolan did reveal that his original ending featured Matthew McConaughey's character traveling through the Gargantua black hole, only for his exit to collapse as he tried to send the valuable data his crew had been working for back to the ship.
In essence, the black hole would have collapsed and the movie would have ended. No fifth dimension, no time travel, no happy ending.
It's a much darker ending, and one inherently less optimistic. The theatrical ending may have been confusing, but it was still a happy one...the same doesn't exactly hold true for the script's original conclusion.
There were a few other changes made to the script, but none as influential as the altered ending. Now, the only question that remains is: would audiences have preferred a darker, more tragic ending that's more easily understood, or did Christopher Nolan make the right call in making the change?
Considering how well Interstellar did at the box office, it's safe to say that Nolan probably made the right choice.
The Interstellar Blu-Ray will hit store shelves on March 31.
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