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As per Agence France-Presse (AFP), David Fincher’s cult classic Fight Club got an alternate ending in the recent online release in China. The Chinese government tweaked the original ending and added new plot points to the conclusion.
The original ending from the 1999 film showcased the Narrator (Edward Norton) confronting Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), who was another personality of the former. At the end of the film, the Narrator shoots himself in the mouth, which somehow kills off his alter, Tyler Durden.
David Fincher’s original ending then features Tyler’s ‘anarchical’ plans succeed with multiple buildings being blown up to showcase ‘anti-capitalist’ views of Durden’s group.
Meanwhile, in China, the version of the film on streaming platform Tencent Video did not include these scenes and instead featured a text message explaining the alternate ending.
Fight Club’s ending in China is similar to that of the original book
Viewers on Tencent Video found Fight Club's ending with a text which reveals that law enforcement prevented the explosion through Tyler Durden’s clues. They also arrested Durden’s Project Mayhem supporters who perpetrated the ‘attempted attack.’
The Narrator was apparently then tried for his involvement as the mastermind behind the plans and was sent to a psychiatric facility where he was treated. According to the alternate ending, the Narrator was released from the asylum in 2012.
However, in the original 1996 novel of the same name written by Chuck Palahniuk, Tyler’s plan fails, and the buildings do not explode. After the Narrator shoots himself, he wakes up in a mental hospital. He is later approached by the hospital’s staff, who claim to be Project Mayhem’s members and also state that they expect Tyler’s return.
The novel ends with an ambiguous conclusion which makes Durden’s return a possibility, while the movie seemingly kills off the character permanently.
Here’s how Fight Club fans reacted to the alternate ending approved by the Chinese government
Several viewers took to Twitter to express their opinions about Fight Club being changed with a new ending, which the Chinese deemed more appropriate for the audience. Multiple tweets claimed the tweaked ending to be hilarious and scoffed at the Chinese censorship.
The change to the original ending is not surprising considering China’s policies and Disney’s compliance with Chinese censorship. While the film was co-produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox, Fight Club is now owned by Disney, who acquired Fox in 2019.
Previously, The Walt Disney Company has faced many controversies with the release of Marvel’s Black Widow, Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, and Eternals being blocked in China.
