Image Credit: Everett Collection
When Frank Oz’s Little Shop of Horrors was released in 1986, fans of the cult 1960 Roger Corman B-flick (starring a very young Jack Nicholson) and those who’d seen the off-Broadway musical were shocked to see a major change in plot at the end of the movie: the hero and heroine live! It’s that version — the Oz version — that’s endured, with Ellen Greene as flower shop girl-slash-blonde bombshell Audrey and Rick Moranis as nerdy orphan-slash-amateur botanist Seymour. The two fall in love and Seymour saves Audrey (and the world) from being eaten by the sadistic flesh-eating Audrey II…. Or does he?
The Blu-ray edition of Little Shop of Horrors, out Tuesday from Warner Bros., includes a 20-minute long director’s cut ending alongside the theatrical release. The new footage features a dark, tragic ending to the classic man buys plant, plant eats people, man gets famous tale. In this new/old version (26-year-old spoiler alert!) Audrey and Seymour are both devoured by a hungry Audrey II, who lives out his dream of taking over the world, destroying New York City with Avengers-like strength. Check out a clip of the carnage — as well as EW’s interview with Greene and Little Shop composer Alan Menken about the original ending – below:
