Halloween is coming up fast, and this year it’s going to be a time for music and blood sucking plants from outer space. Fathom Events is bringing Little Shop of Horrors: The Director’s Cut back to theaters for two nights only, and it’s going to include the original ending that was just a little bit too grim for the ’80s.
Years before they went on to create beautiful Disney music together, Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman adapted Roger Corman’s The Little Shop of Horrors as an off-Broadway musical. Director Frank Oz brought the musical incarnation to the big screen in 1986 with Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Steve Martin, and Vincent Gardenia in the leading roles with Levi Stubbs as the voice of Audrey II.
Moranis played Seymour Krelborn, a hapless florist shop employee who discovers a venus fly trap that can speak (and sing!), but the plant/Audrey II demands blood in order to grow. The film originally had a much darker conclusion that was rejected by test audiences. While speaking with Yahoo! Movies, Oz noted that the original ending “may still be too dark for people” and “may not be as satisfying emotionally,” though it’s still his preferred way to close out the story.
Little Shop of Horrors: The Director’s Cut will play in theaters on Sunday, October 29, and Tuesday, October 31. For showtimes and theaters, check out Fathom Events’ official page.
Are you excited to see the restored ending of Little Shop of Horrors on the big screen? You don’t want to be a dentist, so leave a comment below!
Images: Warner Bros. Pictures
