10 Alternate Versions Of Films To Watch Before The Snyder Cut

The Abyss, as originally released, was sent out into theatres because the technology simply didn't exist to include the original ending. James Cameron wasn't overly upset by this, as he felt that the cuts that he had made to the film were beneficial rather than detrimental, yet this would not be the end of the story.

Test audiences were treated to the original scenes in unfinished forms and they were split almost down the middle, ranking them both as the scenes they liked the most and the scenes they disliked the most.

After the editing was completed for the first release, some of the cast expressed disappointment that much of what they felt was the beauty of the film was lost to the cutting room floor. The film went out and received critical and audience acclaim. That could have been the end of it, until another little film was released: Terminator 2: Judgement Day.

The enormous success of Cameron's cyborg sequel secured $500,000 additional budget for The Abyss to complete the scenes with ILM. The effects that had been created for the T-1000 in T2 were also key in getting the new (old) ending produced, as the technology had now come far enough for the tidal wave sequence to go ahead.

Physical models had been attempted but scrapped almost as fast. With the additional ending fully realised in CGI, the Director's Cut of the Abyss was released in 1993 to great acclaim.