10 Times Studios LOCKED AWAY Deleted Movie Scenes From Directors
9. The Wicker Man
Robin Hardy's 1973 horror classic The Wicker Man may seem like an utterly inscrutable work of cinema, but the theatrical release is actually markedly different from what Hardy and co. originally intended.
Hardy shot far more scenes of Sgt. Howie (Edward Woodward) investigating the island and interacting with the locals, and his first completed cut of the film clocked in at a reported 99 minutes.
Michael Deeley, the managing director of studio British Lion Films, eventually insisted upon 12 minutes being cut to achieve an 87-minute runtime, much to the chagrin of both Hardy and star Christopher Lee.
Though various attempts have been made to reconstitute Hardy's original vision over the years - culminating in 2013's 91-minute "Final Cut" - the full collection of shot scenes are widely accepted to have been lost.
It's been consistently suggested that the negatives were buried under the M3 motorway, which Lee believes was the doing of Deeley, who he claims wanted to ensure they never saw the light of day.