One of the most iconic movies of the ’80s is The Princess Bride, with many citing it as a perfect film, but it would likely be viewed differently if the alternate ending was how it actually concluded. The film tells the story of a group, led by a farmhand named Westley (Cary Elwes), who set out on an adventure to save a princess (Robin Wright) from the villainous Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon). It’s a tried and true story but one that this movie gets just right.
The adventure these characters go on is being told by a grandfather to his grandson as a story, setting up the film’s narrative framing. By the end of the book, the kid went from not being interested in hearing the tale to eagerly wanting to sit through it again. However, the film’s alternate ending changed this up in a major way that alters the tone of The Princess Bride.
The Princess Bride’s Alternate Ending Brought Fantasy Into The Real World
The Story Was No Longer Just A Book
The ending of The Princess Bride does a good job of allowing things to end on a happy, simple note. The grandfather and grandson bond because of the story and the fantasy adventure itself gets wrapped up into a tidy bow. However, director Rob Reiner explained that there was actually another ending in which the world of the book crossed over with real life (via The Daily Beast). Reiner said:
“We had this sequence that we did shoot. We didn’t use it. It was after the grandfather leaves the boy and he starts leafing through the book as the grandfather leaves. And, he looks out the window and he sees the four heroes on the four white horses and they’re waving at him.”
This take on the conclusion of The Princess Bride is an interesting one that means the story being told is actually something that happened, rather than just something written in a book. That would make the movie even more of a fantasy and it changes the context of it all. This version means that the evil Prince Humperdinck and the heroic Inigo Montoya are real people, who somehow crossed over into this world. Ultimately, Reiner chose not to go with this ending and it’s likely for the better.
There Were Major Issues Trying To Film This Princess Bride Ending
Andre The Giant’s Size Caused Some Problems
According to Reiner, this alternate ending was nearly filmed. However, there were immediate complications and the biggest came from the largest cast member, pro wrestler Andre the Giant. He brought a ton of charm to the role of Fezzik and was a highlight of the movie. But filming this alternate ending with him wouldn’t totally work because of his sheer size. Reiner added:
“Now we have Andre who weighed 500 lbs. You can’t just put him on a horse. You have to figure out a way to lift him down with a guy-wire, with cables and all this.”
That made it all the easier to scrap the alternate ending. Reiner also explained that Andre was pretty intoxicated on the day of shooting that scene, which makes sense since Andre was reportedly dealing with a lot of back pain during the entire filming process. Reiner said that Andre would drink around 20 bottles a day, which only added to the troubles of recording this kind of scene. Regardless, the finished product and actual ending of The Princess Bride seemed to be the better option.
The Princess Bride
10/10
- Release Date
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October 9, 1987
- Runtime
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98 minutes
- Director
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Rob Reiner
