The 25 Greatest Director’s Cuts of Famous Films

Leone’s sprawling epic about New York gangsters was shortened – and thus butchered – by a distributor before its American theatrical release. Numerous versions now exist, though most agree that the 229-minute European theatrical cut is the best.

Negative test screenings prompted the studio to impose voice-over narration and a happy ending (among other things) to this sci-fi drama before it landed in theaters. Ridley Scott’s original cut was first unveiled in 1992 and then again in 2007, with the latter being the most definitive version.

Thwarted by preview audiences and studio demands, Ridley Scott originally cut 45 minutes from this historical epic for its theatrical release. He unveiled an extended director’s cut later that same year, which was instantly dubbed the superior version by critics and audiences alike. Empire Magazine referred to the reinstated 45 minutes as the “pieces missing from a beautiful but incomplete puzzle.”

Coping with a personal tragedy, director Zack Snyder stepped away from this project during post-production and handed the reins to helmer Joss Whedon. The film’s tone shifted as a result and the overall runtime was drastically reduced. Fan demand inspired Warner Bros to fund and then release the famous “Snyder Cut” via HBO Max, which clocked in at just over four hours.

Universal Studios took creative control over this project before its theatrical release and without Welles’ consent or involvement. In response, he wrote a 58-page memo that carefully detailed his original vision. The film was re-edited in 1998 using the memo as a guide, leading to an approximation of an official director’s cut.

After premiering in its uncut form, this gritty Western was shortened for wider theatrical release. The original 144-minute version was released decades later and it fills in some of the character’s backstories. “Seeing this restored version is like understanding the film at last,” wrote critic Roger Ebert in his four-star review.

Coppola first revisited his Vietnam War masterpiece with “Apocalypse Now: Redux,” adding sequences that were cut from the theatrical release. Many felt that the reinserted French plantation segment detracted from the film’s overall flow. He later unveiled this definitive cut, which combines the best aspects of both previous versions and bursts to life in 4K resolution.

A pair of stranded siblings join an Aboriginal boy for his ritualistic walkabout in this Australian survival film. The director’s cut is identical to the original British theatrical version and its five minutes of additional footage was once deemed too offensive for American audiences.

The film that famously sank a studio (United Artists) debuted with a runtime of 219 minutes, which was reduced to 149 minutes for wider release. Director Michael Cimino later supervised the digital restoration of a 216-minute version and it helped garner various reappraisals. Some critics now describe the work as a masterpiece.

Fritz Lang’s silent-era sci-fi classic has been released in multiple forms throughout the years and with varying runtimes. The uncut version features footage that was considered lost for good, only to be discovered in the archives of a Buenos Aires film museum in 2008. A two-year restoration project would follow, leading to premieres in Germany with a live orchestra.

Bergman’s sweeping semi-autobiographical period drama was initially conceived as a 312-minute TV miniseries, alternately known as the “full-length version.” Now widely considered to be the complete film, it’s one of the longest in cinematic history.

Director Richard Donner was fired during the production of “Superman II” and replaced by Richard Lester, who re-shot a number of scenes. Donner’s original footage was later rediscovered and then released under his supervision, leading to two starkly different versions. While arguably richer in tone and story detail, the “Donner Cut” is also somewhat incomplete.

This dark musical comedy could have been even darker had director Frank Oz stuck to his original ending. To the chagrin of test audiences, it featured the plant-like space creature eating both protagonists and then embarking on a citywide rampage. Viewers can now catch Oz’s original cut on DVD and Blu-ray.

Despite some groundbreaking special effects, James Cameron’s underwater sci-fi adventure underperformed during its theatrical release. He added 28 minutes of footage for the subsequent Special Edition, which gives each character more dimension and features an alternate ending.

The theatrical cut of this post-apocalyptic actioner ends on a tragic but optimistic note, whereby the hero (Will Smith) kills himself and his attackers for the greater good. A 2008 DVD release featured an alternate ending, which was much truer to the source novel. In this version, the hero discovers his own monster-like tendencies and forges a mutual understanding with the infected.

This WWII epic about life aboard a German submarine was cut down for theaters and then released in longer form as a TV miniseries. Wolfgang Petersen worked with over six hours of footage to create the official director’s cut, which combines elements of both previous versions. A 2018 “Das Boot Complete Edition” disc set includes all three versions plus 202 minutes of additional footage.

Most director’s cuts expand upon the original material, but that’s not the case with this influential Australian mystery. Striving for a tighter narrative, Peter Weir excised seven minutes of what he deemed to be superfluous footage. Both versions are available on certain DVD and Blu-ray releases.

Terry Gilliam and Universal boss Sid Sheinberg famously battled over this Orwellian fantasy before it rolled into American theaters, with Gilliam ultimately prevailing. Sheinberg’s edit is known as the “Love Conquers All” version and it features a reduced runtime and happier ending. The director’s cut is identical to the European theatrical release and it has a runtime of 142 minutes, making it 10 minutes longer than the American theatrical version.

The 2001 DVD release of Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical dramedy featured a Bootleg cut – aka “Untitled” – with 39 minutes of additional footage. Star Patrick Fugit prefers the longer version, which includes an added scene where the band sits down for a hilarious radio interview. Playing the deejay is Kyle Gass of rock duo Tenacious D.

Offering a unique perspective on the Civil War, Ang Lee’s revisionist Western originally tanked in theaters. He later supervised the DVD release of an extended cut, which adds 10 minutes of footage and plays closer to his intended vision. While not drastically different from the theatrical version, it does rearrange a few sequences and help flesh out certain characters.

Spielberg followed the theatrical release of this sci-fi classic with a Special Edition edit, which also debuted in theaters. His official director’s cut arrived over a decade later and culled from elements of both predecessors. To retain an air of mystery, it does not bring viewers aboard the mothership in the film’s final sequence.

All three films from Peter Jackson’s beloved trilogy appeared in an extended form, first on home video and then later in theaters. They collectively deliver over two hours of additional footage and an overall runtime of 11 hours and 26 minutes. When only total Middle Earth immersion will suffice, accept nothing less.

Oliver Stone re-edited scenes and expanded upon characters such as Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) and Lee Harvey Oswald (Gary Oldman) for the director’s cut of this political thriller. The original theatrical version hasn’t been available on physical media in the US since 1992.

Deleted scenes of this sci-fi sequel first appeared in a 1989 TV broadcast, though the network simultaneously censored other aspects of the film. Those scenes and a handful of others appeared on a 1991 laserdisc and subsequent home video releases. When bringing the extended cut to life, James Cameron and his team completed previously unfinished visual effects.

Director Luc Besson deleted a sequence and added 26 minutes of footage to the international cut of this action-packed thriller. Some of the extra scenes are downright cringe-inducing in that they further explore the sexual tension between protagonist Léon (Jean Reno) and his 12-year-old protégé, Mathilda (Natalie Portman).