Cube (lost cut alternate ending of science-fiction horror film; 1997)

The Cube "ocean" poster.

Status: Lost

Cube, directed and co-written by Vincenzo Natali, is a 1997 sci-fi horror film in which a group of six strangers awake to find themselves in one of a series of strange, interconnected, cubical rooms, half of which are fitted with deadly traps designed to kill. Ultimately, the group must traverse this disorienting maze-like facility in order to ensure their escape and survival. In subsequent years, a sequel and a prequel were released (in 2002 and 2004, respectively), although Natali was not involved in the production of either; a remake of the original is reportedly in production by Lionsgate, under the title Cubed.

The lost ending

It has been revealed by Natali that there was a scene shot that was to take place at the very end of the film (that some regard as being a short film in itself), revealing what is on the outside of the cube (in the final version of the film, the lone survivor, Kazan, is simply shown exiting the cube and walking into a blinding white light). According to several eyewitnesses, in some foreign theatrical screenings of the film, the scene in question was shown; it allegedly depicts Kazan walking out onto a beach, overlooking an endless ocean, as mechanical grinding noises are heard. We then apparently see that the sky is full of exoplanets as it is revealed that the entire film has taken place on an alien planet. It is also said that Natali wrote a script for a follow-up film which was to detail the outside world of the cube, but that he decided against it before production began, destroying the script as a result.

Though the aforementioned testimonies of the scene having been shown theatrically have never actually been proven, fans cite a particular Cube promotional poster as further evidence, wherein a huge cube is shown floating above an ocean. Yet more proof of this apparently lies in a deleted scene available on certain DVD releases, in which the group find a candy wrapper with alien writing on it.

Status

Natali has stated that the scene was the first one that he cut and that he has subsequently had all copies destroyed, vowing never to reveal what was outside the cube; it is currently unknown as to whether any other copies remain (perhaps archived without Natali's knowing), though until such a copy is proven to still exist, this scene is, sadly, likely lost to time.

External links

• Cube’s ending as it is known today. Last retrieved 28 Nov 2016.