Just joined this sub. Maybe try contacting old crew members if any are still around?

Pfft, why bother? Just make your own darker ending. It's not that hard lol.

Sounds like a myth to me. Studios usually destroy unused footage after a while to save storage costs. Don't get your hopes up.

I think I saw a mention of the original cut in some obscure film forum a while back. People were debating its existence. Could be worth diving deep into old film discussions online.

Professional archivist here. There's a chance it might be in a studio vault, or it might have been sold off at an auction. If it was shown even once, there would be a paper trail. I'd suggest contacting national archives or major film libraries to track down any leads.

There's definitely rumors about it floating around. Some believe it might've been destroyed, while others think it’s a hidden gem in some collector’s vault. Not much solid info out there tho.

It's possible that a copy of the original cut could be sitting in an archive somewhere. Sometimes these things turn up in private collections or universities. Would recommend checking film archives or even reaching out to the studios.

I remember reading about that version! Apparently, the original cut was way darker and got edited because of test audience reactions. No clue if a print still exists though, sorry!