Multiple Secret Endings to Play in Different Screenings of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"? Screw You, Fox!

By: Adam Quigley Posted: April 25, 2009 Filed under: Official Info

History has a way of repeating itself, it seems. I'm not just referring to 20th Century Fox's almost comical inability to get their shit together, but that certainly appears to be a determining factor that's been causing this charade of lies following the workprint internet leak of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. No, what I'm referring to goes back to the '80s, with the release of a little movie called Clue. The biggest selling point of this film was its three different endings, and that's even what all of its marketing was dedicated to. But then when the movie was finally released, something happened...

It bombed.

Apparently, people don't want to spend money on something knowing its not the complete product. Shocking, right?

It's ironic then, that Fox's latest attempt to battle the leak of an unfinished product is to encourage people to go see it in theaters, where they've... purposely left it unfinished. According to FirstShowing, it's been confirmed by director Gavin Hood that different reels of X-Men Origins: Wolverine will include one of many mid-credits 'secret endings' to be spread out at various screenings.

This may just be the most dickheaded way to reward non-pirating moviegoers I've ever seen, which is saying something considering how many times I've had to sit through that frustratingly stupid "You wouldn't steal a purse, car, DVD, etc... PIRACY IS STEALING!" PSA. (Hey assholes, if I had pirated your movie, guess what I wouldn't be doing right now? Watching your stupid PSA.) If we pay to see a film in theaters, we don't want to be privy to only one of the secret endings of the film that we're watching. We want to see the movie that we paid for, which means all of it.

To think that this would be a good way to battle the effects that piracy might have on the film is truly idiotic. If anything, it will encourage more people to just download it, because like I said before, nobody wants to spend money on something when they're not getting the full product that they paid for. Clue's failure at the box office made this much very clear.

It's worth noting though that Clue did eventually earn a cult following on DVD, once all of its endings were made available for easy selection. Similarly, I imagine the fan uproar that's sure to commence when audience's discover that Fox screwed them out of all but one secret ending from their screening of Wolverine will later dissipate come time for its DVD release. Or perhaps it will die down even sooner than that, when each of the endings gets leaked online. (How would that be for adding insult to injury?)

The important question though, is just how negatively will this decision affect the film's theatrical box office intake? In truth, probably none. But it sure as hell won't have any positive influence. That Fox actually thought it might just goes to show once again that the studio execs running the show are noticeably lacking in something: a fucking 'clue'.