What Was the Original Ending of Law Abiding Citizen

Mic: It wasn`t just Foxx, but everyone was worried about how to wrap up Nick Rice`s character. Was he really going to kill Clyde? Allow him to be killed? Would that make him unsympathetic? It`s so close to the end that he couldn`t blush? So Clyde had to do something really “bad” (i.e. kill the mayor) and refuse to cancel it, even when Nick changed his ways. However, there were many, many endings. Diversity in scope and tone. The script featured dozens of versions that Kurt Wimmer had written over many years. During the preparation, there were full descriptions of Frank Darabont and David Ayer. In addition, the script was rewritten during filming until the end. However, it has been argued that even the final ending of the film didn`t do a good job, as it ends with Rice attending her daughter`s concert. After spending the entire film launching his absurd — and absurdly entertaining — vendetta against the broken American legal system, vigilante Clyde Shelton`s (Gerard Butler) plan to blow up City Hall and kill the mayor backfires. A Reddit thread provided more details on how Law Abiding Citizen could have ended up in different hands. Screenwriter Kurt Wimmer reportedly wrote dozens of highlights, just for notable Hollywood talents like David Ayer and Frank Darabont, to try their luck at a satisfying conclusion.

A different ending could have shown Clyde attaching a bomb to his chest and threatening Nick`s family, which would have led to a confrontation between the two in which Nick would have had the advantage. One of the proposed endings was for Nick to kill Clyde by hand, which led him to end up in jail and make a deal with the DA, effectively turning him into the new Clyde and ensuring that the cynical and corrupt legal system continues to exist. The 2009 film follows Clyde Shelton, a vigilante who tries to avenge the deaths of his wife and daughter, and Nick Rice, the prosecutor who follows the murder trial of Clyde`s family. The captivating thriller ends with various undeveloped and unanswered questions. With that in mind, let`s dive into a detailed look at the end. SPOILERS AHEAD. As he attends the murder trial of Clyde`s wife and daughter, Nick is nothing more than a selfish lawyer who prioritizes legal precedent and technical details for his own fame without regard to human notions of justice. Instead of trying to understand the pain and suffering of a father and husband, Nick tries to obey the laws to increase his conviction rate and refuses justice for Clyde. In order to make Nick aware of the mistake he makes in making a deal with Darby, Clyde himself becomes a murderer and forces Nick to do the same to him. According to WhatCulture, Law Abiding Citizen went through various iterations before the filmmakers agreed on the ending that was cut. An alternate version proposed would have seen Nick kill Clyde by hand, which led to him being arrested and making a deal with a DA who became just like his dead enemy. However, the filmmakers feared that this would make the character too unsympathetic and decided not to do so.

But this conclusion would have confirmed Rice as an unsympathetic character, from whom the film wanted to deviate. “I`m thrilled to be working with Rob [Paris], Mike [Witherill] and Village Roadshow Pictures, as well as my regular creative partner Kurt Wimmer, to revisit these great characters and fascinating subjects that seem even more relevant today than when we made the original film. We will blow you away. again. The alternate ending is a fairer compromise, as it always ends with the death of the fan-favorite character, but at least Nick is forever clouded by his behavior. This was confirmed in the years following the film`s release. The film was looking for endings that would make Nick Rice a more sympathetic character at the end of the film. Also, Butler`s character died in most of the endings at the end. Speculation stems from the fact that the film made Foxx`s character, Nick Rice, unsympathetic, with the ending aiming to give a redemptive quality to the character. After the intense action sequences in which Clyde Shelton demands revenge in Law Abiding Citizen, the film has an almost anticlimactic ending when Shelton`s final plan to bomb City Hall with all the legislative authorities backfires. The theatrical finale leaves a bitter aftertaste, as Nick`s happy ending, where he watches his daughter`s musical recital, just doesn`t feel deserved. While Gerard Butler was originally signed and announced to play the role of Nick Rice, there are different stories about how Jamie Foxx took over that role and Butler was recast as Cylde Shelton.

In one version, Foxx called the producers and asked if Butler wanted to play Clyde Shelton instead, as he liked the role of Nick. When the producers approached Butler to play Clyde, he thought about it for a second and reportedly said, “Jamie as Nick. and me as Clyde? That would be great! However, Butler also stated in an interview that he suggested the role change between him and Foxx via his role as the film`s producer. Butler also said he initially regretted that this idea had been implemented by the other producers, but added that the whole process worked well for the project. Although most of the other intended endings still led to Clyde`s death, they were decidedly less charitable to Nick than in the last cut. On the other side of the coin, Nick`s treatment of Clyde has significantly changed his own attitude. By placing a bomb in his cell, he shows that he is also willing to go to great lengths to realize his vision of true justice.