Nearly 16 years after its release in October 1999, directorDavid Fincher’s adaptation ofChuck Palahniuk’s breakthrough novelFight Clubis still considered to be a classic. While the film was largely a faithful adaptation of the original novel, the ending is quite different from the book. For those who have been waiting to see the author’s final pages of the book come to life, a group of filmmakers atBanana-Dragon Productionshave just the video for you, combining both the movie endings and the book endings in one unique 13-minute video. Here’s what the production company had to say in a statement about how thisshort filmcame to life.
“Back in the fall of 2014, Detroit-made filmmakers of a newly formed company, Banana-Dragon Productions, created a shot-for-shot recreation of the famous “Hit Me” scene inFight Club. Catching the attention of authorChuck Palahniuk, what was considered to be a contest video exceeded their audience expectations. As fans of Palahniuk, and with the positive response from their shot-for-shot video, they set their sights on something more ambitious, never-before done: adapting the original book ending ofFight Club, and marrying it to a shot-for-shot homage to the film’s ending. Three friends brought together through the process of filmmaking are proud to present their contribution to their favorite film and author.”
At the end of the movieFight Club, The Narrator (Edward Norton) shoots himself in the head, getting rid of Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) for good, as he watches all the bombs from Project Mayhem go off with Marla (Helena Bonham Carter). In the novel, The Narrator does kill off Tyler, but Project Mayhem actually doesn’t succeed, since the bombs never went off, as Tyler is sent off to an insane asylum that he mistakes for heaven. The book ends with Tyler being informed by a number of “space monkeys” that Project Mayhem is still moving forward without him.
The book ending is, of course, much more bleak than themovie adaptation, butChuck Palahniukhas stated in interviews that he actually prefers the movie ending over his own ending in the novel. The author even revealed in an interview that the movie adaptation made him “sort of embarrassed” of his own book, becauseDavid Fincherfound ways to streamline the plot and make connections to parts of the story that he hadn’t. Earlier this year, the author debuted a comic book sequelFight Club 2, with new issues debuting every month.
The short film starsJ.J. Pardoas The Narrator, Chandler Macocha as Tyler Durden,Tomasz Dreszekas God andHeather Blystoneas Marla Singer. In addition to this short film, we also have the originalFight Clubending below, so you’re able to compare both versions. Which ending do you think works the best? Let us know what you think below.
