Following the recent passing of actor Tim Curry, enthusiasts of the 1985 film Clue are calling on Paramount to recover a lost cinematic sequence. A documentary team currently producing a fan-made project is leading the charge to locate a deleted fourth ending that has long been a subject of speculation among the film's cult following.
Wadsworth’s poisoned guests and the police dog pursuit
The missing footage reportedly contains a dramatic and dark conclusion to the 1985 mystery. According to the report, the lost ending features the character Wadsworth poisoning the entire group of guests before attempting to flee the mansion. The sequence is said to culminate in Wadsworth being intercepted by police dogs, providing a definitive, albeit previously unseen, resolution to the film's chaotic events.
This specific plot point has become a focal point for fans who have spent decades debating the various endings of the movie. The prospect of seeing Wadsworth's ultimate fate—and the specific manner in which the police intervene—has turned a piece of lost media into a high-priority mission for the Clue community.
Why director Jonathan Lynn cut the filmed fourth ending
The existence of this footage is not merely a matter of fan legend, as the film's own production history supports its creation. Director Jonathan Lynn reportedly filmed and even completed the editing process for this fourth ending before ultimately deciding to cut it from the 1985 theatrical release. This decision left the film with its famous multi-ending structure, but it also left a significant portion of the production's work in the archives.
The decision to remove the sequence reflects a borader trend in classic cinema where directors often trim content to tighten pacing or alter the tone of a final product.. In the case of Clue, the removal of the Wadsworth poisoning sequence changed the way audiences experienced the film's resolution, a move that the documentary team and fans now wish to revisit in light of Tim Curry's death.
The trail of evidence left in 1985 promotional footage
While the footage itself remains unseen by the general public, physical evidence of its existence remains in the public domain. the report notes that promotional trailers from the original era of the film appear to contain glimpses of the missing sequence. This visual evidence serves as the primary catalyst for the current movement, as it suggests that the footage was not simply discarded but was part of the official marketing campaign for the movie.
For the documentary team and the wider Clue fanbase, these trailer snippets act as a roadmp.. They provide a level of certainty that the footage was not just a concept, but a tangible part of the 1985 production that Paramount still holds within its vast corporate archives.
The documentary team's plea to Paramount
The push for the release of this footage is being spearheaded by the creators of a fan-made Clue documentary. This team is urging Paramount to prioritize the search for these reels, framing the recovery of the fourth ending as a way to preserve a vital piece of cinematic history.. The timing of this request is deeply tied to the recent passing of Tim Curry, whose performance in the film remains icoic.
By centering the search around the legacy of Tim Curry, the documentary team is attempting to transform a niche interest into a broader cultural moment. They are positioning the release of the footage not just as a treat for hardcore fans, but as a tribute to the actor's contribution to the 1985 classic.
Questions regarding the physical existence of the master reels
Despite the enthusiasm of the fans and the documentary team, several critical questions remain unanswered. It is currently unverified whether Paramount actually possesses the original unedited master reels or if the footage was lost during decades of archival storage. Furthermore, the report does not clarify if Paramount has issued any official response to the request or if they have any intention of releasing the material.
There is also the question of why Jonathan Lynn originally chose to cut the scene, a detail that remains a mystery to those outside the original production circle . Until Paramount provides clarity on the status of their Clue archives, the fourth ending remains a tantalizing "what if" for audiences worldwide.
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