These 30+ Movies Had to Be Changed When They Were Released in Other Countries

Did you know that movies are often released with alternate endings or content based on where they are released? Well, it’s true. And in this article, we explore some of these movies and how they differ according to the countries in which they were released. Hold on tight because you might just be in for a wild ride... especially if you know and love these movies!

Starting off our impressive list is none other than 1980s The Shining. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, the horror film underwent a few easily missed changes when it was released in various countries around the world. Any guesses as to what they were? The answer lies in the massive stack of papers that read, “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.” The text was translated into four languages and lovingly (or not so lovingly, if you really think about it) typed out by Kubrick’s assistant.

Fans of the popular animated movie Up will be all too familiar with the sweet love story between Carl and Ellie. However, not many are familiar with the changes that had to be made when the film was released worldwide. If you’re in the US, you might remember that infamous bottle that held a piece of paper in it with the town's name, Paradise Falls, scrawled across it. Well, this had to change when the film hit international cinemas and was replaced with a sweet little drawing instead.

It seems that not even Wreck it Ralph! was spared a few changes when it was released worldwide, but this is a change that not many even know of — well, those living outside of Japan, anyway. And this one might surprise you. In the worldwide release of the movie, one of the characters is named Minty Zaki, a sassy little character who's out to steal the title from Penelope. But, to movie fans in Japan, she's more commonly known as Minty Sakura. Interesting!

This next one took a while for us to really get our heads around. And it might just confuse you, too. You see, in 1979, movies about airplanes seemed to be a big hit, leading to a bit of confusion when America released both Airplane! and The Concorde… Airport ‘79. This wouldn’t have been too much of a problem until the movie Airplane! was set to be released in New Zealand. To avoid confusion, producers thought it a rather wise move to rename the film Flying High! Which version have you seen?