China Changes Its Mind About How They View The Ending Of Fight Club

China’s version of the ending of Fight Club made it appear as if the authorities had won. China’s alternate Fight Club ending was even approved by Chuck Palahniuk. According to reports, the original ending of Fight Club has been restored on a Chinese streaming video site.

Tencent Video, China’s largest video platform, has begun streaming David Fincher’s classic “Fight Club,” complete with its original dystopian ending. The decision to restore the final scenes comes just two weeks after it was revealed that the ending of the film as it was shown on Chinese streaming had been changed so that law and order reigned supreme.

There has been no explanation for the reversal, nor has it been revealed who was in charge of the previous amendment to the 1999 film. Fans’ online pressure and a chorus of international media commentary highlighting the Chinese government’s penchant for micromanaging may have resulted in a rare policy reversal.

In Fincher’s original film, Edward Norton’s narrator character kills his alter ego Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) before witnessing buildings burst into flames, implying that his plan to destroy modern civilization is being carried out. The version that started playing on China’s largest video streaming service ended before the buildings exploded. The final action was replaced with a title card in English and Chinese explaining that the anarchic plot was foiled by the authorities.

“The police rapidly figured out the whole plan and arrested all criminals, successfully preventing the bomb from exploding. After the trial, Tyler was sent to lunatic asylum [sic] receiving psychological treatment. He was discharged from the hospital in 2012.”

The question of who changed the film and why is still unanswered. The modifications were not merely omissions. They were a post-production addition that may or may not have been made by the film’s licensor.

Tencent made no comment at the time and has made no comment since. According to Variety, sources at Disney, the current owner of the 20th Century Fox studio distributor behind the 1999 film, denied being the film’s vendor and stated that rights had reverted to the production companies. To get the latest updates, keep an eye on Thirsty.

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