If you’ve already watched ‘Heathers‘, you probably remember how uncomfortable it made you feel. You’ll be surprised to know that it was kind of the whole point.
It was very different from the OG feel-good movie, and even with everything that happens on screen, it turns out the ending we got was actually the safer version.
‘Heathers’ Never Wanted A Feel-Good Ending
While watching the movie for the first time, it was pretty clear that ‘Heathers‘ isn’t interested in playing nice. The high school in Sherwood, Ohio, runs on popularity and fear, controlled by three girls named Heather. Heather Chandler leads, while Heather Duke and Heather McNamara help keep everyone else in line.
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Even though Veronica Sawyer joins the group, she never truly fits in. You can feel that tension in almost every scene. She benefits from popularity, but she’s clearly uncomfortable with how easily people get hurt. That feeling only grows once she starts dating J.D., who openly mocks the fake sympathy and shallow behaviour around him.
Then the story takes a major turn. A prank aimed at Heather Chandler ends with her death. Instead of asking questions, the school immediately treats it as a suicide. From there, the reactions feel almost rehearsed; grief, attention, and headlines take over, while the truth disappears.
As the body count rises, the pattern becomes impossible to ignore. Veronica helps J.D. cover things up by forging suicide notes, and while watching, it becomes clear that this isn’t leading to a comforting ending.
The Real Climax That Was Scrapped
In the original script written by Daniel Waters, J.D. doesn’t get stopped at the last moment. His plan works. In that version, J.D. successfully blows up the entire school during prom night. The movie would have ended by showing the students at prom in Heaven. That’s it. No rescue, no interruption, no second chances.
Director Michael Lehmann later shared that this wasn’t just an early idea; they fully wanted to make that ending. He explained that a young executive at New World Pictures, Steve White, read the script, understood what they were trying to do, and approved the film without needing extra approval.
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However, Lehmann also said White couldn’t sign off on the ending itself. He worried that showing a school being destroyed could inspire real-world copycat behaviour. When Lehmann and Waters refused to change it, they took the script to other studios. Every single one said no. Eventually, they had to return to New World Pictures and agree to rewrite the ending.
Once you know about the original ending, the one we got feels very different. Instead of J.D. succeeding, Veronica realizes just how dangerous he has become and decides to stop him. J.D. still plants bombs under the school gym, and the threat is still there. But this time, Veronica steps in before prom night turns into something worse. J.D. ends up blowing himself up instead of the school.
