Alternate ending to 'Belfast' will be released next month featuring Sir Kenneth Branagh

Virgin Radio

8 Mar 2022, 16:38

The Oscar-nominated film 'Belfast' was a huge success when it premiered in cinemas at the end of January this year.

Without giving too much away, one of the most tear-jerking scenes of the movie comes at the end, but now fans will be able to view an alternate ending featuring writer and director Sir Kenneth Branagh himself.

Belfast is a semi-autobiographical account of Branagh’s own experience living in a predominately protestant part of the city, which is targeted by a group of extremists wanting to get rid of the Catholic minority still left in the area.

In the film, he is portrayed through the character of Buddy, whose life is turned upside down by these events. At the same time, his family has to make the difficult decision of whether they leave or stay in their beloved home.

Speaking at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Branagh revealed he had actually written a different ending to the film, where he appeared as the older version of Buddy (Jude Hill) and returns to Belfast.

He said: “There was one version of the film where an older version of Buddy returns to Belfast, and I’ll give you three guesses who that actor was. But in the end, the sequence just didn’t feel right.”

As of next month, the critically-acclaimed film will be available to buy on digital (11 April) and Blu-ray and DVD (25 April) and will come with some new bonus content, including the alternate ending.

The film- starring Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe, Ciaran Hinds and Judie Dench- has been nominated for over 230 awards so far including six BAFTAS, seven Oscars, 11 Critic’s Choice and 13 best pictures categories.

As well as an alternate ending, the bonus content will include more deleted scenes, commentary from Branagh about the creation of the film plus childhood memories from the cast.

Sir Kenneth joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky a few weeks ago to talk all about 'Belfast' and how much of it he experienced in his own life.

During the interview, he talked about the emotions he felt returning to the city.

He said: “When I went back to Belfast to make this film both literally for some of it and spiritually for a lot of it, that was about trying to find your way back home and trying to understand maybe that home can be something that you truly carry inside yourself.

“It can give you a sense of identity and a sense of security and a sense of wholeness in a world that often can take that away from us very easily.”

You can read the full interview here.

Belfast will be available to buy digitally on 11 April and on Blu-ray/DVD on 25 April.