But Barker told The Hollywood Reporter that he was originally set on having a “Romeo and Juliet ending” in which both Bear and Nikki die within moments of the other. Ultimately, Barker’s dad and other people around him convinced him to change it to the conclusion now seen in theaters. In the original ending, Nikki would end her life as well after regaining her free will and seeing all of the damage and trauma around her.

Barker ultimately decided to shoot both endings, but he only shot what would become the official ending in one take, thinking he wasn’t going to use it. Navarrette’s performance in that one take was “so raw,” however, it became another contributing factor in his decision to use it. Navarette said in an interview with MovieWeb that it was her “favorite thing” they filmed. “I could do that for the rest of my life.”

Narvarette further discussed the alternate ending, describing Nikki as a “final girl” who “wouldn’t do that [end her life].” She said Barker decided the audience needed to “sit” with her in that grief. Barker said to Variety, “We just decided that it would be more brutal if she stays alive.” 

Barker explained his reason for the “Romeo and Juliet ending” wasn’t entirely about what Nikki sees around her, but about the trauma of losing control of her bodily autonomy to the curse. He says that ending was intriguing to him because “she was taking control for the first time in a while.” 

Another slight change that was improvised by an actor and that made it into the official ending was Bear’s immediate regret after swallowing the bottle of pills to end his own life. In the script Barker said Bear “accepts his fate” but Johnston proposed the idea of Bear “still not being able to do it [end his life].” He then depicted Bear sticking his fingers in his throat trying to throw the pills back up in an ultimately futile attempt to survive. 

The official ending is compelling and was ultimately the correct decision on Barker and company’s part. Nikki is released from the wish’s purgatory to see Bear dead in her arms and another friend of hers shot dead by her moments before. Instead of letting that trauma take Nikki’s life, the film has her live in it and makes the audience wonder, “What now?”