How Thelma and Louise’s iconic ending almost didn’t happen as Sir Ridley Scott movie turns 30

Thelma and Louise has one of the most iconic film endings of all time – but it almost didn’t happen.

The roadtrip film, which saw Geena Davis (Thelma) and Susan Sarandon (Louise) become criminals on the run, has turned 30 and we’re officially feeling old.

Sir Ridley Scott directed the flick which in the end (spoiler alert!) saw the best friends surrounded by the police and, instead of spend the rest of their lives locked up, grasp each other’s hands and drive their car straight off a cliff.

It’s an absolute shocker of an ending that has gone down in film history, but not everyone was convinced by it at first.

Sir Ridley, we’re looking at you.

The alternate ending

Susan previously revealed that the director wasn’t too convinced at first, and said he considered having Thelma live.

She told Entertainment Weekly in 2016: ‘When I met with Ridley, I said, “So really, are you going to… don’t have me do this and then when you test it and everybody gets bummed out, you’re going to reshoot and we’re going to be alive after all.”

‘And he said, “Well, I can tell you that you will definitely die, but I’m not sure about the other one.”

‘He said, “You might push her out of the car or something.”‘

Thankfully, the alternate ending never made the cut, with The 74-year-old reflecting: ‘I think by then we had earned that ending.’

It wasn’t only Ridley who wanted one of the girls to survive though – Meryl Streep was reportedly in the running to play either Thelma or Louise and she wanted one of them to survive.

The bizarre sequel idea

Thelma potentially being left alive wasn’t the only strange idea thrown about.

Susan recently revealed that a sequel idea was floated, which saw herself and Geena, 65, star as the ghosts of Thelma and Louise – and it sounds absolutely mad.

The Oscar-winning actress opened up about being pitched with a unique idea about a follow up for the classic 1991 road trip film during a virtual appearance on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.

Susan laughed as she revealed: ‘They talked about a sequel, but I could not … I don’t know what it would be. I can’t understand.’

Jimmy then joked that due to the film’s ending, the sequel could take a supernatural turn.

‘Do you remember the movie, was it Topper?’ he joked in reference to the 1937 comedy in which Cary Grant plays a ghost. 

Susan then revealed: ‘Actually, that was a very bad idea they had. We were ghosts looking down on earth and helping women who were in bad domestic [relationships].

‘And I remember saying to [her then-partner Tim Robbins], “But what would we be doing?” And he said, “You’d be getting a big check”.’

Jimmy burst out laughing as Susan quipped: ‘That didn’t work out, either. Best to leave it alone.’

Probably for the best!

MORE : Susan Sarandon says she turned down ‘big check’ for bizarre Thelma and Louise sequel

MORE : Susan Sarandon says she turned down ‘big check’ for bizarre Thelma and Louise sequel