Event Horizon’s Secret Deleted Footage Is the Darkest Sci-Fi Ever Filmed

by

The 1990s weren’t a particularly strong decade for horror movies, especially when compared to the previous twenty years. While there were some memorable hits like Candyman, Scream, and In the Mouth of Madness, good horror films were rare, as many movies were simply imitations of slashers or pointless sequels. However, the decade did produce some hidden gems, including the underrated sci-fi horror film Event Horizon, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. The 1997 film featured a strong cast, including Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Jason Isaacs, and Kathleen Quinlan.

Okay, so Event Horizon definitely had a rough start – it lost a ton of money when it first came out. But over the last 25 years, it’s really found its audience and become a favorite for horror fans. The movie centers around the crew of the Lewis and Clark, who are sent to investigate the Event Horizon, a spaceship that disappeared while testing a way to travel through wormholes. When they find it, they quickly realize this ship didn’t just go on a trip – it went somewhere bad, and it brought something truly terrifying back with it. It’s a creepy, atmospheric horror film that really gets under your skin.

Horror Master Clive Barker Made Event Horizon Even Scarier

Although Philip Eisner wrote the screenplay for Event Horizon, director Paul W.S. Anderson brought in horror legend Clive Barker—the creator of Hellraiser and a major inspiration for Anderson—to consult on the project.

Since both films explore similar ideas about gateways to hell, Clive Barker offered his expertise in effects and design, making an already graphic movie even more intense. The effects were particularly strong – something Event Horizon could have really used.

The movie’s heavy emphasis on disturbing imagery and gore proved to be a problem. Test audiences, critics, and the studio all found the violence excessively graphic. As a result, Paramount removed director Paul W.S. Anderson from the project, leading to a less intense final cut.

Considering Paramount Pictures also released movies like Friday the 13th and Fire in the Sky, the amount of frightening material that was removed from Event Horizon must have been significant.

To make matters even worse, the initial version of the film was saved on VHS tapes, which were unfortunately ruined in a flood while in storage. Because of this, the original version no longer exists, and the public has never seen a longer cut, despite numerous special editions of the film being released over the years.

Some of Event Horizon’s Gory Details Have Finally Been Released… in Comic Book Form

The original cut of Event Horizon included scenes and ideas that didn’t make it into the final movie. For the past twenty years, many have wondered if Paramount might revisit the story with a sequel or prequel, despite the film’s initial failure. Rumors have circulated for years, and fans have consistently expressed interest in seeing the story expanded.

IDW published a five-part comic book series earlier this year that served as a prequel to the movie Event Horizon. The comic explored the ship’s initial voyage and its terrifying journey through another dimension, revealing scenes considered too intense for the film.

CBR Report

CBR Report

When you sign up, you’ll receive newsletters and promotional emails from us and our partners at Valnet. You can opt out of these emails at any time.

Though a comic book series doesn’t show all the frightening details, like exactly what happened to the original crew of the Event Horizon or what terrifying creatures exist beyond the gateway, it does offer fans a look at possibilities not fully explored in the movie.

This also suggests the possibility of a movie or TV show, and ideally, a chance for audiences to experience something truer to Anderson and Barker’s initial ideas.

Read More

2025-12-28 20:10