The Power Of The Dog: Benedict Cumberbatch starrer had a more obvious ending shot by Jane Campion

Spoiler Alert: The rest of the story contains spoilers for The Power of the Dog

Jane Campion’s period drama The Power of the Dog, starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead, is one of the big winners of the year. The Netflix film’s ending was baffling and ambiguous and now it is revealed that Campion had a more obvious ending filmed. 

Peter Sciberras, the editor of The Power of the Dog, revealed to The Wrap how the movie had a more obvious ending than the ominous one that it got. “It was a slow pan across Peter’s desk in his room, which showed a medical book on his desk. And then the camera landed on the definition of anthrax in the book. And that was the last shot of the film,” he said. 

The film is based on Thomas Savage's 1967 novel of the same name and follows ranch owner Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his brother George (Jesse Plemons). When Geroge marries Rose (Kirsten Dunst), Phil decides to torment Rose and her gentle son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee).   

While the first ending was how the story ends in Savage’s book, it is safe to say Campion was right in making the change to her film, which gives it an added edge. 

The film, which premiered at Venice Film Festival last year, immediately became rated as one of the best films of the year. Campion also won the Silver Lion for Best Director. The film is also one of the 10 projects nominated for Best Picture in the upcoming Academy Awards. 

The film has also racked up an impressive 12 nominations at this year’s Oscars, making it the first film, directed by a woman, to receive more than 10 nominations. Campion is also the first female filmmaker to receive more than one Academy Award nomination along with one for Best Director.