Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler ‘s “ 50 First Dates ” is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and the former dropped a surprise revelation on her eponymous daytime talk show by sharing the original ending to the 2004 romantic-comedy classic. The film was not supposed to end in with a definitive happily ever after for main characters Henry (Sandler) and Lucy (Barrymore).

“Something that always sticks in my mind is the original ending of ’50 First Kisses,’ as it was called at the time,” Barrymore said. “Yeah, it was a drama set in Seattle. The original ending was her saying, ‘You should go and live your life, because this is no life here. And he goes away, as he does, and he comes back and he walks into the restaurant and he just sits down and says, ‘Hi, I’m Henry.’ And the film ends.”

Barrymore’s co-host Ross Matthews responded to this revelation by saying: “Honestly, can I just tell you: thank you. Thank you for changing it.”

“50 First Dates” tells the story of a love between marine veterinarian Henry (Sandler) and art teacher Lucy, who has anterograde amnesia. Lucy’s memory resets each day, so she never remembers falling in love with Henry. The film's theatrical release ends with the couple together, joining their daughter on a boat in Alaska, where Henry is working.

Back in 2019, “50 First Dates” director Peter Segal spoke to Entertainment Weekly about another alternative ending for the movie. In this version, Henry makes a grand gesture to help Lucy remember their love story. That ending featured “Lucy waking up in bed and immediately looking at a mural on the ceiling that tells the story of her accident and life” over the years.

“The mural she painted was a unique way for Henry to help her remember her day. It was unlike the one in her father's garage, which they painted over each day, giving her a fresh canvas. This one, Henry left up, so when she woke up, she'd see a picture story of her previous day. It was a way for her to re-orient herself,” Segal said. “As her eyes moved across the mural, she'd eventually land on Henry. Earlier in the film, when she woke up next to him, he was a stranger, and she screamed. This time, it was a way to gently bring her back to her life.”

The director continued, “It felt like a suitable ending for the couple until they changed their direction, focusing on Henry pursuing his dream of studying walruses in their natural habitat. We wondered, what if Lucy, her father, and their child were all there with him? That idea was incredibly exciting and very emotional for me. The most challenging part of filmmaking is creating a strong beginning and a strong ending. If you have those two elements, you have a good chance of success. I think it's still the best ending to any movie I've made.”

Segal directed Sandler in several films throughout his career, including “Anger Management” (2003) and “The Longest Yard” (2005).