TV Film new: 'Birdman' originally had 'embarrassing' ending featuring Johnny Depp

Oscar-nominated black comedy Birdman originally had a different ending featuring a cameo from Johnny Depp, one of the film's writers has revealed.

Last month (January) the film's director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu told Indiewire that he changed the film's ending midway through shooting because he considered the original finale "embarrassing" and a "piece of shit". However, at the time the director declined to give away any further details.

Now one of the film's screenwriters, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., has revealed exactly what this ending would have entailed. Be warned, however, that his comments below contain potential spoilers.

The screenwriter recalled during The Q&A Podcast: "Then the camera prowled like it did the whole film, went backstage through the halls we've seen the whole time and we'd get to the dressing room where literally Johnny Depp would be sitting looking in the mirror and putting on his Riggan Thomson wig and then the poster of Pirates of the Caribbean 5 would be in the back.

"In Jack Sparrow’s voice [it would say], 'What the fuck are we doing here, mate?' It was going to be the satire of the endless loop of that."

Birdman has been nominated for nine prizes at this year's Academy Awards, which take place in LA on February 22, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Stars Michael Keaton, Edward Norton and Emma Stone will all compete for acting prizes too.