Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Don't miss these
Thomas Jane as David Drayton screaming at the end of The Mist
Horror Movies People are debating the darkest horror movie endings and, yep, these will keep you up at night
The Lion King is undoubtedly one of the best movies on Disney Plus
Movies The 30 best movies on Disney Plus to watch right now
Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace in Project Hail Mary
Sci-Fi Movies Project Hail Mary review: "Large scale sci-fi with tons of heart"
Disclosure Day
Sci-Fi Movies Steven Spielberg says his "gargantuan" abandoned sci-fi movie was so expensive it "would have ended a whole studio"
Taki watching a comet streak over the sky in Tokyo during Your Name
Anime Movies 10 years on, Your Name remains a legendary anime love story that may never be eclipsed
Princess Peach and Mario in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Animated Movies The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ending explained: is there a post-credits scene and does it set up a Smash Bros. movie?
Matthew McConaughey as Joseph Cooper during one of the best sci-fi movies, Interstellar.
Sci-Fi Movies Steven Spielberg says Interstellar was a "much better movie" in Christopher Nolan's hands
Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather.
Streaming Services The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
Daniel Craig in new James Bond movie No Time to Die
Action Movies Steven Soderbergh pitched two James Bond movies: a "parallel franchise" set in the '60s and a "contemporary extravaganza"
Princess Peach and Toad in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Animated Movies Nintendo fans are torn on The Super Mario Galaxy Movie's big Peach and Rosalina twist: "It's a blatant retcon"
Harry Potter
Fantasy Movies The best Harry Potter movies ranked from worst to wand-erful
Superman kisses Lois Lane in James Gunn's Superman
Movies The 20 best movies on HBO Max to watch right now
Keanu Reeves as FBI Agent Johnny Utah and Patrick Swayze as Bodhi "Bodhisattva" in the movie Point Break.
Hulu The best movies on Hulu to watch right now
Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Star Wars Movies Steven Soderbergh says he is "very disappointed" by the decision to cancel The Hunt for Ben Solo
Exit 8
Horror Movies Shigeru Miyamoto gave Exit 8's director some advice 10 years ago that completely changed the approach to his indie horror adaptation
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies
  3. Rom Coms

When Harry Met Sally originally had an unhappy ending – until the director met his wife

News
By Emily Garbutt last updated 20 February 2024

Rob Reiner says meeting his now-wife changed everything for the movie

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally
(Image credit: Columbia Pictures)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

When Harry Met Sally is one of the best and most beloved rom-coms of all time, but director Rob Reiner recently revealed that the movie could have had a very different ending. 

"The original ending of the film that we had was that Harry and Sally didn't get together," he told CNN. "Because I had been married for 10 years, I'd been single for 10 years, and I couldn't figure out how I was ever going to be with anybody. And that gave birth to When Harry Met Sally. 

"And I hadn't met anybody, so it was going to be the two of them seeing each other after years, talking, and then walking away from each other. I met my wife Michele, who I’ve been married to now 35 years. I met her while we were making the film, and I changed the ending."

Article continues below
You may like
  • Corin Hardy directing Dafne Keen on the set of Whistle Whistle director breaks down the gory horror movie's surprisingly sweet ending: "I wanted it to be gentle"
  • Movie fans are debating the otherwise bad films saved by amazing endings, and you bet Terminator 3 is on the list 
  • Disclosure Day Steven Spielberg says his "gargantuan" abandoned sci-fi movie was so expensive it "would have ended a whole studio"

Of course, the movie actually ends with Harry (Billy Crystal) racing through the streets of New York City to meet Sally (Meg Ryan) at a New Year's Eve party before the clock strikes midnight. The pair had fought a few weeks prior after sleeping together for the first time and hadn't spoken since. Breathless, Harry arrives at the party and recites a now-iconic speech detailing the reasons he loves Sally, and they kiss as Auld Lang Syne starts to play. 

The film, first released in 1989 and written by Nora Ephron, follows the pair's will-they-won't-they friendship over the course of 10 years, starting with a tense post-grad car share from the University of Chicago to New York and culminating in that New Year's kiss. 

For more rom-coms (and a whole lot more), check out our picks of the best LGBT romances and the best anti-Valentine's Day movies. 

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
Emily Garbutt
Emily Garbutt
Social Links Navigation
Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related. I help bring you all the latest news, features, and reviews, as well as helming our Big Screen Spotlight column. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.

Read more
Corin Hardy directing Dafne Keen on the set of Whistle
Horror Movies Whistle director breaks down the gory horror movie's surprisingly sweet ending: "I wanted it to be gentle"
 
 
Movies Movie fans are debating the otherwise bad films saved by amazing endings, and you bet Terminator 3 is on the list 
 
 
Disclosure Day
Sci-Fi Movies Steven Spielberg says his "gargantuan" abandoned sci-fi movie was so expensive it "would have ended a whole studio"
 
 
Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Drama Movies Peaky Blinders creator was "having trouble" figuring out Tommy Shelby's fate in The Immortal Man
 
 
Jessie Buckley as Ida/Penny in The Bride
Horror Movies The Bride's violence was "pulled back" after test screenings, but director Maggie Gyllenhaal stands by what was kept in
 
 
Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace in Project Hail Mary
Sci-Fi Movies Project Hail Mary directors think it was important to make sure their end of the world sci-fi drama was funny
 
 
Latest in Rom Coms
Alicia Silverstone
Movies The 32 Greatest '90s Comedies Ever Made
 
 
King Kong doing his thing on the Empire State Building in 1933's King Kong
Movies The 32 greatest New York City movies ever made
 
 
The Materialists trailer
Rom Coms Pedro Pascal's new R-rated romance with Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans feels like a classic ode to cult rom-coms past in first trailer
 
 
Ryan Gosling in Crazy, Stupid, Love
Movies The 32 greatest Ryan Gosling movie moments
 
 
10 Things I Hate About You
Movies The 32 greatest '90s teen movies
 
 
Addicted to Love
Rom Coms The 33 greatest '90s rom-coms
 
 
Latest in News
Toph in Avatar: The Last Airbender
Animated Movies OG Avatar actor tells fans to "stop talking" about The Last Airbender movie leak and "watch it when it comes out"
 
 
Chris Evans as Captain America in Avengers: Endgame
Marvel Movies Avengers: Endgame re-release will include Doomsday footage and be a "critical companion story"
 
 
Windrose early access release trailer screenshot shows a male pirate wearing a bandana on his head, facing the camera.
Open World Games Windrose sells 1 million copies in less than a week, passes 220,000 concurrent Steam players
 
 
Lev and Yara
Drama Shows The Last of Us season 3's latest casting hints at a chunkier backstory for Yara and Lev
 
 
Grandpa Gohan in Sparking Zero
Fighting Games Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero's next DLC will add over 30 characters, including the biggest omissions from the roster
 
 
Deadpool and Wolverine
Marvel Movies Ryan Reynolds has "some stuff kind of written" for Deadpool 4, but it won't be centered around himself
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Toph in Avatar: The Last Airbender
    1
    OG Avatar actor tells fans to "stop talking" about The Last Airbender movie leak and "watch it when it comes out"
  2. 2
    Avengers: Endgame re-release will include Doomsday footage and be a "critical companion story"
  3. 3
    Windrose sells 1 million copies in less than a week, and as the open-world pirate game passes 220,000 concurrent Steam players, devs say the support is "absolutely astonishing"
  4. 4
    Jon Favreau explains how The Mandalorian and Grogu's unlikely Martin Scorsese cameo came to be
  5. 5
    Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero's next DLC will add over 30 characters, and Shenron is finally answering my wish by fixing the biggest problem with the original roster

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...