If there’s one movie that’s got everyone talking right now, it’s Bird Box, Susanne Bier’s adaptation of Josh Malerman’s popular novel. It tells a post-apocalyptic story of a woman fighting to survive “after an ominous unseen presence drives most of society to suicide,” offering up a gripping, thrilling ride with some fantastic performances.
Of course, given that these monsters which play such a central role in the film remain unseen, a lot of people have been wondering just what they are and what they might look like. And while the decision to never show them was probably the right one in the end, even if it’s proven to be a bit controversial, that hasn’t stopped folks from imagining how the Bird Box creatures may look.
But now, we don’t have to imagine anymore, as special effects studio SFX Atlas has released the following photo that gives us a pretty good idea of the design that was going to be used, as at one point, the filmmakers were planning on revealing them on screen.
“The unseen creature from Bird Box created at @knb_efx that was sadly cut from the final film,” reads the caption.
Speaking to Bloody-Disgusting a while back, Sandra Bullock talked about the decision to show the creatures and said that when she first saw the design, it made her laugh.
“It was a green man with a horrific baby face. It was snake-like, and I was like, ‘I don’t want to see it when it first happens. Just bring it into the room. We’ll shoot the scene.’ I turn and he’s like this [growling at me.] It’s making me laugh. It was just a long fat baby.”
While we’re sure that viewers wouldn’t have been laughing once all the VFX work and post-production touch-ups on the creature design were done, it was a smart decision to keep the mystery in tact and not show what these monsters actually looked like at any point in the film. At least, that’s how we feel.
What do you think, though? Would you have liked to have seen the creatures in the flesh in Bird Box? Or are you happy that they were never shown? Sound off with your thoughts in the comments section down below.