The Scene: The most significant deleted scene is a cold open set in 1974 at a Roswell-style military bunker. We see scientists examining the original alien DNA from the first film (or its crash site), and we witness an early, failed attempt to clone/contain the alien genetics, resulting in a violent, contained outbreak. Review: This is the best piece of deleted content on the disc. It gives the movie a sense of history and connects it directly to the lore of the first film. Without this scene, Species II just starts with a Mars mission that feels entirely disconnected from the first movie. Restoring this scene gives the sequel a much-needed anchor. It has a great, retro-sci-fi horror vibe (think The Thing or Alien).
The following are scenes cut from the final theatrical release, reconstructed from production notes, workprint leaks, and interviews with the unrated director’s assembly.
The preservation and accessibility of these deleted scenes are crucial for both historical and entertainment purposes. Over the years, some of these scenes have been included in DVD releases and digital platforms, allowing fans to explore the extended universe of Species 2. However, the availability of these scenes can vary, with some being lost to time or only surfacing through fan communities.
Original context: After Eve kills Ross (absorbing his alien DNA) and spares the human hero, Press Lenox (Michael Madsen). The theatrical cut ends with a quip. This deleted scene provides a coda.
EXT. CRATER – DAWN (DIRECTOR’S ASSEMBLY ONLY)
Eve stands over Ross’s dissolving corpse. The human–alien hybrid matter bubbles into a black tar. Press approaches, gun lowered. species 2 deleted scenes
PRESS: “It’s over.”
EVE: “It’s never over. You just change the species of the monster.”
She looks at her hands. They flicker – human, then scaled, then human again. The absorbed DNA is destabilizing.
EVE (CONT'D): “He wanted to infect the world. I just wanted a family. Which one of us is more dangerous?”
PRESS: “You’re still standing. That’s a start.” The Scene: The most significant deleted scene is
EVE: “No. That’s a sentence.”
She turns and walks toward the crater’s edge. Press raises his gun.
EVE (CONT'D) (without looking back): “Don’t. I’ve seen the inside of your genetic memory, Press. You have the same hunger I do. You just hide it under a badge.”
She steps into the rising sun. A beat. Then she collapses – not dead, but molting. Her human skin splits open. What emerges is smaller, pale, almost fetal. It has no gender. It has no eyes. Just a mouth that whispers one word: “Three.”
FADE TO BLACK.
TITLE CARD: “The third iteration begins.”
Reason for deletion: Test audiences found the ending “too abstract” and “not heroic.” The studio mandated the upbeat final line (“I guess there’s hope for us all”) and Eve’s unambiguous survival as a sexy antiheroine. The molting sequence was deemed “body-horror overkill.”
The Species 2 deleted scenes offer a fascinating look into the creative process behind a sci-fi horror film that walked a fine line between action, thriller, and horror. They provide insight into character motivations, subplots, and alternate story arcs that could have significantly altered the film's trajectory. For fans and film historians alike, these scenes are invaluable, offering a comprehensive view of a project that, while flawed, has a dedicated following. The legacy of Species 2, much like its protagonist's journey, continues to evolve, with deleted scenes playing a pivotal role in understanding its place in the sci-fi genre.
In the pantheon of 1990s sci-fi horror, few films occupy a space as uniquely schlocky and ambitious as Species (1995). It was a high-concept blockbuster: a gorgeous, genetically engineered alien-human hybrid (Natasha Henstridge) escapes a government lab and goes on a mating-fueled killing spree in Los Angeles. It was lurid, terrifying, and surprisingly successful.
Then came Species 2 (1998). Directed by Peter Medak (of The Changeling fame) and written by Chris Brancato, the sequel attempted to broaden the mythology. It introduced Patrick Ross (Justin Lazard), a heroic astronaut infected with alien DNA on a Mars mission, who returns to Earth as an even more predatory, rapid-breeding monster. The film is infamous for its extreme gore, grotesque body horror, and a plot revolving around presidential politics and alien hive-mind strategies. The preservation and accessibility of these deleted scenes
But for decades, hardcore fans and B-movie archaeologists have whispered about something more: the Species 2 deleted scenes. Rumored to contain an additional 15–20 minutes of excised footage, these scenes promise a darker, more coherent, and psychologically complex film that was butchered before reaching theaters. What exactly was cut, and why? Let’s descend into the genetic splicer and find out.