Napoleon Rides Again

Napoleon Dynamite, the offbeat comedy about a set of self-assured nerds at an Idaho high school, concludes with a hilariously spastic dance number. Napoleon and his posse might describe it as "sweet"--maybe even sweet enough to see again. But anyone who goes to the movie a second time will see something else too. When the indie film, which opened in New York City and Los Angeles on June 11, expands to 300 screens across the country this Friday, it will have a 5-min. epilogue — a brand-new scene, shot just four weeks ago.

It's the latest stunt in Hollywood marketing. DVDs often include bonus endings and other add-ons. And last year Fox Searchlight, Napoleon's U.S. distributor, extended the box-office life of its horror film 28 Days Later by adding an alternate ending (shot earlier but discarded) weeks after the film opened. But in Napoleon's case, the company actually flew the cast and crew back to Idaho and shot the epilogue after the movie opened. "We thought, Why not borrow something from the DVD playbook?" says Nancy Utley, Searchlight's president for marketing.

No telling whether the extra scene will boost the box office. But it should please the film's cult fans (including the 20,000 who are competing online to be president of the Napoleon Dynamite fan club). Let's just say it involves a white dress and a ride off into the sunset. Sweet.