Little Shop of Horrors is a 1986 American horror comedy musical film directed by Frank Oz. It is an adaptation of the off-Broadway 1982 musical by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, which is itself an adaptation of the 1960 film The Little Shop of Horrors by screenwriter Charles B. Griffith and director Roger Corman. The film, which centers on a floral shop worker who discovers a sentient carnivorous plant that feeds on human blood, stars Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, Steve Martin, and the voice of Levi Stubbs. The film features special appearances by Jim Belushi, John Candy, Christopher Guest, and Bill Murray. It was produced by David Geffen through The Geffen Company and released by Warner Bros. on December 19, 1986. The film grossed $39 million domestically and $15 million internationally for a worldwide total of $54 million.

Little Shop of Horrors was filmed on the Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage at the Pinewood Studios in England, where a "downtown" set, complete with overhead train track, was constructed. Produced on a budget of $25 million, in contrast to the original 1960 film, which, according to Corman, only cost $30,000, it was well received by critics and audiences alike, eventually developing a cult following. The film's original 23-minute finale, based on the musical's ending, was rewritten and reshot after test audiences did not react positively to it. For years only available as black-and-white workprint footage, the original ending was fully restored in 2012 by Warner Home Video and a director's cut was released.

Plot

In the early 1960s, a motown three-girl "Greek chorus" – Crystal, Ronette and Chiffon – introduce the film, warning the audience of some impending horror ("Prologue: Little Shop of Horrors").

Orphaned Seymour Krelborn and his co-worker, Audrey, work at Mushnik's Flower Shop in the rough, rundown Skid Row neighborhood of New York City, which they lament that they cannot escape ("Skid Row (Downtown)"). Struggling from a lack of customers, Mr. Mushnik decides to close the store, but Audrey suggests he may have more success by displaying an unusual plant that Seymour owns. Immediately attracting a customer, Seymour explains he bought the plant – which he dubbed "Audrey II" – from a Chinese flower shop during a solar eclipse ("Da-Doo"). The plant brings much business to Mushnik's shop but soon starts to wither. Seymour accidentally pricks his finger and discovers that Audrey II needs human blood to thrive ("Grow for Me").

Soon after, Audrey II begins to grow rapidly, and earns Seymour a spot on energetic DJ Wink Wilkinson's radio show, making him a local celebrity. Meanwhile, Audrey suffers at the hands of her sadistic and evil biker boyfriend, Orin Scrivello; however, she has feelings for Seymour and secretly dreams of being married and living happily with him in the suburbs ("Somewhere That's Green").

Seymour continues to feed Audrey II his own blood, draining his energy ("Some Fun Now"). He attempts to ask Audrey out, but she turns him down because she has a date with Orin, who is revealed to be a dentist who enjoys his patients’ misery ("Dentist!"). After Seymour closes up shop, Audrey II finally has a chance to speak to Seymour, demanding more blood than Seymour can give. The plant suggests that Seymour murder someone, promising to bring him fame and fortune that will impress Audrey. Seymour initially refuses but eventually agrees after he witnesses Orin physically and verbally abusing Audrey in the street ("Feed Me (Git It!)").

After Orin finishes with his masochistic patient, Arthur Denton, who had requested "a long, slow, root canal", Seymour draws a revolver on Orin, but cannot bring himself to use it. Orin, who abuses nitrous oxide, puts on a type of venturi mask to receive a constant flow of the gas, but breaks the valve, and Seymour watches as he asphyxiates. Seymour dismembers Orin's body and feeds it to Audrey II, which has grown to enormous size, but is unknowingly witnessed by Mushnik, who flees in fear.

Audrey, feeling guilty over Orin's disappearance, is comforted by Seymour and the two admit their feelings for each other ("Suddenly, Seymour"). That night, Mushnik confronts Seymour about Orin's death. Holding Seymour at gunpoint, Mushnik threatens to turn Seymour over to the police but reconsiders and instead offers to stay silent and let Seymour flee Skid Row in exchange for the plant and its profits. As Audrey II opens its mouth to feed, Seymour begins to tell Mushnik how to care for the plant and backs him into the plant's reach. The plant swallows Mushnik whole ("Suppertime").

Despite widespread success, Seymour worries about Audrey II's growth and unbridled appetite ("The Meek Shall Inherit"). Torn between continuing his partnership with the plant and the thought of losing Audrey if he's no longer successful, Seymour becomes overwhelmed. Audrey congratulates Seymour on a contract for a botany TV show and tells Seymour the producers will return with the money the following day. Seeing a way out, Seymour proposes to Audrey, asking her to marry him that afternoon. He'll take the money in the morning and escape Skid Row with Audrey, leaving the plant to starve. After Audrey accepts Seymour's marriage proposal, Audrey II catches Seymour leaving and demands another meal: Seymour agrees but insists on meat from a butcher. While Seymour is gone, the plant telephones Audrey, coaxes her into the shop and attacks her ("Suppertime II").

Theatrical ending Seymour, returning in time to save Audrey, escapes the store with her. Explaining that he fed the plant to become successful and win Audrey's heart, Seymour discovers she has always loved him ("Suddenly, Seymour" (reprise)). Approached by an executive named Patrick Martin from a botanical company, Seymour is offered a contract to breed Audrey II and sell the saplings worldwide. Horrified by the idea, Seymour drives Martin away and realizes he must destroy Audrey II for the sake of humanity. Returning to the shop, Seymour learns that Audrey II is actually an alien from outer space ("Mean Green Mother from Outer Space"). Audrey II then traps Seymour and destroys the shop, but Seymour retaliates by using an exposed electrical cable in the rubble to electrocute Audrey II, vanquishing him. Leaving the destroyed shop, Seymour safely reunites with Audrey and the two wed and move to the suburbs, where, unnoticed by the newlyweds, an Audrey II sprout lurks in their garden.

Director's cut ending Seymour pulls Audrey from the plant's jaws but she is mortally wounded. Seymour sadly fulfills Audrey's dying wish to be fed to the plant so that it can live and Seymour can earn the success he deserves ("Somewhere That's Green" (reprise)). Seymour attempts to kill himself by jumping off of the shop's roof, but learns that botanical executive Patrick Martin plans to propagate and sell Audrey IIs with or without Seymour's consent and, realizing that Audrey II is planning global conquest, resolves to destroy the plant. Audrey II reveals that he is an extraterrestrial as he tears down the shop, fishes Seymour from the rubble and eats him alive ("Mean Green Mother from Outer Space"). Subsequently, as the three chorus girls explain, Audrey II buds became a worldwide craze. Fueled by the greed of their owners who provided them with blood, the Audrey II buds grew into an army of monstrous plants that began to take over the Earth. Giant Audrey II plants are shown toppling buildings and feeding on people, with the United States Army notably fighting the buds ascending the Statue of Liberty ("Finale (Don't Feed the Plants)"). An Audrey II suddenly bursts out of the screen and presumably eats the audience.

Cast Levi Stubbs as the voice of Audrey II, an evil and boisterous flytrap-like extraterrestrial plant that feeds on human blood and seeks world domination. Stubbs also makes a quick, in-person cameo appearance during the film's "Skid Row" number as a citizen singing "Down on Skid–!". Anthony Asbury, Brian Henson, Mak Wilson, Robert Tygner, Sue Dacre, David Barclay, Marcus Clarke, Paul Springer, David Greenaway, Toby Philpott, Michael Bayliss, Michael Barclay, Don Austen, Chris Leith, William Todd-Jones, Terry Lee, Ian Tregonning, John Alexander, Michael Quinn, James Barton, and Graham Fletcher were all principal puppeteers for Audrey II. Rick Moranis as Seymour Krelborn, a nerdy florist who loves "strange and interesting" plants. He is nice and well-intentioned, but is easily influenced: the plant, Audrey II, tricks him into feeding it humans by simply showing his love interest's romantic troubles to his face, which he then immediately grows enraged over. Ellen Greene as Audrey, a kind, shy and awkward coworker who is the object of Seymour's affections, but who is dating the sadistic Orin Scrivello. Greene reprises her role from the original theatrical production. Tichina Arnold, Michelle Weeks, and Tisha Campbell as Crystal, Ronette, and Chiffon, three key characters who act as a Greek chorus and lead the film's narrative by providing both principal story-telling through songs and by lending back-up vocals and harmony for the songs performed by protagonists and the antagonist, Audrey II. Vincent Gardenia as Mr. Mushnik, the grumpy, stingy owner of Mushnik's Flower Shop. Steve Martin as Orin Scrivello, DDS, a sadistic, nitrous oxide-addicted dentist and Audrey's violent, abusive boyfriend. Jim Belushi as Patrick Martin, a Licensing and Marketing executive from World Botanical Enterprises who offers Seymour a proposal to sell Audrey IIs worldwide. Paul Dooley portrayed Patrick Martin in the original ending. Unavailable for re-shoots, he was replaced by Belushi in the theatrical release. John Candy as Wink Wilkinson, the DJ for WSKID who puts on a radio show about "weird stuff" called "Wink Wilkinson's Weird World". Christopher Guest as The First Customer, the first customer to enter the flower shop and notice Audrey II. Bill Murray as Arthur Denton, a hyperactive masochist who visits Orin the dentist for "a long, slow root canal." His character is not part of the stage play, but is based on Wilbur Force, a character from the original 1960 film played by a young Jack Nicholson. Miriam Margolyes as a Dental Nurse, Orin's cynical nurse/secretary whom Orin frequently appears to enjoy hurting. Stanley Jones as the Narrator, whose voice is heard reading the opening words. Mak Wilson, Danny John-Jules, Danny Cunningham, Gary Palmer and Paul Swaby as the doo-wop backup singers. Heather Henson (daughter of Jim Henson) cameos as one of Orin's patients. Vincent Wong as the Chinese Florist Kerry Shale as a Life magazine assistant Bertice Reading as "Downtown" Old Woman

Musical numbers "Prologue: Little Shop of Horrors" – Chiffon, Ronette, Crystal "Skid Row (Downtown)" – Seymour, Audrey, Mushnik, Chiffon, Ronette, Crystal, Company "Da-Doo" – Seymour, Chiffon, Ronette, Crystal "Grow for Me" – Seymour, Chiffon, Ronette, Crystal (off-screen) "Somewhere That's Green" – Audrey "Some Fun Now" – Chiffon, Ronette, Crystal "Dentist!" – Orin, Chiffon, Ronette, Crystal "Feed Me (Git It!)" – Audrey II, Seymour "Suddenly, Seymour" – Seymour, Audrey, Chiffon, Ronette, Crystal "Suppertime" – Audrey II, Chiffon, Ronette, Crystal "The Meek Shall Inherit" – Chiffon, Ronette, Crystal, Company "Suppertime II" – Audrey II, Audrey, Chiffon, Ronette and Crystal (off-screen) "Suddenly, Seymour" (reprise) – Audrey, Seymour "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space" – Audrey II, the Pods "Little Shop of Horrors medley" (end credits) – Company

Director's cut ending "Somewhere That's Green" (reprise) – Audrey, Seymour "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space" – Audrey II, the Pods "Finale (Don't Feed the Plants)" – Chiffon, Ronette, Crystal, Company "Little Shop of Horrors medley" (end credits) – Company

Charts Chart (1987)PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report) 47

Production