Daniel Radcliffe on fixing The F Word for Americans

Daniel Radcliffe's new movie The F Word appears to have it all: one of the world's biggest stars, a super smart script and an award-winning director, Michael Dowse.

Despite premiering to rave reviews at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, the Canadian-directed romantic comedy had to undergo major changes after it was picked up by a big American studio.

• Daniel Radcliffe on The F Word and falling for friends
• TIFF: Daniel Radcliffe rom-com The F Word garners festival buzz

Radcliffe's role as a med school dropout who falls for a spoken-for woman offered the Harry Potter actor his first chance to play a contemporary character — something he was longing to do.

• VIDEO | Daniel Radcliffe on playing his first contemporary character
• VIDEO | The F Word's director Michael Dowes on what they had to cut

"In a way it felt like something I had been ready and waiting to do for some time and actually had never been given a chance, so I was very grateful when the script came in," he said.

The 25-year-old admits he loved the script so much, he was taken aback when — after testing the film with audiences — producers wanted to re-write, and re-shoot the ending. 

"My initial opinion was that it didn't need anything added to the end … It was a really beautiful funny ending." 

Not all of the changes to the The F Word had to do with story.  Radcliffe explained another round of re-shooting was required to replace expletives and sexually suggestive words with more PG-friendly terminology.

"I'd rather the original script, which I fell in love with," Radcliffe admitted. "I think it's just the American version that has had to be slightly tamed down."

Even the title of the film had to be re-jigged. It's being released in the United States and United Kingdom as the decidedly less-cheeky What If.

The F Word opens in Canada this Friday and Radcliffe is thrilled that Canadians are getting the real deal.

"I think we all were glad that it was able to be the title and everything we envisaged first off here."

CBC Arts reporter Eli Glasner has the full story Thursday night on The National.