Orson Welles' Final Film THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND Will Get a Theatrical Release Thanks to Netflix

Last year it was announced that Netflix acquired the rights to writer and director Orson Welles' final uncompleted film, The Other Side of the Wind. Welles started shooting the film in the 1970s and was working on completing it up until the time he passed away in 1985. Unfortunately, the movie was plagued with financial problems and 96% of the film was reportedly completed. 

Frank Marshall, who was the production manager during the original shoot, brought on a team of editors to go through more than 1,000 reels of film negatives that were sitting in a Paris vault until March 2017, when Netflix acquired it. They used that footage to complete the film.

Now, thanks to Marshall, we've learned that the film will get a theatrical release! Indiewire reports that The Other Side of the Wind "will have numerous cinema showings, but details for the rollout are still being planned."

The movie is a Hollywood satire about a filmmaker attempting a comeback. Here's a more detailed summary:

The film covers the 70th birthday party of movie director Jake Hannaford, who is struggling to make a commercial comeback. It opens with Hannaford's death just after the party, and mostly focuses on the night before his death. We also see extracts of Hannaford's daring new film-within-a-film, The Other Side of the Wind. As we learn more about Hannaford at his party, the audience realises that he is a far more complex character than he seems, and harbors several big secrets.

The film presents a cynical portrait of Hollywood in the 1970s, parodying the passing of the studio system, and the experimental new film-makers of the new Hollywood, as well as mocking successful European directors such as Antonioni. It was shot in a variety of different styles—color, black-and-white, still photography, 8mm, 16mm and 35mm film, all rapidly intercut together, and was planned as a collage of these different styles.

The movie stars John Huston, Dennis Hopper and Peter Bogdanovich, who apparently also helped Marshall in the editing of the film. Marshall previously said:

"I can’t quite believe it, but after 40 years of trying, I am so very grateful for the passion and perseverance from Netflix that has enabled us to, at long last, finally get into the cutting room to finish Orson’s last picture."

Below you will find the Tweets from Marshall confirming the theatrical release. As a fan of Orson Welles, I'm excited that I'll have the opportunity to see this film on the big screen. If it wasn't for Netflix, this film probably would never have been completed. 

The film that will bookend Orson's amazing body of work, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND, photographed by Gary Graver, will be coming soon! https://t.co/LABcMXrKj5

— Frank Marshall (@LeDoctor) May 27, 2018

Please tell me it’s a theatrical release!

— Patrick Read Johnson (@moonwatcher1) May 27, 2018

YES!!!

— Frank Marshall (@LeDoctor) May 27, 2018