Trailer and Release Date For CALIGULA: THE ULTIMATE CUT with Malcolm McDowell and Helen Mirren
Drafthouse Films has acquired Caligula: The Ultimate Cut, which is the 4K Ultra HD reconstruction of director Tinto Brass’ controversial 1980 film, and they’ve released the trailer.
This presentation of the movie made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023 and it features never-before-seen footage and alternate takes and camera angles.
The historical drama explores the life of the notorious Roman Emperor Caligula, played by Malcolm McDowell. The film follows Caligula's ascent to power, marked by his initial popularity and subsequent descent into madness and tyranny.
The story is framed by his complex relationships with his loyal wife Caesonia, his beloved sister Drusilla, and his power-hungry predecessor Tiberius, portrayed by Helen Mirren, Teresa Ann Savoy, and Peter O'Toole.
The movie captures the grandeur and decadence of ancient Rome, emphasizing the emperor's unpredictable and often cruel behavior.
The film comes from writer Gore Vidal and producer Bob Guccione, the founder of Penthouse and the film’s financer, who seized control of the negative and made big changes to the movie, including the addition of graphic scenes of unsimulated sex and gratuitous violence.
Caligula is infamous for its explicit content and controversial production. The film's depiction of sexual debauchery, violence, and lavish excess was intended to illustrate the corrupt and hedonistic nature of Caligula's reign.
Despite its ambitious scope and high-profile cast, Caligula faced significant backlash from critics and audiences alike, who were divided over its artistic merit and graphic content. The film's explicit scenes were particularly contentious and led to various cuts and censorship in different countries.
The cast and film team disavowed the cut and Vidal even had his name removed from the project.
McDowell talked about his work in the film and this new Ultimate Cut, saying: “Caligula is certainly among the most demanding and challenging roles I’ve ever undertaken, so it was a great surprise to learn and then see that the work would finally be rewarded in a complete reconstruction that honors the serious intentions of the talent in front of and behind the screen.
“I never thought my full performance would ever be seen or Helen Mirren’s moving, commanding Caesonia would at last be unearthed. It is an unprecedented odyssey.”
Caligula: The Ultimate Cut includes the addition of a prologue that illustrates one of Vidal’s missing scenes, created by graphic artist Dave McKean, and there is a new wraparound score by composer Troy Sterling Nies.
Drafthouse will release the film theatrically — with an NR (Not Rated) rating — across North America in August 2024, followed by a streaming and 4K UHD Blu-ray release. The UHD Blu-ray will have new interviews with star Malcolm McDowell and the film’s reconstructionist, art historian Thomas Negovan.
Nick Savva, CEO of Drafthouse Films, said in a statement: “Caligula is a unique piece of cinema history and I am honored to be a part of its journey back to the big screen.
“Audiences should strap in and prepare themselves for a three-hour epic extravaganza like no other. They truly don’t make them like this any more.”
Watch the trailer below and let us know what you think!