Video: Watch Trailer for Reimagined CALIGULA: THE ULTIMATE CUT

Drafthouse films has released the trailer for CALIGULA: THE ULTIMATE CUT, a complete reconstruction of one of cinema’s most lavish-yet-notorious productions in a glorious 4K Ultra High Definition restoration.

This presentation of the legendary title made its World Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023, introducing both new generations of movie audiences and classic filmgoers. Its miraculous reconstruction, comprised of 100% of never before seen footage, uses alternate takes and camera angles, and features –  for the first time – the complete film narrative. 

Initially released in 1980, CALIGULA was the most expensive independent film in cinema history but had a tumultuous journey to the screen. Written by the esteemed Gore Vidal and headed by the stellar cast of Malcolm McDowell, Dame Helen Mirren, Peter O'Toole and Sir John Gielgud, CALIGULA was meant to be an epic showcase of the generation's finest talent, addressing the corrupting influence of power amid the rampant sexuality of the Roman court.

However, Penthouse founder (and the film’s financier) Bob Guccione seized control of the negative, randomly inserting graphic scenes of unsimulated sex and gratuitous violence. The cast and film team disavowed what had become a blatant desecration of Vidal's themes, who sued to have his name removed from the project. The extensive coverage of behind-the-scenes notoriety also had an unexpected effect: the film was a box office success.

CALIGULA: THE ULTIMATE CUT aligns closely to Vidal's original script, especially with the addition of a prologue that illustrates one of Vidal's missing scenes, created by noted graphic artist Dave McKean (Grant Morrison’s Arkham Asylum, Neil Gaiman’s Sandman). Nearly 100 hours of original footage was discovered by the film's reconstructionist, film historian Thomas Negovan, in the Penthouse archive, which showcases astounding performances from the film’s cast, fully realizing McDowell's complex, charismatic 'Caligula' and resurrecting Mirren's layered character arc, which now cements the film's final hour.

Watch the trailer!

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