Cult horror "The Devils" in full version after 55 years

In 1971, Warner Bros. released the film "The Devils" directed by Ken Russell, a controversial horror adaptation based on Aldous Huxley's 1952 book "The Devils of Loudun" and John Whiting's 1960 play.

The film was significantly edited to receive an X rating in the United States and the United Kingdom due to its extremely graphic violence, sexual content, and religious themes. Despite this, it was banned in a number of countries.

The Director's Cut later had a limited release in the UK in 2002, but was never officially made available for home viewing in its full form. Now, for the first time, audiences have the opportunity to see the film as it was originally intended for theatrical release and add it to their collection.

Warner Bros. has confirmed that the long-awaited 4K Blu-ray restoration of "The Devils" will be released in 2026. Before that, the director's cut will be shown at the Cannes Film Festival as part of the Cannes Classics program. In the U.S., the film will be released by Warner Bros.' new division, Clockwork, in a one-week theatrical run beginning October 16, with a home release date yet to be announced.

The official statement stated that the new 4K restoration was made from the original camera negative, while the sound was remastered from the original 35mm magnetic tape in 96kHz format, with the use of additional original film materials where necessary. The image and sound restoration was carried out by Warner Bros. Post Production Creative Services, Water Tower Color and Warner Bros. Sound.

Set in 17th-century France, the film follows the downfall of priest Urban Grandier (Oliver Reed) who is accused of witchcraft. The story focuses on a group of Ursuline nuns who undergo alleged demonic possessions and mass exorcisms, centered on Sister Jeanne des Anges (Vanessa Redgrave), a sexually repressed nun.

Although reviews at the time of its premiere were mostly negative, Ken Russell won the Best Director award at the Venice Film Festival, as well as recognition from the National Board of Film Critics in the US.

Over the years, the film has gained a cult status among horror fans, partly due to its limited availability. Its distribution history has been unusual, from a brief appearance on iTunes in 2010, to a temporary showing on Shudder in 2017, to its entry into the Criterion Collection in 2019, after which it was removed again and not returned until 2024.

It is also interesting that fragments inspired by the film can be seen in the 2021 film "Space Jam: A New Legacy", where one of the nuns appears in the background of a scene.

Now, more than five decades after its premiere and decades after the director's cut was first shown, #TheDevils“ is finally getting its full and widely available release, just in time for the Halloween season.