Ken Russell’s ‘The Devils’ to receive full director’s cut restoration

Warner Bros. has announced a major restoration of Ken Russell’s 1971 film, ‘The Devils’, aiming to release the director’s uncut vision. The project, facilitated through the new label Clockwork, follows a successful world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

For decades, the film was considered a ‘cinematic holy grail’ due to extensive studio censorship that removed explicit scenes and altered the original tone. The restoration process involved locating lost footage within Warner Bros. archives and meticulously reconstructing sequences to restore Russell’s intended dramatic and visual impact. Film critic Mark Kermode, a long-time advocate for Russell’s work, noted the significance of the project, describing the realization of the uncut version as something he ‘can’t quite believe is happening.’