The Big Picture

• Caligula, a controversial film from the 20th century, is making a big screen comeback with a new recut version hitting theaters in August.
• The Ultimate Cut includes deleted scenes and alternate takes, aiming to stay true to the original screenplay with new prologue and wraparound score.
• Despite the film's troubled history and mixed reviews, Caligula has gained a cult following and will be an epic experience for audiences.

Caligula, one of the most controversial films of the 20th century, is coming back to the big screen. A recut version of the shocking 1979 historical drama will hit theaters this August, to be followed by a 4K Blu-ray release. Deadline reports that Drafthouse Films has acquired the North American rights to Caligula: The Ultimate Cut, which premiered at last year's Cannes Film Festival.

Caligula, which chronicles the depraved life and gruesome death of the titular Roman Emperor, had a famously troubled production history, and has been released in various cuts over the years due to its explicit content. The Ultimate Cut, which was assembled by film historian Thomas Negovan, contains deleted scenes and alternate takes, and was designed to hew more closely to the film's original screenplay. It will also include a new prologue sequence by artist Dave McKean (Sandman) and a new wraparound score by composer Troy Sterling Nies. However, like every aspect of Caligula since its release, even the re-edit is controversial. While Malcolm McDowell, who played the title role in the film, has approved it, and contributed a new interview to the film's Blu-ray release, original director Tinto Brass has disavowed it.

Why is 'Caligula' So Controversial?

Caligula had a fine pedigree; the script was by novelist and public intellectual Gore Vidal, it was directed by avant-garde erotic filmmaker Brass, and its cast boasted an impressive lineup of respected thespians, including McDowell, John Gielgud, Helen Mirren, and Peter O'Toole. However, Caligula was financed by Bob Guccione, the founder of pornographic magazine Penthouse, who constantly pressured the filmmakers to include more sexuality in the film; upon Caligula's completion, against the wishes of the cast and crew, Guccione added hardcore pornographic sequences to the finished film. Critics savaged the finished three-hour-long product, and it was banned from a number of jurisdictions. While the film made money, it is often considered one of the worst films ever made, and was subsequently disparaged and disavowed by nearly everyone who made it. However, it has become something of a cult classic.

Drafthouse Films CEO Nick Savva is excited for audiences to experience the film. "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."

Caligula: The Ultimate Cut will be released in theaters this August. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.