The Devils’ restoration preserves a recovered cut

On August 5, 2026, the BFI announced an October 30 UK and Ireland cinema release for Ken Russell’s The Devils. ^[1]

The BBFC records that both it and Warner Bros. required cuts before the 1971 British release. Further American cuts secured an R rating. That shorter edit reached early British video viewers, so the title alone does not identify a version’s contents. ^[2]

The BFI traces the recovered cut to a 2004 reconstruction supervised by Russell and editor Michael Bradsell, with Mark Kermode and Paul Joyce. Rebuilding an edit and restoring its picture and sound are different stages. ^[1]

Cannes Classics’ May 2026 presentation described a 4K restoration from the original camera negative. Sound was remastered from original composite 35mm magnetic film, transferred to 96 kHz. These records identify the materials behind the new presentation. ^[3]

The BBFC says the extended version was classified 18 without new cuts in 2026. Two sexual sequences return; other material removed in 1971, including violence, is presumed lost. Uncut classification does not mean that every historical deletion was recovered. ^[2]

As checked October 26, the BFI listed Southbank 35mm previews for October 23–29 and digital screenings from October 30. The listings distinguish formats and dates; they do not verify that a particular performance took place. The wider opening remained ahead. ^[4]

About this item: Retrospective report. No first-hand reporting or independent testing is claimed. Corrections policy.