Ken Russell’s controversial The Devils returns with a 4K restoration of the director’s original vision, premiering at Cannes 2026 and hitting theaters this fall.
Ken Russell’s famously controversial The Devils is finally preparing to come out of the shadows.
Misryoum reports that the 4K restoration. built from Russell’s original negative. will premiere in the Classics section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.. After that festival debut. the film is set for a Halloween-adjacent theatrical run this fall. giving completionist cinephiles and curious newcomers alike a rare chance to experience it in theaters.
This release matters because The Devils has long been a title shrouded in restrictions and speculation, and getting Russell’s original vision back in public circulation changes the conversation around a film that has always lived on the edge.
The story at the center of The Devils follows Urbain Grandier. a 17th century Catholic priest whose life ends at the stake after accusations of witchcraft.. Russell. known for pushing boundaries in films like Tommy and Altered States. drew from earlier material connected to the case. including John Whiting’s play and Aldous Huxley’s novel The Devils of Loudun. while also taking major artistic liberties.
In this version. Misryoum notes that the accusations surrounding Grandier are linked to a jealous nun. and the film is often described as packed with sexually explicit material as well as brutal violence.. The controversy was so intense that the movie could only reach audiences after cuts were made. and even then it carried an X rating.
That framing is exactly why this restoration has built such anticipation: when a work is shaped by what was removed, the reappearance of what was intended can feel like a cultural reset for how people interpret it.
The restoration arrives via Warner Bros. Clockwork, a specialized label launched by Christian Parkes, who previously worked with Neon. Clockwork has already announced its first original film, Sean Baker’s upcoming sex comedy Ti Amo!, and The Devils is positioned as its first repertory release.
Written and directed by Ken Russell. the film stars Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed. along with a cast that includes Dudley Sutton. Gemma Jones. and others.. Misryoum also highlights the production design connection to Derek Jarman. a figure who later became one of the late-20th-century’s most significant queer filmmakers.
Following Cannes, Warner Bros.. Clockwork plans a one-week American theatrical engagement beginning Friday, October 16, with additional international dates to follow.. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when a filmmaker’s most disputed choices finally step back onto a big screen. The Devils may be the season’s most provocative viewing option.
In the end, restorations like this are more than releases; they’re cultural moments that ask audiences to reconsider what “controversial” really means when the full picture is finally visible.