Ken Russell’s Controversial ‘The Devils’ Restoration Will Be Warner Bros. Clockwork’s First Repertory Release

The banned and infamously recut 1971 cult classic will be the first repertory release from the new specialized label, and will debut at Cannes later this month.

Completionist cinephiles have a major reason to celebrate: Ken Russell‘s “The Devils,” one of the most controversial (and unavailable) movies of all time, is finally coming to the big screen with the director’s original vision intact. A 4K restoration constructed from Russell’s original negative will premiere in the Classics section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, with a Halloween-adjacent theatrical release coming this fall.

The story behind “The Devils” is the stuff of legend. The film saw Russell, the Oscar-nominated provocateur behind an eclectic range of films like “Tommy,” “Women in Love,” and “Altered States,” turn his attention to the story of Urbain Grandier, a 17th century Catholic priest who was burned at stake over accusations of witchcraft. While the film was inspired by true events and pulled from previous takes on the material, including John Whiting’s 1960 play and Aldous Huxley’s 1952 novel, “The Devils of Loudun,” Russell took significant artistic liberties.

In his portrayal, the accusations against Grandier come from a very jealous (and horny) nun, and the film is filled with sexually explicit material and brutal violence. The subject matter was so controversial that the film was only able to be released after Russell made significant cuts — and was still saddled with an “X” rating after that. But with those scenes added back in, the new restoration was described as “the first publicly released version of the film as intended by the filmmaker,” in a press release.

The release comes courtesy of Warner Bros. Clockwork, the new specialized label run by Neon veteran Christian Parkes. Clockwork previously announced that its first original film will be Sean Baker’s upcoming sex comedy “Ti Amo!,” and “The Devils” will serve as its first repertory release.

“The Devils” stars Vanessa Redgrave, Oliver Reed, Dudley Sutton, Christopher Logue, Max Adrian, Gemma Jones, Murray Melvin, Michael Gothard, Georgina Hale, and Brian Murphy. Written and directed by Russell, it notably featured production design work by Derek Jarman, who became one of the most significant queer filmmakers of the late 20th century.

Following Cannes, Warner Bros. Clockwork will release “The Devils” in American theaters for a one-week engagement beginning on Friday, October 16, with an international rollout to follow.