Warner Bros. Clockwork has unveiled a new trailer for the restored director’s cut of Ken Russell’s legendary horror film. The new footage comes days before the film’s limited theatrical run next week.
The latest trailer for Ken Russell’s The Devils highlights the vivid visual restoration while reintroducing the dramatic clash between church and state. It features scenes between Father Grandier and Sister Jeanne, portrayed by Vanessa Redgrave, along with eerie sound design and a montage of unsettling moments.
The release uses the cut Russell and editor Michael Bradsell pieced back together in 2004. Mark Kermode and Paul Joyce also helped with the reconstruction. The restored cut has received an NC-17 rating from the MPA for sexual content and graphic nudity, marking the studio’s first NC-17 release in its 103-year history.
The new trailer sets the stage for The Devils’ long-awaited return
The brief footage offers only a 4K preview of Russell’s version before its arrival on the big screen. Clockwork’s press release calls it “the definitive cut of The Devils” and says no other director’s cut formally exists.
The restoration was done using the film’s original camera negative at WB Water Tower Color. The audio was also restored from the original composite 35mm magnetic film at WB Sound. According to the press release, this marks the first time Russell’s cut has been made officially available to the public.
“In 17th-century France, Father Grandier is a priest whose unorthodox views on sex and religion influence a passionate following of nuns, including the sexually obsessed Sister Jeanne,” the film’s official synopsis reads. It further continues, “When the power-hungry Cardinal Richelieu realizes he must eliminate Grandier to gain control of France, Richelieu portrays Grandier as a Satanist and spearheads a public outcry to destroy the once-loved priest’s reputation.”
The film will open in North American theaters for an exclusive one-week run, starting October 16, 2026.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
