Ken Russell's 'The Devils' Extends Run After $1.7M Re-Release Debut

Ken Russell's "The Devils" grossed over $1.7 million in its opening weekend across 350 North American locations — a strong enough result that Warner Bros. Clockwork has scrapped its plan for a one-week theatrical run and extended the re-release, the company announced, citing "popular demand."

The per-screen average was $4,925. For a re-release of a 54-year-old film, that is a respectable figure, and Clockwork is treating it as one. An individual with knowledge of the release plans said the company will monitor ticket sales and keep the film in theaters for as long as it keeps performing. Its second weekend will span 315 locations — a modest contraction, not a retreat.

What makes this re-release different?

The film carries an NC-17 rating, and this run marks the first time an uncensored director's cut of "The Devils" has been available to audiences everywhere. That claim deserves scrutiny, and the festival trail behind it lends it weight: Clockwork premiered the remastered, unabridged version at Cannes before screening it at Il Cinema Ritrovato, the Toronto International Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, Beyond Fest, the BFI London Film Festival, the Sitges Film Festival and the Festival Lumière.

The restoration has a documented lineage. The cut was originally reconstructed in 2004 under the supervision of Russell and the film's editor Michael Bradsell, with the collaboration of Mark Kermode and Paul Joyce. The 4K restoration used the original camera negative at WB Water Tower Color; the audio was restored from original composite 35mm mag film at WB Sound.

Why was the film censored in the first place?

"The Devils," starring Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed, took a scabrous look at religion, power and corruption — material that proved too hot to handle in 1971. Scenes including nuns simulating sexual acts with a massive cross drew detractors, and censors required alterations before release.

Decades of reappraisal followed. The film's renown has grown, and it has been championed by movie lovers including Guillermo del Toro. A restored director's cut touring festivals is one thing; an NC-17 title selling $1.7 million in tickets in 350 multiplex and arthouse venues is another — the second number says the audience now extends well beyond devoted cinephiles.

When does it reach international audiences?

An international theatrical release will follow, with dated commitments already in place:

• Poland — October 23
• France — October 28
• Australia/New Zealand — October 29
• Germany/Austria — October 29
• U.K./Ireland — October 30, released by the BFI
• Greece — November 12
• Netherlands — November 12

Other territories are also planned, though the announcement names no dates for them.

What does this change for censored cinema?

What the opening changes is the economics of restoration: a studio-backed label has now shown that a once-suppressed director's cut can open wide and perform. Whether "The Devils" sustains beyond week two — and whether other shelved or trimmed films get the same treatment — depends on the very sales Clockwork says it is watching.