7

Do extended & director's cut versions get released in theatres?

Improve this question
2
  • 2
    I would think this depends too much on the film and even on the theater.... We have a local theater that screens them occasionally.
    – Catija
    Mar 3, 2015 at 6:00
  • Sometimes (typically for budetary reasons) these extended editions are created on video, such that a high-res version simply doesn't exist. This precludes a theatrical release, or even an HD broadcast. Off the top of my head, the extended edition of Independence Day and the director's cuts of Scream and Star Trek: The Motion Picture were created this way, and that's at least part of the reason why the Blu-ray releases of those movies contain only the theatrical versions. The extended edition would have to be re-created from scratch for a higher-quality release.
    – Carl Fink
    Feb 3, 2016 at 16:22

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
5

Sometimes yes but they tend to be short or single runs in more 'art-house' cinemas or as part of a collection of director/actor movies ran together. I saw a 'Blade Runner' thing like this as part of a Ridley Scott appreciation thing a few years ago.

Improve this answer
2
  • We also saw the redone Star Wars Ep 4/5/6 re-released in theaters as well.
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2
    Mar 3, 2015 at 12:01
  • Yeah, we got all 12 or whatever hours of the Lord of the Rings director's cuts.
    – Catija
    Mar 3, 2015 at 17:15
2

The only sensible answer is "sometimes".

Where movies are particularly popular or well received then studios sometimes release special versions to extend the cinema run (knowing that the extra expense is worth it).

For example, David Fincher's dark nightmare Seven which is particularly notable for its very dark (or chiaroscuro) cinematography proved popular enough to sustain a special edition release for cinemas on a contrast-enhancing film process that emphasised the effect of the dark scenes.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy also released the (even better) longer versions of the movies in cinemas but only after the success of the (already very long) originals had been established.

And various Blade Runner special editions were eventually released in cinemas but long after the original, not very successful, cinema release and only when the movie had proved a cult hit on video demonstrating that there was an audience for Ridley Scott's original version (the original release to cinemas was somewhat altered by the studio).

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .