The Resurrection of a Masterpiece: Ken Russell’s ‘The Devils’ Breaks Box Office Expectations

In a cinematic landscape often dominated by franchise tentpoles and algorithm-driven content, the unexpected box office success of a 55-year-old, NC-17-rated historical horror film serves as a potent reminder of the enduring power of transgressive art. Ken Russell’s The Devils (1971), long shrouded in myths of censorship and industry suppression, has returned to North American theaters in its original, uncut director’s cut. What was initially scheduled as a brief, one-week commemorative engagement has blossomed into a full-scale theatrical event, with distributors extending the run indefinitely due to overwhelming public demand.

A Controversial Legacy: The Road to Restoration

The re-release of The Devils is more than a simple anniversary screening; it is a cultural reclamation. Starring Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed, the film offers a scathing, surrealist exploration of religious hysteria, political corruption, and the intersection of faith and state power in 17th-century France. Upon its original release, the film’s explicit depictions of religious fervor—most notably sequences involving nuns and a crucifix—triggered immediate condemnation from censors and religious groups alike.

For decades, the “true” version of Ken Russell’s vision remained inaccessible, relegated to bootleg VHS tapes and grainy collector’s prints. However, under the stewardship of Clockwork, the film has finally received a state-of-the-art 4K restoration. Working from original camera negatives at WB Water Tower Color and utilizing original 35mm magnetic film for audio, the restoration team has ensured that the visceral intensity of Russell’s work is preserved for a new generation.

Chronology: From 1971 to the Global Stage

The journey of The Devils from a censored relic to a modern theatrical success is a decades-long saga:

• 1971: The film premieres to intense controversy. Censors demand significant cuts to the film’s most provocative sequences, effectively neutering the director’s intent.
• 2004: A reconstruction of the director’s cut is spearheaded by Ken Russell himself, alongside editor Michael Bradsell and collaborators Mark Kermode and Paul Joyce.
• 2026 (Cannes): Clockwork unveils the fully remastered, unabridged version at the Cannes Film Festival, marking the first time the film is presented in its pristine 4K form to a global audience.
• 2026 (Festival Circuit): The film travels through the international circuit, garnering critical acclaim at Il Cinema Ritrovato, the Toronto International Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, Beyond Fest, the BFI London Film Festival, and the Festival Lumière.
• October 2026 (Theatrical Release): The film opens in 350 North American locations, defying expectations with a robust $1.7 million opening weekend.
• Post-Release: Due to strong per-screen averages and sustained audience interest, the theatrical window is expanded, with a planned international rollout beginning in late October.

Supporting Data: By the Numbers

The performance of The Devils is statistically significant in the context of repertory cinema. Opening across 350 locations in North America, the film generated $1.7 million, yielding a per-screen average of $4,925. In the volatile world of limited-release arthouse films, this figure is considered a massive success.

Industry insiders suggest that the decision to maintain the film in 315 locations for its second weekend—despite the original plan for a one-week run—is a testament to the film’s "stickiness." According to individuals familiar with the release strategy, Clockwork is maintaining an agile approach, monitoring daily ticket sales with the intent to keep the film in theaters for as long as it remains economically viable.

The international distribution plan is equally ambitious. Following the North American success, the film is set to reach a wide swath of global markets:

• Poland: October 23
• Australia/New Zealand: October 29
• Germany/Austria: October 29
• United Kingdom/Ireland: October 30 (via BFI)
• Greece/Netherlands: November 12

The "Director’s Cut" Phenomenon: Official Responses and Critical Reception

The cultural impact of The Devils has been bolstered by its vocal proponents, most notably Academy Award-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. Del Toro, who has frequently championed the film as a masterpiece of "darkness and light," has helped frame the conversation around the film not as a scandalous relic, but as a vital piece of auteur cinema.

The restoration itself has been praised for its fidelity to Russell’s original vision. By removing the mandated studio edits of 1971, the current cut allows for a more cohesive, albeit more disturbing, narrative experience. The "uncensored" nature of the film—which retains the provocative imagery that originally led to an NC-17 rating—has become a primary selling point for younger audiences who are increasingly curious about the history of film censorship.

"We are witnessing a shift," says one industry analyst. "Audiences are tired of sanitized content. When you provide a film that has a reputation for being ‘too hot to handle,’ and you pair that with a high-quality 4K restoration, you create a must-see event that cannot be replicated on a home streaming platform."

Implications: The Future of Repertory and Auteur Cinema

The success of The Devils carries profound implications for the film industry. Firstly, it proves that there is a vibrant, paying audience for restored historical cinema when it is treated with the same marketing weight as a new release. The "event-ization" of the film—through festival premieres and limited-time engagement rhetoric—has successfully created a sense of urgency.

Secondly, the release challenges the traditional gatekeeping of "controversial" art. By finally releasing the director’s cut uncensored, the industry is acknowledging that audiences are capable of engaging with challenging, R-rated, or NC-17 material without the need for institutional shielding.

Furthermore, the collaboration between archival institutions and commercial distributors like Clockwork suggests a new model for film preservation. Rather than letting important works languish in vaults, this model treats the archive as a living resource. By leveraging the prestige of film festivals to build buzz before a wider theatrical roll-out, distributors can maximize the reach of niche films that would otherwise be relegated to home video.

As the international release dates approach, all eyes will be on whether The Devils can maintain its momentum across diverse cultural landscapes. The film, which once faced total systemic erasure, now stands as a testament to the fact that great art—no matter how blasphemous, controversial, or "dangerous"—possesses a resiliency that eventually triumphs over the censors.

For Ken Russell, who passed away in 2011, this moment serves as a posthumous vindication. His vision, which was once deemed a liability by studio executives, has proven to be an enduring asset. The theatrical run of The Devils is not just a victory for a specific film; it is a victory for the preservation of artistic intent and a signal to the industry that audiences are hungry for cinema that dares to push boundaries. As the projector rolls, it is clear that the devil is not in the details, but in the enduring legacy of a director who refused to compromise.