Warner Bros’ Clockwork to release Ken Russell’s ‘The Devils’ restored 4K version in cinemas on Oct. 16

Warner Bros. said its boutique label Clockwork will bring a newly restored 4K version of Ken Russell’s The Devils to cinemas on October 16, with a teaser released to preview the edition. Deadline reported that the release is intended to mark the first time Russell’s complete version of the film will screen in theaters, using a restoration described as “uncensored.”

The announcement centers on Russell’s adaptation of the subject matter that has long surrounded the film, including how the work was previously presented outside of Russell’s full intended cut. Clockwork’s theatrical rollout is positioned as a long-awaited correction to what had been widely treated as an incomplete or limited public theatrical history.

The teaser highlights the film’s core cast, including Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed. Warner Bros’ distribution announcement also places the project within a recent trend of boutique labels handling specialist catalog titles, aiming to bring restored editions to audiences who may not have seen the full version on a big screen.

Clockwork’s October 16 date sets up a narrow window for theaters to program the restoration, with Warner Bros’ stated plan emphasizing cinema exhibition rather than streaming or broadcast. The campaign framing in the report underscores that the release will be the first theatrical showing in cinemas of Russell’s complete version.

While the teaser and release plan were the focus of the announcement, the underlying significance is primarily archival and distribution-related, centered on restoration, access, and how a film that previously circulated in different forms will now be made available as a complete theatrical presentation.

The release does not, in the reported item, specify technical details beyond the 4K restoration and “uncensored” description, nor does it list theater counts, territory scope, or review embargo terms. Those elements are likely to be clarified through theater listings and Clockwork’s subsequent release communications ahead of the October date.

As the project approaches its opening date, the practical question for exhibitors and audiences will be which version they will be able to program and watch, given the report’s emphasis that this is the first cinema screening of Russell’s complete cut. Theaters, distributors, and rights holders will be relying on the restoration’s presentation standards and the restoration’s packaging for consistent public access during the theatrical run.