In an announcement for the merger between Lorber HT Digital and Kino
International, it was revealed that Kino is planning to release the recently
restored version of Fritz Lang's legendary silent film '
Metropolis' in theaters next
year, followed by a Blu-ray release. No word on a release date, but the film is
currently scheduled to be revealed at the Classic Film Festival in April.
The previous restoration lacked a number of scenes which had been lost or
irreparably damaged since its original 1927 release. Recently, a complete version
of the film was found, though in poor condition, and work was conducted to fully
restore the film to its original cut. Due to the dedication of many film
professionals, only a single scene remains "lost" today.
'Metropolis' is often considered one of the most important films to the science
fiction genre, becoming an influence to more recent sci-fi hits such as '
Blade
Runner', '
The Matrix', '
Dark City', and even 'Star Wars'. For its time, it was one of
the most elaborate and expensive films ever made, with a production budget
equivalent to approximately $200M today.