We broke the news back in July that Oliver Stone wasn't finished with his epic Alexander as he was planning another DVD release. This coming after what was already described as The Director's Cut released in August of 2005.
Stone told us, "I'm doing a third version on DVD, not theatrical. I'm going to do a Cecile B Demille/Oliver Stone three hour forty five minute thing, I'm going to go all out, put everything I like in the movie. He was a complicated man, it was a complicated story and it doesn't hurt to make it longer and let people who loved the film and see it more and understand it more." Today news comes out of DVD Times that Alexander Revisited: The Unrated Final Cut is now officially set for release on February 27, 2007; although the running time will be 3 hours and 40 minutes not 3 hours and 45 minutes.
DVD Times is quoting a press release I am sure will be sent out wide soon saying:
The two-disc set features a new introduction by the director which reflects Stone's passion and attention to detail in getting this film exactly the way he envisioned. Says Stone, "Over the last two years I have been able to sort out some of the unanswered questions about this highly complicated and passionate monarch -- questions I failed to answer dramatically enough. This film represents my complete and last version, as it will contain all the essential footage we shot. I don't know how many filmmakers have managed to make three versions of the same film, but I have been fortunate to have the opportunity because of the success of video and DVD sales in the world, and I felt if I didn't do it now, with the energy and memory I still have for the subject, it would never quite be the same again. For me, this is the complete Alexander, the clearest interpretation I can offer."
Now restructured into two acts with an intermission, Alexander: Revisited takes a bolder, more in-depth look at Alexander's (Colin Farrell) life and his relationships with his mother, Olympias (Angelina Jolie), his father Philip (Val Kilmer), his lifelong friend and battle commander Hephaistion (Jared Leto), Roxane, his ambitious and beautiful Bactrian wife (Rosario Dawson), and his trusted general and confidant Ptolemy (Anthony Hopkins). The new film intensifies the beauty and unbelievable brutality of Alexander's pre-Christian world of social customs and morals so different from todays.
The film (now running 220mins) is presented in anamorphic widescreen with English DD5.1 Surround audio. Beyond the new introduction with director Oliver Stone there are no other confirmed extras.
The article goes on to say that we can expect an HD DVD and Blu-ray release later in 2007. Stay tuned here as we will update the specs on the set as they are announced.
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kudos to oliver stone, i always like his interpretations of each film & subject matter he do. i may not like all his films but i respect his vision. indeed alexander the great is a very complicated character & its history. i used to write about alexander the great in my thesis, & it took me a year & a half to complete it. including all angles on social science of the civilization back then. stone's move for a thrid release or version of alexander is just right. i dont know why audiences didnt like his interpretation. audiences today are so different, they just want some mindless popcorn movies. but with historic characters such as this, you really need to give it all by researching thoroughly
I did not like this movie at all. However, I jumped at the chance to review the director's cut and I am really interested in this second director's cut. I think Oliver Stone is an innovative director and if he sees the need to give us more there must be a reason. Call my interest peaked.