Caligula: The Ultimate Cut - Producer & Re-constructionist Thomas Negovan

KUCI: Film School

Now, 43 years after the 1980 release of historical epic CALIGULA, producer and reconstructionist Thomas Negovan has realized the creators' original vision with CALIGULA: THE ULTIMATE CUT, a version comprised of entirely never-before-seen footage shot in 1976. Shadowed by the murder of his entire family, the young, wary Caligula (Malcolm McDowell) eliminates his devious adoptive grandfather (Peter O'Toole) and seizes control of the declining Roman Empire, descending into a spiral of depravity, destruction, and madness. A treatise on the corrupting influence of power, this extensive reconstruction of the notorious 1980 spectacle, CALIGULA: THE ULTIMATE CUT restores the complete performances of Malcolm McDowell and Helen Mirren, as the promiscuous 'Caesonia', from an unprecedented amount of never before seen footage. Sumptuous set designs by two-time Oscar winner Danilo Donati. CALIGULA: THE ULTIMATE CUT aligns closely to Vidal's original script, especially with the addition of a prologue that illustrates one of Vidal's missing scenes, created by noted graphic artist Dave McKean (Grant Morrison’s Arkham Asylum, Neil Gaiman’s Sandman). Nearly 100 hours of original footage was discovered by the film's re-constructionist, film historian Thomas Negovan, in the Penthouse archive, which showcases astounding performances from the film’s cast, fully realizing McDowell's complex, charismatic 'Caligula' and resurrecting Mirren's layered character arc, which now cements the film's final hour. Producer & Re-constructionist Thomas Negovan joins us to talk about his own daunting journey of reviewing the hundreds of hours of footage, his decision to use an enormous amount of never before seen footage in this final cut, seeking out many the surviving cast and crew, provide an artistic context to McDowell’s performance and to give the film a chance to be seen as flawed, but wildly ambitious cinematic journey into the heart of a darkness at the rotting core of the Roman Empire. For more go to: drafthousefilms.com/caligula