STUDIOCANALhave announced that a newly restored 4K version of Anthony Harvey’s 1968 multi-Oscar® winning historical drama, THE LION IN WINTER , will be released as a UHD premiere, alongside Blu-Ray, DVD and digital from 17 th February 2025 as part of the Vintage Classics collection
Adapted for the screen by James Goldman from his own hit Broadway play, the witty and intense THE LION IN WINTERreceived widespread critical and audience acclaim on its release in 1968 and garnered Oscar® wins for Katharine Hepburn(Best Actress in a Leading Role), James Goldman(Best Adapted Screenplay), John Barry (for the film’s score) and a nomination for Anthony Harveyfor his Direction. In addition to Katharine Hepburn (Bringing up Baby, The African Queen), the film stars Peter O’Toole (Lawrence of Arabia, Venus), John Castle(Blow-Up, Man of La Mancha) and features debut film roles for both Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of The Lambs, The Remains of The Day) and Timothy Dalton (The Living Daylights, Cromwell).
England, the 12th Century, after the death of his son and heir, King Henry II (Peter O’Toole) is obsessed with finding a new successor, so summons his three remaining sons. Also summoned is his wife, the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn), who he has kept imprisoned for the last ten years. As the Royal couple scheme and cajole with their sons, their passions turn from tenderness to fury as they try to determine who should be the future King of England.
Anthony Harvey is best known for directing THE LION IN WINTER, but his film career began at an early age when he entered the industry as a child actor in 1945’s Caesar and Cleopatra. He then went on to become an editor, most notably on Kubrick's Dr Strangelove,before directing his first feature, Dutchman,in 1967.
Prior to working on THE LION IN WINTER , cinematographer Douglas Slocombe had enjoyed a hugely successful career working on Ealing films including Whisky Galore, The Lavender Hill Mob and Hue and Cryand then had a prolific career for a further two decades on a diverse array of classic films including The Italian Job , The Lady Vanishesand the original Indiana Jonestrilogy . Slocombe’s major challenge for THE LION IN WINTER was keeping a cohesive look for the film, which uses a combination of classic period sets, location and studio settings, to create an authentic 12th Century atmosphere. The use of darkness, light, shadows and colour all work together to heighten the drama.
ABOUT THE RESTORATION:
THE LION IN WINTER was scanned at 4K resolution on an Arriscan Classic Film Scanner. The restoration and colour grading were carried out at Filmfinity Productions, London. Two copies of film reels formed the sources for the restoration. The original 35mm camera negative was not in good condition; fluid marks had damaged most of the footage. The other source was the Inter Positive, which is in good condition. Comparing the two copies, the best source for each shot was determined. Digital restoration specialists used image processing tools to remove many thousands of instances of dirt, eliminate scratches, mould, film joins, flicker, and other imperfections. This restoration was particularly challenging because of a high number of tramline scratches that need to be repaired. The 2024 restoration of The Lion in Winter was carried out in 4K HDR (Dolby Vision) and managed by Mariana Ledesma and Jahanzeb Hayat for Studiocanal.
UHD, DVD & BLU-RAY EXTRAS:
NewThe Heart of a Lion: An Interview with Sir Anthony Hopkins
New Shooting Stars: An Interview with Camera Assistant Robin Vidgeon
Interview with John Castle
Interview with John Bloom
Anthony Harvey Audio Commentary
New Behind the Scenes stills gallery
New 2024 Trailer