Nightbreed: The Director's Cut Coming in October, TV Series on the Way

It's a good day to be a Nightbreed fan. Nightbreedis finally getting a director's cut. On October 28th, Scream Factory will release Nightbreed: The Director's Cutas a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. The original theatrical version of the film will be on the Blu-ray, while the actual director's cut, which features nearly an hour of lost footage, will only be available on DVD. That's alright, though...we're just excited we'll be able to see it at all.

Nightbreed is based on Cabal, a short story by Clive Barker. The film was directed by Barker, starred David Cronenberg, and boasted a score by Danny Elfman. It's a wonderfully moody horror movie that never quite seems to get the respect it deserves. Some of this may come from the fact that much of the original vision for the film didn't make it into the final cut.

Clive Barker had this to say about the upcoming release:

"This is film history and beyond my wildest dreams of realization. When Scream Factory told me that they found the NIGHTBREED film footage I was gob-smacked! This is the ultimate validation of choices made by myself and Mark Miller [of Seraphim Films] all the way back in 2008. As we embarked down the road of attempting to track down the lost footage, we looked at each other and said, 'Maybe one day they'll find it.' It's my pleasure to announce that the day has come. Speaking personally, I didn't allow myself to believe that it would. Even if we did find some footage (which we did in 2009 in the form of heavily degraded VHS tapes) and even if we did find a company willing to release the film (which we did in 2013 with Scream Factory, God bless them) the prospect of finding the actual lost film materials was remoter than I'd wanted to admit out loud. If the footage could not be found by those who had worked closest on it the same year it had been released, then what were the odds we'd be able to find anything 20 years on? But Scream Factory, in their commendable determination, kept up the search and thanks to them total reconstruction has been made a possibility. There's never been a reconstruction that's had as little chance of succeeding and yet has succeeded on as many fronts as this film has. It's unprecedented. To now have a movie that we can put together in the way that I fully intended it to be seen when I first set out to make this film in 1989 is extraordinary. The project has moved inexorably to this conclusion. Fate and the hard work of individuals such as Mark Miller, Russell Cherrington, Phil and Sarah Stokes, Occupy Midian, Morgan Creek, and ultimately, Scream Factory have made this a possibility and I could not be happier."

Additionally, Scream Factory will release a limited edition 3-disc version, which will contain additional bonus features, which haven't yet been announced. Here are the full announced details of both versions:

SPECIAL EDITION SET:
- Disc 1: Unrated Director’s Cut of the film on Blu-ray plus bonus features (details forthcoming)
- Disc 2: Unrated Director’s Cut of the film on DVD (details forthcoming)
- Slipcase includes artwork designed by Ralph McQuarrie approved by Clive Barker 

LIMITED EDITION SET (ONLY 5,000 NUMBERED SETS MADE):
- Disc 1: Unrated Director’s Cut of the film on Blu-ray
- Disc 2: The 1990 R-Rated theatrical version of the film on Blu-ray (through a special licensing agreement through Warner Bros.)
- Disc 3: EXCLUSIVE-TO-THIS-SET Bonus Blu-ray disc packed with extras (details forthcoming)
- Includes Collector’s Book with an essay and rare photos
- Slipcase includes newly-designed artwork by Joel Robinson approved by Clive Barker 

Here's a look at the box art for both versions:

The news comes courtesy of Scream Factory's Facebook page. You can pre-order Nightbreed: The Director's Cut right here.

UPDATED: Hidden away in the full press release (which we spotted courtesy of the good folks at Dread Central) is this gem of information: "Morgan Creek Television is actively developing a television series based on this film."

Wow.

A Nightbreeddirector's cut and a TV series on the way. It's like all of our prayers to the dark gods have been answered.

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