When will Quentin Tarantino’s four-hour ‘Kill Bill’ cut be available on streaming? Here's everything we know
'Kill Bill' fans have every reason to celebrate. Quentin Tarantino's mammoth four-and-a-half-hour cut, 'Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair', combines 'Kill Bill: Vol. 1' (2003) and 'Kill Bill: Vol. 2' (2004). The extended cut, completed in 2006, was screened rarely. The good news is that Lionsgate is making it available to watch at home, and the martial arts actioner hits digital on February 17.
Per Apple TV, the Uma Thurman-starrer is available to pre-order for $19.99. At the time of writing, the film's release status is unknown. Also, Prime Video is uncertain. The streamer already carries both films, and now it remains to be seen how 'The Whole Bloody Affair' changes things. For those unaware, the 'Kill Bill' volumes were always meant to be watched as one film. However, the duration and focus on Uma Thurman's Beatrix Kiddo, a.k.a. The Bride, meant it was better as a two-parter.
'Kill Bill' follows The Bride, a deadly assassin who intends to leave her violent past behind upon finding out she is pregnant. But her allies conspire to kill her and leave her on the brink of death. Years later, she sets out for revenge to kill them all, culminating with the death of her former lover, Bill (David Carradine).
The official logline reads, "Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair' unites Volume 1 and Volume 2 into a single, unrated epic--presented exactly as he intended, complete with a new, never-before-seen anime sequence. Uma Thurman stars as The Bride, left for dead after her former boss and lover, Bill, ambushes her wedding rehearsal, shooting her in the head and stealing her unborn child. To exact her vengeance, she must first hunt down the four remaining members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad before confronting Bill himself."
In his interview with The Quentin Tarantino Archives, the director explained the differences between his cut and the final cut. "We’ve actually added some things to it. We did a whole little chapter that I wrote and designed for the animated sequence, that we never did, because we figured, back when it was gonna be one big movie, it was going to be too long, so we didn’t do it. So when we were talking about re-releasing it, they asked if there was anything you could put in, and I said 'No, I put everything in there', but… there’s one sequence that we wouldn’t even have to shoot! So we got together with Production IG and did it, and it’s really cool. So it’s this little seven-minute sequence, it’s really cool, it’s in the O-Ren chapter."
Over the years, the 'Kill Bill' series of films has gone on to become cult classics. Known for its vibrancy, high-octane fight sequences, and rich tribute to anime and spaghetti westerns, the film has been a hit with audiences while also serving as a staple of film studies in film schools. Thurman's acting chops received positive responses from critics. The films were also commercial successes, raking in $180.9 million and $152.3 million worldwide. While 'The Whole Bloody Affair' made just $6.3 million at the worldwide box office, it was mostly from fans who wanted to catch the Tarantino cut.
