Kevin Costner’s western hit ‘Dances With Wolves’ re-releases with extended directors cut
Kevin Costner's 'Dances With Wolves' is getting a new 4K restored director's cut, with the nearly four-hour version set to premiere at the Locarno Film Festival on August 7. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the restored edition will include more than 30 minutes of previously unseen additional material. The screening will take place at the festival’s Piazza Grande venue as part of its Histoire(s) du Cinéma section. For viewers who know the 1990 western from its theatrical release, the update offers the chance to rediscover the film as originally intended.
The 4K restoration was completed by Zurich-based laboratory Cinegrell in collaboration with the Locarno Film Festival through its Locarno Heritage project. The film’s international sales agent, K5 International, is also involved in the restoration. The Hollywood Reporter noted that the new cut will be shown on the giant screen at Piazza Grande, giving the festival audience the first look at the restored extended edition. No additional release plans have been announced.
'Dances With Wolves' marked Costner's feature directorial debut. The film follows Lt. John J. Dunbar, a Civil War soldier who develops a relationship with a group of Lakota people after being posted on the American frontier. Costner directed, produced, and starred in the movie, which also featured Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, and Rodney A. Grant. The movie also has a major awards legacy. 'Dances With Wolves' earned 12 Oscar nominations and won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Costner. Locarno is presenting the film as part of its Histoire(s) du Cinéma program, which focuses on restorations and classic screenings.
Locarno also highlighted the film’s place in Western cinema while announcing the restored cut. In a statement quoted by Variety, the festival said Costner’s western "helped redefine the western at the turn of the 1990s" and brought attention to the historical plight of Indigenous people on the American continent. The restored cut adds new material to a film that was already known for its length and scale. The Histoire(s) du Cinéma section will also include other restored and archival titles.
Safi Faye’s 1975 film 'Letter From My Village' will also screen in a newly restored version. Roger Corman’s final directorial effort, 'Frankenstein Unbound', is also part of the program. The section will additionally feature Isao Takahata’s 'Grave of the Fireflies', which will screen as part of a tribute to the late Studio Ghibli co-founder. The 79th Locarno Film Festival will run from August 5 to August 15. The full lineup will be announced on July 9. The restored director's cut is among the titles announced for the festival's Histoire(s) du Cinéma section.
