Penthouse International Pictures to Premiere 'Ultimate Cut' of 'Caligula' at Cannes

Penthouse International Pictures to Premiere 'Ultimate Cut' of 'Caligula' at Cannes

CANNES, France — Penthouse International Pictures will premiere an “entirely re-imagined” version of the 1980 erotic cult classic “Caligula” at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The news was confirmed to XBIZ by Thomas Negovan, producer of “Caligula — The Ultimate Cut.” Negovan has been helming the project for the past four years, working with rights-holders WGCZ and New Orleans-based Penthouse Global Licensing/Kirkendoll Management.

“Caligula — The Ultimate Cut” will be brought to Cannes by Paris-based indie film sales company Goodfellas. Bac Films will release the film in France.

Known as “Caligula MMXX” before the COVID pandemic delayed its unveiling, the new version was painstakingly assembled by Negovan and his team.

A video describing the restoration of the original footage was released by the filmmakers last month.

Negovan told XBIZ that “Caligula” star Malcolm McDowell “has said for 40 years that the edit that was released in 1980 bears no resemblance to the movie he and the other actors believed they were making, and that he knows that despite what the world got to see, they had made a good film.

“I’m excited that, after being the stuff of legend for decades, an edit that shows the movie as it was originally filmed will premiere this month,” Negovan added. “And the world will see that he was right: Helen Mirren is radiant, McDowell is at the peak of his powers, and it’s opening a time capsule to see them in footage no human eyes have seen.”

Negovan, who also heads the Century Guild art gallery, said he felt humbled and honored that the Cannes festival was impressed enough with his team’s work to make the movie an official selection.

An Erotic Cult Classic Reborn

In 2021 Negovan described to Fangoria the surprise Penthouse’s new owners experienced a few years ago, when they realized they had also purchased a warehouse that housed all of the surviving material from the beleaguered “Caligula” production.

“It was like the ending of ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’” he said. “Huge stacked boxes of original camera negatives, 11,000 black-and-white photos, 16 mm footage of everything that happened behind the scenes. I knew that with this material we could find out if Malcolm was telling the truth. There was incredible acting in those reels. More interesting than the film itself is the story of the making of the film. Honestly, looking at how it’s shaping up, I don’t think there’s a single frame from the original that is in our new version.”

Negovan’s restoration team had to somehow reconcile the contradictory multiple visions of screenwriter Gore Vidal, director Tinto Brass, and producer and Penthouse mogul Bob Guccione — a collision that ultimately doomed the film when it was eventually released in 1980.

One of the reasons the film was so controversial in 1980 was that acclaimed writer Gore Vidal disowned the final film. An expert on classical Greece and Rome, Vidal faithfully based his screenplay on the writings of Roman author Suetonius, but investors demanded that more explicit sex scenes be edited into the carefully plotted narrative.

Suetonius described Caligula’s reign as an orgy of violence and corruption, presided over by a completely unstable leader prone to sudden mood swings and tyrannical stunts. Caligula’s shenanigans depicted in the film include appointing his horse as a senator, building a brothel and forcing the wives of rival senators to work there, executing people on a whim with elaborate torture devices, disappearing from the palace without warning and, most infamously, crashing a friend’s wedding night to deflower the young bride before fisting the groom.

Negovan noted that original director Tinto Brass’s style in the theatrically released edit would have been too singular to emulate, necessitating a different strategy.

“It’s such a clear personal style and I felt it would be disrespectful to try to recreate it inauthentically,” he explained. “To me, the most respectful approach to this story was not to go the avant-garde cult film approach, which is what Tinto would do, but to acknowledge its incredibly powerful narrative that Gore Vidal etched out — to try not to impose any opinions beyond service to the intended story, because it’s not our art.”

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Ashby Winter Performs Her 1st DP in Finale of VMG Cross-Site 'In Vogue' Sequel

Ashby Winter performs her first DP alongside Dimitri Shadow and Troy Francisco in the final scene from Vixen Media Group (VMG) cross-site feature "In Vogue 2."

Addison Vodka on Playing Nice - and Playing Rough

‘It’s such a funny story,” says Addison Vodka, tossing her long, beachy blonde waves over her shoulder. “I discovered that my boyfriend at the time was using camming websites behind my back. So I was like, ‘Well, if you’re going to go on there, then I’m just going to go on there.’”

Rana Katana Stars in Latest From TransAngels

Rana Katana stars with Raj and Ram Sivan in the latest release from TransAngels, titled “Submissive Hookah Slut.”

Ana Foxxx Returns to Elegant Angel for 'A Night Out'

Ana Foxxx stars with Chad Alva in the new release from Elegant Angel, titled “A Night Out.”

Scarlett Alexis, Chloe Surreal Topline 'Lesbian Stunners 2' From Lesbian X

Scarlett Alexis and Chloe Surreal headline the second volume of "Lesbian Stunners" from X Empire studio brand Lesbian X.

'Golden Age' Director Paul Thomas Passes Away at 76

Legendary adult filmmaker Paul Thomas has passed away after spending most of his life in the porn business. He was 76.

Pure Taboo Debuts Seth Gamble Thriller 'Father's Day'

Coco Lovelock stars with Dick Chibbles in the latest thriller from Pure Taboo, titled “Father’s Day.”

Ricky's Room Signs Baby Gemini to 1-Year Deal

Ricky’s Room has signed Baby Gemini to a non-exclusive, multi-scene contract for one year.

Angela White, Payton Preslee Topline Latest From Brazzers

Multi-XMAs winner Angela White and Payton Preslee star with Mick Blue in the latest release from Brazzers, titled “Sharing The Ultimate Pleasure.”

Penny Barber Leads Latest From MYLF

Reigning XMAs MILF Performer of the Year Penny Barber stars with Ken Feels in the latest release from MYLF, titled "50 Shades of Milf."

Show More