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Director Ridley Scott’s director’s cut of his vastly underrated epic Kingdom of Heaven was previously just available on DVD, but thankfully 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has corrected that omission. On October 7, the Kingdom of Heaven: Ultimate Edition Blu-ray, which features the director’s cut, the director’s cut roadshow version, and the original theatrical version, will be available for purchase by eager consumers (including myself).
The Kingdom of Heaven’s director’s cut is one of Ridley Scott’s finest hours as a filmmaker. With more time to work with, Scott delves deeper into Balian’s (Orlando Bloom) backstory, thus making Balian’s transition from a wide eyed blacksmith to a brave warrior in the Crusades much more believable (the theatrical version gives Balian’s journey a much more forced and truncated feel).
The nine hours worth of Special features on the ultimate edition include: an introduction from Ridley Scott, Roadshow commentary with Orlando Bloom, Ridley Scott, and writer William Monahan, world premiere footage, and numerous featurettes.
During the interviews for Sympathy for Delicious, I asked Orlando Bloom about his experience working on Kingdom of Heaven, and he talked about how the epic will stand the test of time.
“It was amazing to work on the film and the director’s cut is – I really think it puts (epic films) to bed. It was amazing and I loved it. It’s funny, I think Ridley had that experience with Blade Runner . . . and I think Kingdom of Heaven will stand the test of time in many ways…“
To hear Orlando Bloom’s full answer regarding Kingdom of Heaven, click on the media bar below (Juliette Lewis is also heard in the clip):