20th Century Fox will release theatrically a director's cut of Ridley Scott's Crusades epic "Kingdom of Heaven" on Friday, the studio said Thursday.
The film, which centers on a young Frenchman (Orlando Bloom) who discovers his destiny as a knight amid the clash between Muslims and Christians over the Holy Land a millennium ago, will unspool exclusively at the Laemmle Fairfax Theatre in Los Angeles. For the new cut, Scott added 45 minutes to the original release's 145-minute running time.
"With his new director's cut, Ridley Scott has brought an exciting new dimension to 'Kingdom of Heaven,'" Fox president of domestic distribution Bruce Snyder said. "We're delighted to bring this new version of the film to the big screen, where it belongs."
The big-budget "Kingdom of Heaven," which was released in May, did only modest business at the domestic boxoffice with a $47.4 million haul. The film, however, resonated internationally, where it earned an additional $163.6 million.
The original cut also has become a breakout hit on DVD, where it topped both the DVD sales and rental charts its first week out in October.
Tatiana Siegel writes for The Hollywood Reporter.
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