Anthony Harvey's classic film The Lion in Winter starring Peter O'toole, Katharine Hepburn, and the silver screen debuts of both Anthony Hopkins and Timothy Dalton is coming to 4K UHD and Blu-ray as part of StudioCanal's Vintage Classics collection on February 17.
With a screenplay by James Goldman from his own hit Broadway play, the critically-acclaimed The Lion In Winter won Academy Awards for Katharine Hepburn (Best Actress in a Leading Role), James Goldman (Best Adapted Screenplay), John Barry (for the film's score) and received a nomination for Anthony Harvey for his Direction. The new 4K UHD and Blu-ray releases will also feature new bonus material including an interview with Anthony Hopkins.
England, the 12th Century, after the death of his son and heir, King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) is obsessed with finding a new successor, so summons his three remaining sons. Also summoned is his wife, the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn), who he has kept imprisoned for the last ten years. As the Royal couple scheme and cajole with their sons, their passions turn from tenderness to fury as they try to determine who should be the future King of England.
The Lion in Winter - StudioCanal Vintage Classics 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
THE LION IN WINTER was scanned at 4K resolution on an Arriscan Classic Film Scanner. The restoration and colour grading were carried out at Filmfinity Productions, London. Two copies of film reels formed the sources for the restoration. The original 35mm camera negative was not in good condition; fluid marks e damaged most of the footage. The other source was the Inter Positive, which is in good condition. Comparing the two copies, the best source for each shot was determined. Digital restoration specialists used image processing tools to remove many thousands of instances of dirt, eliminate scratches, mould, film joins, flicker, and other imperfections. This restoration was particularly challenging because of a high number of tramline scratches that need to be repaired. The 2024 restoration of The Lion in Winter was carried out in 4K HDR (Dolby Vision) and managed by Mariana Ledesma and Jahanzeb Hayat for Studiocanal
The Lion in Winter - StudioCanal Vintage Classics
New The Heart of a Lion: An Interview with Sir Anthony Hopkins
New Shooting Stars: An Interview with Camera Assistant Robin Vidgeon