Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola hasn’t had a new feature film since 2011’s “Twixt.” However, in 2019, the director is set to have two major film releases. No, this isn’t some sort of riddle. It’s just that Coppola has decided that two of his previous works, “Apocalypse Now” and “The Cotton Club,” are due for a restoration and re-release. And in the case of the latter, audiences will be able to check it out in just a few weeks.
As seen in the trailer for “The Cotton Club Encore,” Coppola has no only taken the time to remaster and restore his 1984 period film, but much like “Apocalypse Now: Final Cut,” the filmmaker has decided to re-edit the film, adding in new scenes and altering others, to allow for what he thinks is the best version.
“The Cotton Club Encore” is a film that follows the folks that attended the title club in 1930s Harlem. There’s not just plenty of quality jazz on display, but also a fair amount of violence, as entertainers and gangsters collide in one of New York City’s hotspots. The new cut of the film features never-before-seen scenes, as well as new musical sequences.
The film stars Richard Gere, Gregory Hines, Diane Lane, Bob Hoskins, James Remar, Nicolas Cage, and Laurence Fishburne. As mentioned, Coppola directed the film but also co-wrote the screenplay with William Kennedy.
“The Cotton Club Encore” arrives in select theaters on October 11 and on Blu-ray/DVD/digital on December 10.
Here’s the synopsis:
In this lavish, 1930s-era drama, Harlem’s legendary Cotton Club becomes a hotbed of passion and violence as the lives and loves of entertainers and gangsters collide. Now, Francis Ford Coppola’s extraordinary film is brought to vivid new life in The Cotton Club Encore. Featuring never-before-seen scenes and musical sequences that deepen and enrich the storylines, this remastered and beautifully restored version represents Coppola’s fully realized vision of The Cotton Club.
