This year marks the 55th anniversary of Sergio Leone’s monumental Western classic, “Once Upon A Time In The West,” a film that has etched its name into the annals of cinema history as one of the most iconic and influential movies ever made. In celebration of this landmark occasion, Paramount Home Entertainment is proud to announce the release of the film, fully restored for the very first time on 4K Ultra HD™, on May 14, 2024. This release joins the esteemed Paramount Presents line, offering cinephiles a definitive edition of this timeless saga.
The restoration process brought together the expertise of Paramount’s archive team, L’Immagine Ritrovata, and The Film Foundation, ensuring that the original 35mm Techniscope camera negative was meticulously restored. This labor of love aimed to honor the 2007 Film Foundation photochemical restoration supervised by none other than legendary director Martin Scorsese, replicating its build and color palette. The result? A 165-minute extended cut that shines in its full glory, presenting the film as it was meant to be seen.
This must-own release for every cinephile features a Limited-Edition two-disc 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray™ set, brimming with both new and legacy bonus content, and includes access to a Digital copy of the film. Viewers can expect an unparalleled home viewing experience, with the film presented in Dolby Vision™* and HDR-10, accompanied by English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English Restored Mono Dolby Digital.
The Blu-ray Disc™ is packed with enriching bonus content:
- Commentary by the Hosts of the Spaghetti Western Podcast – A NEW addition!
- A Look Back with Leonard Maltin—Another NEW feature!
- Insightful commentary featuring directors John Carpenter, John Milius & Alex Cox, film historians Sir Christopher Frayling & Dr. Sheldon Hall, alongside cast and crew.
- Engaging documentaries including “An Opera of Violence,” “The Wages of Sin,” “Something To Do With Death,” and “Railroad: Revolutionising the West.”
- A “Locations Then & Now” gallery, along with a Production Gallery and Theatrical Trailer.
“Once Upon A Time In The West” is not just a film; it’s a cinematic legacy, selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2009 for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance. Starring Claudia Cardinale, Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, and Charles Bronson, the film narrates an epic tale of greed, honor, and revenge in the dying days of the Old West, centered around a struggle to control water in a desert town.