‘Apocalypse Now: Final Cut’ Release Date Revealed for Both Theaters and 4K Blu-ray

April 30, 2019

Francis Ford Coppola‘s Apocalypse Now has been released (and unreleased) in various forms. But the filmmaker recently put together what he considers to be the final cut, and screened it at the Tribeca Film Festival. If you were unable to attend Tribeca, and still want to witness what Coppola has in store, you’re in luck: an Apocalypse Now: Final Cut release date has been set for both theaters and Blu-ray the summer.

“When asked which version I personally wanted to be shown, I often felt that the original 1979 was too abruptly shortened, and Redux was too long, and settled on what I now felt was the perfect version, which is what we’re showing at Tribeca later this month, called Apocalypse Now Final Cut.” So said director Francis Ford Coppola when news of the Final Cut first broke. The film screened at Tribeca this week, and now, a wider release is on the way.

First, Apocalypse Now: The Final Cut will hit theaters on August 15. Then, on August 27, the film will arrive on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (4K disc, plus three Blu-ray discs and Digital copy) and on Digital 4K Ultra HD for the first time ever. This cut was restored from the original negative, and will use Dolby Vision HDR, which can “deliver spectacular colors never before seen on a screen, highlights that are up to 40 times brighter, and blacks that are 10 times darker.”

In Coppola’s own words, this new version “looks better than it has ever looked, and sounds better than it has ever sounded.”

Apocalypse Now is Coppola’s epic, sprawling take on Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness, transporting the action from the 1890s to the middle of the Vietnam War. Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is tasked with finding, and killing, an American colonel (Marlon Brando) who has gone insane and taken over a remote outpost.

The Blu-ray 4-disc Apocalypse Now Final Cut set also includes the film’s Theatrical Cut and Extended Cut (Redux), as well as the acclaimed Hearts of Darkness documentary. A wealth of special features will be included, along with a recorded version of Coppola’s Tribeca conversation with filmmaker Steven Soderbergh. The full list of features is below.

4K UHD SPECIAL FEATURES

- Audio Commentary by Director Francis Ford Coppola

BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES

Disc One
- Audio Commentary by Director Francis Ford Coppola
Disc Two
- An Interview with John Milius
- A Conversation with Martin Sheen and Francis Ford Coppola
- “Fred Roos: Casting Apocalypse” Featurette
- The Mercury Theatre on the Air: Heart of Darkness – November 6, 1938
- “The Hollow Men” Featurette
- Monkey Sampan “Lost Scene”
- Additional Scenes
- “Destruction of the Kurtz Compound” End Credits (with Non-Optional Audio Commentary by Francis Ford Coppola)
- “The Birth of 5.1 Sound” Featurette
- “Ghost Helicopter Flyover” Sound Effects Demonstration
- “The Synthesizer Soundtrack” Article by Bob Moog
- “A Million Feet of Film: The Editing of Apocalypse Now” Featurette
- “Heard Any Good Movies Lately? The Sound Design of Apocalypse Now” Featurette
- “The Final Mix” Featurette
- “2001 Cannes Film Festival: Francis Ford Coppola” Featurette
- “PBR Streetgang” Featurette
- “The Color Palette of Apocalypse Now” Featurette
- Disc Credits
Disc Three
- Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse (with Optional Audio Commentary by Francis and Eleanor Coppola)
- NEW: Tribeca Film Festival Q&A with Francis Ford Coppola and Steven Soderbergh
- NEW: Never-Before-Seen B-Roll Footage
- John Milius Script Excerpt with Francis Coppola Notes (Still Gallery)
- Storyboard Collection
- Photo Archive
  - Unit Photography
  - Mary Ellen Mark Photography
- Marketing Archive
  - 1979 Teaser Trailer
  - 1979 Theatrical Trailer
  - 1979 Radio Spots
  - 1979 Theatrical Program
  - Lobby Card and Press Kit Photos
  - Poster Gallery
  - Apocalypse Now Redux Trailer