Excalibur (1981)

Forget the subpar 2011 release from Warner Bros. This is a 4K restoration from the original 35mm negative, available February 24, 2026.


3 DISC 4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• Brand new 4K restoration from the original 35mm negative by Arrow Films presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1 for the first time on home video
• Contains both the 141 minute Theatrical Cut and the 120 minute TV Version of the film
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Reversible sleeve featuring two original artwork options
• Collectors perfect bound booklet containing writing by Charlie Brigden, K.A. Laity, Kimberly Lindbergs, Josh Nelson, Philip Kemp, John Reppion, Icy Sedgwick and Jez Winship
• Double sided fold out poster featuring two original artwork options
• Six postcard sized reproduction art cards


DISC 1 FEATURE (4K ULTRA HD BLU RAY)

• 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu ray presentation of the 141 minute Theatrical Cut
• Restored original lossless mono and DTS HD MA 5.1 audio options
• Brand new audio commentary by Brian Hoyle, author of The Cinema of John Boorman
• Brand new audio commentary by filmmaker David Kittredge, director of Boorman and the Devil
• Archive audio commentary by director John Boorman


DISC 2 EXTRAS (BLU RAY)

• The Making of Excalibur: Myth into Movie, a never before released 48 minute documentary directed by Neil Jordan during the production of Excalibur
• To Be a Knight and Follow a King, a newly filmed interview with director John Boorman and actor Charley Boorman
• When Death Was but a Dream, a newly filmed interview with creative associate Neil Jordan
• The Charm of Making, a newly filmed interview with production designer Anthony Pratt
• Confessions of a Professional “Pain in the ass”, a newly filmed interview with 2nd unit director Peter MacDonald
• Anam Cara, a new featurette on the working friendship of John Boorman and co writer Rospo Pallenberg featuring a newly filmed interview with Pallenberg
• Divided Nature, a brand new featurette by film historians Howard S. Berger and Kevin Marr
• Trailers
• Image galleries


DISC 3 BONUS (LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE BLU RAY)

• High Definition (1080p) Blu ray presentation of the 120 minute TV Version of the film, previously unavailable on home video
• Original lossless mono audio
• Excalibur: Behind the Movie, a 50 minute retrospective documentary in which cast and crew look back on the making of the film

Dr.Retarded said:

Oliver Harper did a review about it not long ago:

Click to expand...

Saw the Oliver Harper review as well, where he recommends sticking with the mono track.
From what people are saying, the multichannel audio seems to be carried over from the 2011 Warner release, while the mono represents the original theatrical mix.
So mono is technically the more authentic option, although there are still some conflicting reports from reviewers regarding the overall quality of the multichannel track.