Becket News From Mpi !
 

I got an e-mail from MPI that BECKET will be released in the third quarter of next year. Great news!

Great!

I was curious if MPI was still holding onto the distribution rights for this film. (They obviously lost McClintock!, which they released on VHS.)

Was there any other info about what to expect on the release? This is such a high-profile title, I'd expect MPI to include a few extras. They did right by some of those Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes films, so I'm looking forward to what they can do with this.

They have supposedly been cleaning up the audio and video on this release for something like 2 years, so expect an excellent presentation at the very least!

YES! This was pretty high up on my very long list of films not yet on DVD. Can't wait!

According to noted archivist Robert Harris, the film has been fully restored by AMPAS (including "R" rated scenes from the European cut.) Hopefully, the delay in the DVD's release has been caused by MPI negotiating with the Academy for the use of their print (like they did with UCLA for the Sherlock Holmes films.)

excellent news. thanks very much for sharing it with those of us who have been waiting for any kind of crumbs of information.

If Becket was gonna come out 3rd quarter of this year, wouldn't there have been an announcement by now?

I just read at the IMBD message board that MPI has resolved the legal issues and BECKET will now be released in the first quarter of 2007.

Peter O'Toole's performance in Becket was cited by noted late critic Judith Christ as the greatest lead performance by an actor ever committed to film at the time of it's release. A key and sadly neglected release but great news.