Francis Coppola’s Remastered ‘One From The Heart’ Gets Theatrical Release From Rialto Pictures

Mike Fleming Jr
·3 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

While Francis Coppola plans to set cinema alight in 2024 with his final epic Megalopolis, the Oscar-winner will begin the year with a revisit of one his most misunderstood efforts, One From The Heart. That’s the 1981 picture that Coppola threw himself into so hard, creatively and financially, that his American Zoetrope had to declare bankruptcy when it failed to draw audiences. It took Coppola years to build back his fortune with film hits and a win empire, to the current situation where he was able to self finance the $100 million+ Megalopolis.

Specialty distributor Rialto Pictures is bringing a brand-new 4K restoration of One From The Heart: Reprise to theaters on January 19. Coppola supervised the reprise cut, which will be released in New York and Los Angeles before rolling out to additional cities across the U.S. StudioCanal and Park Circus will be releasing the film in cinemas and home entertainment in the UK and Germany in early 2024.

More from Deadline

The new cut features never-before-seen footage, and brand-new titles taken directly from the original camera negative, and over 19 minutes of footage replaced with new source scans. The film stars Frederic Forrest (who worked with Coppola in The Conversation and Apocalypse Now), Teri Garr, Raul Julia, Nastassja Kinski, Lainie Kazan, and Harry Dean Stanton. Soundtrack is by Tom Waits featuring Waits and vocalist Crystal Gayle, and choreography by the legendary Gene Kelly. The soundtrack got Oscar nominated.

“I’ve always loved One from the Heart, despite the disruption it caused in my dreams for American Zoetrope,” says Coppola. “However, there is magic in cinema and while preparing this film for 4K, it was apparent I could refine the story. This new version is an improvement in many ways and I am proud of what was achieved with One from the Heart: Reprise.”

Hank (Frederic Forrest} and Frannie (Teri Garr) argue while celebrating their fifth anniversary. Yearning for a life of excitement and romance, Frannie fears that she is wasting her life on a man who shows no interest in her dreams of traveling to far-off places. The argument escalates and they break up. Heading in separate ways and taking to the streets, they both meet and spend the night with strangers. Hank with the seductive Leila (Nastassja Kinski) a runaway circus performer, and Frannie with Ray (Raul Julia), a handsome waiter who moonlights as a cocktail pianist and singer. After another show-down, Frannie says that she is leaving Hank for Ray and that they plan to escape to Bora Bora. Hank follows her to the airport in a last-ditch attempt to win her back.

“Of all the films in our library, ‘One From The Heart’ was the one I was most excited to restore. After 40 years, we can finally give the film the presentation it deserves,” says James Mockoski, Film Archivist/Restoration Supervisor for American Zoetrope.

The restoration, supervised by Coppola, was made in 4K by American Zoetrope and Roundabout Entertainment in the US. The 4K scans were lifted from the original camera negative, and great efforts have been made to add thirteen minutes of original camera negative, restoring opticals and dupe negative. The restoration was approved by Coppola himself, as six minutes of IP were added to replace the original negative that was thought to be destroyed in a flood in Rome where the negative was kept.

Pic opens January 19 at the IFC Center in New York, and Alamo DTLA in Los Angeles.

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.