Kill Bill was never meant to be two movies. As originally crafted by Quentin Tarantino, the roaring rampage of revenge was supposed to be a three-hour cinematic epic to be digested in one sitting, and while the film does split in half quite nicely (with Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 each having their own distinct tones), the full experience that the writer/director intended audiences to have has never made it to theaters. That’s been a sad reality for decades… but it’s finally changing later this year.
Fans have long been clamoring for a release of what has been dubbed Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, and now, at long last, it’s scheduled to happen. Lionsgate has announced that the full version of the kung-fu epic is going to be heading to theaters for the first time ever on December 5… and that’s not all! The cut is also going to include a seven-and-a-half minute animated sequence that has never been screened before.
While Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair has infrequently been shown at the theaters in Los Angeles owned by Quentin Tarantino – namely the New Beverly Cinema and The Vista – it has never gotten a proper domestic release, and that includes home video (I am keeping my fingers crossed extremely tightly that this news will eventually lead to a 4K UHD/Blu-ray package). It’s unclear from the press release exactly how many locations it will be showing in, but the announcement says that there will will be available in all major markets, and that will include presentations in both 35mm and 70mm.
Having personally seen Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair personally a few years ago, I can tell you that there are some significant and fascinating changes. For one thing, the fight with the Crazy 88 never goes to black-and-white, so you get to witness all of the carnage in vivid color. Additionally, the cliffhanger ending from Vol. 1 and the recap from Vol. 2 are both cut, which means that the audience discovers that the daughter of Uma Thurman’s The Bride is still alive at the same time that the character does.
Exactly how the new anime sequel will fit into the story is unclear, but I am certainly over-the-moon excited to find out.
This is an event that we here at CinemaBlend will definitely be keeping a close eye on in the coming months (especially as we continue to patiently wait to find out what Quentin Tarantino is going to be doing as his tenth and final film). I highly recommend that all of you mark it on your 2025 movie calendars, as the film is amazing and you’re not going to want to miss it: Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Kill Bill Vol. 2 are both incredible, but Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair is a special experience unto itself that demands to be seen.