Cameron halts 4K release of The Abyss in the UK

One 4K UHD release that movie buffs have been waiting for for a really long time is James Cameron's epic underwater thriller The abyss (1989).

After spending the last 10-15 years Avatars 1-25 The 4K release of The Abyss has been constantly delayed, but it was supposed to happen in 2024. Unfortunately only in the UK.

The film is about a group of American oil rig divers searching for a sunken nuclear submarine in the Caribbean Sea. Since the Russians are also searching for the submarine, they are working under intense time pressure. In the dark depths of the sea, they come across something completely unexpected…

Starring Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Michael Biehn, the film was technically groundbreaking with all the intense underwater scenes and impressive computer effects – while filming. It drove the cast and crew crazy.

For years, director Cameron has promised us the “definitive” version of the film as he envisioned it, but now the British film censors have halted the 4K release (in the British Isles).

For those of you who remember this masterpiece, there is a scene where scientists prove/test that humans can breathe at extreme ocean depths using liquid.

The experiment was conducted on a mouse…

This led to the British film censor, the BBFC, seeing red and stating the following:

In the UK, it is illegal to film or publish any scene that involves intentionally inflicting pain on an animal.

Therefore, Cameron and Disney have the choice of cutting the scene or canceling the new version. And for those of you who know a little about the life and career of perfectionist Cameron, it will come as no surprise that Cameron has told the BBFC to go to hell.

Disney was actually in dialogue with the BBFC, but indicated that Cameron had “The last words“.

A BBFC representative said Movie stories The scene depicts a “criminal act” and therefore would not pass censorship. Believe it or not!

Cameron stands his ground and loudly announces that the 4K release will be the definitive version of the film as he always envisioned it. The final scene in the theatrical version in particular felt like a falling point, which Cameron claims was due to production cuts due to astronomical budget overruns.

The Abyss will be released in 4K in the US on March 1, and is expected to be released in the Nordic countries around the same time.

Many online stores have it Already available for pre-order.

(born 1974): Film reviewer and CEO of Ljud & Bild. Tor has worked at L&B since 2005. During 2003-2005, he and his partner had a newspaper publisher and, among other things, a film magazine in the portfolio, an interest he brought with him to L&B. Tor got his cand.polit education from UiO but feels right at home behind the wheel of a media company.