Overview
- Field says Kubrick died six days after showing the cut to Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, and Warner Bros. executives, describing it as “Stanley’s first cut.”
- Warner Bros. has long said the delivered version was final, noting only the later addition of digital figures to one sequence to secure an R rating.
- Nicole Kidman has stated in interviews that Kubrick was very happy with the edit and was not planning to rework it.
- Criterion has released a new 4K restoration, reported as emphasizing film grain and approved in part by cinematographer Larry Smith, prompting renewed scrutiny.
- No official revision has altered the record, though Kubrick’s history of post-release changes to earlier films frames doubts about whether the 1999 screening reflected his final intentions.