Lucio Fulci's The Black Cat Is Finally Coming to 4K, Courtesy of Severin Films
By Lio Renwick
Severin Films is releasing Lucio Fulci's The Black Cat (1981) on 4K UHD this June as a three-disc collection pairing one UHD disc with two Blu-rays. The release marks the worldwide UHD premiere of the film, presented in 4K for the first time ever and newly restored and scanned from the original camera negative.
The Black Cat is a horror film co-written and directed by Fulci between City of the Living Dead and The Beyond. Loosely drawn from Edgar Allan Poe, it sits alongside the Italian gialli of the period that have lately been finding their way to 4K. Set in a rural English village, it follows an increasingly deranged professor obsessed with the supernatural who instills his pet feline with powers of homicidal mayhem. Patrick Magee (A Clockwork Orange, Asylum) takes the lead in his final starring role, with Mimsy Farmer (Four Flies on Grey Velvet), David Warbeck (The Beyond), Al Cliver (Zombie), and Dagmar Lassander (Hatchet for the Honeymoon) rounding out the cast.
The new restoration was scanned in 4K from the original camera negative and is presented in 2160p at an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Audio is offered in English Mono and Italian Mono, with closed captions and English subtitles available across the 92-minute feature. Sergio Salvati (The Psychic) handled cinematography, Paolo Ricci (Eaten Alive) the special effects, and Pino Donaggio (Don't Look Now, Carrie) the score.
The three discs hold more than three hours of special features, most of them newly produced for this collection. The UHD disc includes the theatrical trailer alongside the feature. The first Blu-ray pairs the film with four interviews: "Mr. Poe And Me" with screenwriter Biagio Proietti, "Of Bats And Cats" with special effects artist Paolo Ricci, "Nine Lives" with camera operator Roberto Forges Davanzati, and "Symphony For A Black Cat" with composer Pino Donaggio. The trailer appears here as well.
A second Blu-ray is given over entirely to supplements. "Frightened Dagmar" is a career interview with actress Dagmar Lassander, while "From Poe Into Fulci: The Spirit Of Perverseness" features Stephen Thrower, author of Beyond Terror: The Films Of Lucio Fulci. The disc also brings together an archival interview, "At Home With David Warbeck," and a locations featurette titled "In The Paw-Prints Of The Black Cat." The set comes in a slipcase illustrated by Elizabeth Yoo Art.
The Black Cat is region free and goes on sale June 26, 2026 during the Severin Summer Sale 2026, which begins the same day.
Physical media enthusiast covering Blu-ray & 4K UHD releases.