There aren't enough fur-lined capes in the world to prepare you for this. StudioCanal UK has just released a new trailer for the 4K Ultra release of Red Sonja the cult, camp, and very 1980s action film starring Brigitte Nielsen and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The 4K Ultra edition of the film will be released on July 18, 2022, and is currently available to pre-order. A special limited edition SteelBook will also be released.
The new trailer for the new 4K Ultra release of the 1985 film gives us a look at all the campy glory of the often underrated film. The trailer is, essentially, a soup of horse riding, sword-fighting, and candle-lit sorcery. But what else do you really need from a film? With painted backdrops of colossal skeletons, aquatic monster fights, and Schwarzenegger's signature shows of strength (he was Mr. Universe, after all), it's easy to grasp the film's very real influence on current Marvel films, especially Taika Waititi's Thor films, which rely heavily on camp aesthetics that directly reference such films as Red Sonja. Think, for example, of the giant snow monster carcass in the trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder.
Although initially dismissed as being tacky and irrelevant, it's clear that Red Sonja has made its mark on the fantasy and superhero genre. And what better way to explore this impact than to revisit one of the campiest films to come out of the action-fantasy boom of the 1980s?
Red Sonja tells the story of Sonja, played by Nielsen, a red-headed warrior who sets out to use her new and mysterious powers to avenge the death of her family. The one quirk is that she vows never to fall in love with a man who she can beat in battle. She must also stop the tyrannical Queen Gedren, who possesses a talisman that has the potential to destroy the world. On her journey, she meets Kalidor, played by Schwarzenegger, a man of mysterious strength who helps Sonja on her mission to end the Queen's reign of terror.
Red Sonja was directed by Richard Fleischer and features a soundtrack from the legendary composer Ennio Morricone. The film is based on stories by the creator of the iconic character of Conan the Barbarian, Robert E. Howard and the new edition features original artwork by artist Renato Casaro.
Red Sonja is currently available to pre-order here. The 4K Ultra edition will be released on July 18, 2022. Until then, you can see the new trailer below.