This film is a complete reimagination of Caligula (1979). 96 hours worth of never before seen footage that has been recovered many years after its release served as the basis for this new version, which was produced by author and historian Thomas Negovan. However, instead of expanding scenes with the new footage, the entire film was recut from scratch to create a unique version that doesn't contain a single frame from the original. This was done with the goal to be as close to Gore Vidal's original script as possible. Great care has been taken to select alternate footage to not only change the tone of certain scenes, but also to honour the instincts of the actors. Additonally, visual effects were used to enhance scenes and to replace the cheap sets and backgrounds. AI technology was used to restore dialogue performances that were previously unusable, since they were plagued with background noises. A new music score was also composed for this new cut of the film. Originally planned for a limited theatrical release in late 2020, this version later premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023.