Malick Recuts The New World Days After Release

I read about this last week, but couldn’t quite believe it. Terrence Malick, who makes a movie about as often as the Habs win the Cup, recalled his film after it had been distributed to the cinemas to remove 15 minutes:

Will the 150-minute “New World” be seen again? The New Line publicist said your guess was as good as his, noting that the reclusive Malick – who has made only four films in his 32-year career – might well have yet another version, this one longer, for the DVD.

I wondered what had happened. I’d thought the movie had been released, but then it disappeared. Presumably Malick is something of a perfectionist. Considering the costs involved in a recall like this, the practice is unheard of in the industry.