Almost 50 years since Monty Python And The Holy Grail first graced the silver screens, the comedy classic led by an ensemble cast of John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Michael Palin and Terry Jones is returning to cinemas across the U.S. this December.
First released in 1975, The Holy Grail was written by and starred the six members of Monty Python, a British comedy troupe who rose to prominence in the late 1960s through their collection of witty sketch shows on the BBC.
It’s essentially an hour-and-a-half-long sketch show disguised as a journey by King Arthur and his less-than-valiant Knights of the Round Table, who, in search of the fabled Holy Grail, encounter a series of silly obstacles along the way.
Filled with witty wordplay, non-sequiturs and some situations that are just too bizarre to even attempt to explain, Monty Python’s cult comedy The Holy Grail exists in the upper echelons of great British comedy.
WATCH The trailer for Monty Python and the Holy Grail below.
It was the group’s first foray into feature films, and almost all the characters are played by the comedians in some capacity, adding a signature style and flair to their comedic quality and delivery.
The film was essentially made on a shoestring budget, leading to some rather creative solutions to the film’s ongoing budget constraints, such as the brilliant use of coconuts in place of horse sound effects, and of course the obvious running gag of not having enough money to even finish the film.
In short, it’s bloody hilarious.
And now, 48-and-a-half years since it was first released (yes, really), 500 cinemas across the U.S. will be showing the iconic film through Iconic Events Releasing and Mercury Studios, following the unprecedented success the film enjoyed across the country.
The comedy group aren’t without their controversies, however. Earlier this year, John Cleese, one of the surviving members of Monty Python resisted pressure to remove the “Loretta” scene from one of their other famous films, The Life of Brian, that goes as follows:
“I want to be a woman. … It’s my right as a man,” one of the male characters says. “I want to have babies… It’s every man’s right to have babies if he wants them.” After Cleese’s dismissal, the character responds, “Don’t you oppress me!”
Cleese stated he had no intention of amending the script for a stage adaptation of “something there’s never been a complaint about in 40 years,” just to appease modern views, calling into question the growing desire to edit and erase media featuring outdated sensibilities.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail will be released in cinemas across the U.S. on 3 December, with additional showings scheduled for 6 December.