The Producers at 50: Classic comedy gets 4K restoration and will screen in cinemas for one day only

Mel Brooks' classic comedy celebrates its 50th anniversary this year

One of the greatest comedies ever made is returning to cinemas for one day only.

Mel Brooks' 1967 satire The Producers celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with a 4K re-release, which will be broadcast in cinemas on 5 August only, alongside a special introduction by Mel Brooks from Turner Classic Movies.

The film marked Brooks' directorial debut - he then went on to make the likes of Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, and Spaceballs - and though its premiere ended in disaster, with the studio considering shelving the project, Peter Sellers managed to see the film and placed an ad in Variety in support of it getting a wider release.

It opened to mixed reviews from critics, though it landed Brooks with an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and has grown in reputation ever since. In 1996, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry, and in 2001 it placed 11th on the AFI's list of greatest comedies.

Starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, the film follows a washed-up producer and his highly-anxious accountant, who attempt to defraud Broadway by overselling shares in a show so terrible it will close after opening night - leaving the pair free to pocket the money raised and flee the country. You can also check out the new poster for the release below.

(StudioCanal)

It was later adapted by Brooks into a Broadway musical in 2001, with a film based on the musical released in 2005, starring Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, and Uma Thurman.

The Producers will be released in UK cinemas for one day only on 5 August, and then on DVD/Blu-ray/EST on 20 August.

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