Hammer Films has announced that its first ever colour feature, The Men of Sherwood Forest, will be the next film from the archives to receive a 4K UHD release. The film swashbuckles onto home entertainment and makes its worldwide 4K debut with a Limited Collector’s Edition, available to pre-order now.
Directed with verve by Val Guest (Quatermass), starring Hollywood actor Don Taylor (Stalag 17), and scored by Doreen Carwithen, this landmark release marks Hammer’s first Robin Hood adventure. Shot on luminous Eastmancolor stock, it’s a vivid slice of British film history brought back to life. And that’s just the beginning.
Watch a new trailer for the film’s 4K upgrade in the player below:
The Men of Sherwood Forest Limited Collector’s Edition is packed with treasures including exclusive documentaries, expert commentaries, rare archival material, a richly illustrated booklet and deluxe packaging.
For Hammer fans, collectors, and lovers of British film history, this release is a true milestone: the studio’s first foray into colour, restored and definitive at last. It not only revives a Hammer Films classic but reaffirms the studio’s commitment to restoring its cinematic treasures for today’s film enthusiasts and dedicated film collectors worldwide.
The Men of Sherwood ForestLimited Collector’s Editiondetails:
- 4K UHD & 2 Blu-rays – The film is presented across UHD and two Blu-rays, housed in a stylish premium digipak. Both formats include the original mono and a new 5.1 surround mix.
- A Hidden Gem: Wolfshead (1969) – Alongside the main feature comes Wolfshead, a rarely seen TV pilot turned feature film, newly restored in 4K. Also included is the original VHS version for a striking restoration comparison.
- Deluxe Collector’s Packaging – The set comes in a premium slipcase and digipak, with a richly illustrated booklet of new essays by Hammer experts. A gallery of stills, publicity material, and selections from Carwithen’s score complete the edition.
There’s a host of exclusive new features:
- Sherwood’s Secret Weapon: Composer and author Neil Brand discusses Doreen Carwithen’s memorable score.
- Swashbuckler: Hammer was no stranger to derring-do and revisited both Sherwood Forest and the wider swashbuckling genre throughout the 1950s and ’60s. Journalist Barry Forshaw and others revisit their favourites.
- A Welcome Guest: Film historian and writer Neil Sinyard examines the film’s legacy and its director, the much-lauded Val Guest.
- New commentaries on both films: The Men of Sherwood Forest with writer, journalist and researcher David Huckvale and Wolfshead with writer and podcaster and Tim Worthington.
- Archival interview with director John Hough: Hough’s career-long interview covers his early work on TV and how it resulted in his directing Wolfshead.
1194. Richard the Lionheart is held prisoner in Germany while his wicked brother John plots to steal the throne. Then, a courier carrying the plans for Richard’s return is murdered in Sherwood – and the blame is placed firmly on Robin Hood. Also starring Reginald Beckwith (Thunderball, Sword of Lancelot,Curse of the Demon), Eileen Moore (An Inspector Calls, The Green Man), Douglas Wilmer (The Right Person), Harold Lang (The Quatermass Xperiment), Ballard Berkeley (TV’s Fawlty Towers), Bernard Bresslaw (The Ugly Duckling, Carry On franchise) and Patrick Holt (Ivanhoe, The Blue Lamp).
The Men of Sherwood Forest is available to pre-order now from the Hammer Films website.
