By Jon Donnis
Severin Films has announced the worldwide UHD premiere of Zulu Dawn, Douglas Hickox's 1979 war film and the prequel to the 1964 classic Zulu. The film has been given a new 4K digital remaster and will return to cinemas on 13 March 2026.
The cast brings together some of the most recognisable names of its era. Burt Lancaster, known for Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, stars alongside Peter O'Toole of Lawrence of Arabia. They are joined by Simon Ward, who appeared in The Three Musketeers, and Bob Hoskins, remembered for The Long Good Friday.
A special preview screening will take place at Southampton Harbour Lights on 25 February 2026. The event will include an introduction and a question and answer session with Ian Knight, regarded as the UK's leading historian of the Anglo Zulu War.
The nationwide cinema release follows on 13 March 2026 in a new edition scanned in 4K from the interpositive. A UK physical release is scheduled for 25 May 2026, with further details still to come.
Zulu Dawn is set in January 1879. Officials from the British colony of Natal issued a list of ultimatums to the Zulu Nation. When the Zulu King refused to accept the terms, the Empire declared war. What followed was a series of serious tactical mistakes. A garrison of 1,500 British soldiers faced 25,000 Zulu warriors, in what became the most devastating disaster in British military history.