Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the sewers, two classic creature features are coming to4K Blu-ray. 101 Films is releasing a set ofAlligator(1980) and its sequel,Alligator II: The Mutation.
The set will feature a 4K transfer ofAlligator, available in both its theatrical and TV cuts, as well as a Blu-ray restoration of its direct-to-video 1991 sequel,Alligator II: The Mutation. The set will include a number of special features, including interviews with directorLewis Teague, screenwriterJohn Sayles, cast membersRobin RikerandKane Hodder— and evenBryan Cranston, who worked as a production assistant on the first film, stuffing fake innards into an alligator prop for the film’s explosive climax. It will also feature trailers, teasers, and TV spots, as well as all-new cover art. The set will retail for $43 USD and can be preordered on101 Films' website. It will be released on July 18, 2025.
What Happens in ‘Alligator’ and ‘Alligator II’?
One of the many creature-on-the-rampage films that sprung up in the wake ofJaws,Alligatorstarts when a baby alligator gets flushed down into the sewers. Feeding off lab animals illegally dumped by an unethical corporation, the gator grows to an enormous size and soon begins feeding on the city’s human population. Only a luckless cop (Jackie Brown’sRobert Forster) and a reptile expert (Riker) have any chance of stopping the creature. Written by Sayles, who also wrote the similarPiranhaand would go on to write and direct films likeEight Men OutandLone Star, and directed by Teague, who would burnish his horror bonafides withCujoandCat’s Eye,Alligatoris a superior monster flick, with a clever script, fun effects work, and a seasoned cast.
Made for $1.75 million USD, the film was a hit, grossing over $6 million. Its belated sequel,Alligator II: The Mutation, takes a more tongue-in-cheek approach as it largely rehashes the plot of the original. It features a number of genre stalwarts in its cast, includingJoseph Bologna(Transylvania 6-5000),Dee Wallace(The Howling),Steve Railsback(Lifeforce),Brock Peters(Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), andJason Voorheeshimself,Kane Hodder.
Alligators and crocodiles are a staple of monster movies, from the ’50s b-movie chillerThe Alligator PeopletoTobe Hooper’sTexas Chainsaw Massacrefollow-upEaten Alive, to the ’90s horror comedyLake Placid. A recent entry in the genre wasAlejandre Aja’sCrawl, which wasQuentin Tarantino’s favorite movie of 2019.
TheAlligator/Alligator IIset will be released on August 11, 2025. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates, and watch the classic trailer forAlligatorbelow.
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