Keanu Reeves Seeks Peace in 4K Restoration Trailer for Bernardo Bertolucci’s Little Buddha

As Keanu Reeves plans a reunion with Sandra Bullock, it’s an opportune time to revisit one of his early career gems. Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1993 drama Little Buddha, starring the actor as Siddhartha, has been restored in 4K by Cinecitta from the separation masters under the supervision of cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. With a theatrical set beginning on May 9 in NYC at IFC Center, and May 16 in LA at Laemmle Glendale, with a national expansion to select cities to follow, Kino Lorber has now unveiled the new trailer and poster.

Here’s the synopsis: “Drawing on Buddhist history to weave a metaphor about the tragedy of Tibetans in exile, Little Buddha is Bernardo Bertolucci’s stunning follow-up to The Sheltering Sky. In this religious tour-de-fource, a Buddhist monk, Lama Norbu (Ying Ruocheng), believes that a 10-year-old American boy, Jesse (Alex Wiesendanger), is the reincarnation of his spiritual teacher, Lama Dorje. Jesse’s father, Dean (Chris Isaak, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me), and mother, Lisa (Bridget Fonda, Jackie Brown), are skeptical, but following his business partner’s suicide, a transformed Dean relents and allows his son to travel to Bhutan. However, there are two other children whom the monk thinks may also be the reincarnation of Lama Dorje. Featuring Keanu Reeves as Siddhartha.”

See the trailer and poster (with art by Renato Casaro) below, along with our conversation about Reeves’ most overlooked films on The B-Side.