# Tinto Brass, Director of the X-Rated ‘Caligula,’ Dies at 93

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/tinto-brass-director-of-the-x-rated-caligula-dies-at-93/
- Published: 2026-11-04T16:38:42+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T07:40:39+00:00
- Original publisher: The Hollywood Reporter
- Original article: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/tinto-brass-dead-caligula-malcolm-mcdowell-1236747742/
- Topics: Europe, World

## Key points

- Director Tinto Brass has died aged 93.
- He directed the controversial 1979 film *Caligula*.
- *Caligula* later gained a cult following.

## Summary

Italian film director Tinto Brass, best known for the erotic historical epic *Caligula*, has died in Rome aged 93, his family announced. His career spanned avant-garde cinema and erotic films, and *Caligula* became a cult favourite despite its poor reception on release.

Starring Malcolm McDowell as the Roman emperor, *Caligula* was written by Gore Vidal and produced by Penthouse founder Bob Guccione, with Helen Mirren, Peter O’Toole and John Gielgud also in the cast. Brass and Vidal disowned the film after disputes over its production and editing; a 178-minute “ultimate cut” was shown at Cannes in 2023. Brass also won the Berlin International Film Festival’s Golden Bear for *The Howl*.

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