One of Orson Welles' movies,The Other Side Of The Wind, took almost five decades to make before it was released on Netflix in 2018. Welles is widely considered one of the most significant filmmakers in American history, withclassic titles such asThe Trial,Touch of Evil, andCitizen Kane, which is often considered one of the best films ever made. WhileThe Other Side of The Windisn’t often considered one ofWelles' best movies, it will forever be his last.
The Other Side of the Windwas the last official directing effort made by Welles, which was largely considered unfinished until its long-awaited release in 2018. The movie was constructed mostly after Welles' death in 1985 and consists of several instances ofcinema verité style documentary footage that combines with Welles' masterful directorial style. It was certainly Welles' most modern film due to its release date and the fact that it was mostly shot during the 1970s.
Orson Welles Started Filming The Other Side Of The Wind In 1970, But It Didn’t Release Until 2018
Production began in 1970 and continued sporadically until 1976
The Other Side of The Windstars John Huston, Bob Random, Peter Bogdanovich, Susan Strasberg, and Oja Kodar. Welles didn’t make many movies after the late 1960s but did start production onThe Other Side of The Windin 1970. The film follows a “film-within-a-film” format that followsJohn Huston’s character, an aging Hollywood film directorlikely inspired by Welles himself. Initial production began in 1970 and continued sporadically until 1976.
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Based on its subject matter mixed with its posthumous release date in 2018,The Other Side of The Windis Welles' most personal and melancholic “fictional” feature film.The Other Side of the Windpremiered at the 75th Venice International Film Festival on June 22, 2025. and received mostly critical praise,earning a score of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. It was eventually released on Netflix on August 03, 2025 along with a documentary on Welles titledThey’ll Love Me When I’m Deaddirected by Oscar winner Morgan Neville.
The Other Side Of The Wind Holds The Record For The Longest Movie Production Cycle - Why It Took So Long
It was one of Welles' several personally funded films
The Other Side of The Windnever came to fruition during Welles' filmmaking career due to a number of struggles and obstacles regarding funding, legal issues, and political complications. After production had wrapped in 1976, Welles placed the film on the back burner and worked on projects such as the 1978 documentaryFilming Othello, which would be his final project before his death in 1985.
The Other Side of The Wind, which is streaming on Netflix, is one of two Welles films released posthumously along with 1992’sDon Quixote. It was one of Welles' personally funded films, which also explains its complicated and lengthy production process.
The Other Side of the Wind
Cast
The Other Side of the Wind is a posthumously completed film directed by Orson Welles. It follows the final days of a legendary filmmaker named J.J. “Jake” Hannaford, played by John Huston, as he struggles to complete his final project. The film, noted for its complex narrative and self-referential style, offers an exploration of Hollywood’s changing landscape in the 1970s.
