Next year you can finally see an early film classic the way it was originally intended to be seen. According to The Digital Bits, a new DVD and Blu-Ray version of the 1927 film Metropolis will be released in 2009 that will include previously-lost footage that was discovered yearlier this year and made public last week.

The footage was discovered by the curator of the Museo del Cine in Buenos Aires, Argentina in January. According to ZEIT Online, Paramount severely edited Franz's original long version of the film and when Lang screened the film in Argentina in 1928, the footage, in the original 16mm negatives, passed through several hands before being donated to Museo del Cine in 1992. When the museum's new curator took over in January, upon viewing the filmm with the lost footage, it was discovered that about 25% of the original film had been lost for 80 years.

The footage is apparently not in terrific shape but still can be restored. Home video distributor Kino is planning a re-release of the film on DVD and Blu-Ray sometime next year, but not much else is known aside from that. We'll be sure to keep you updated on this unique story as we get more information.

Metropolis was released January 1st, 1927 and stars Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Fritz Rasp, Theodor Loos, Erwin Biswanger, Heinrich George, Brigitte Helm. The film is directed by Fritz Lang.