
The Returning
“An obsessive ghost love story”
Synopsis
A successful city lawyer abandons his practice and heads out to the country. There he comes upon a stately, but neglected, homestead. He moves in, and during his first night a beautiful ghostly woman makes love to him, in his sleep. Soon his dreams become more engrossing than his everyday world and girlfriend. Gradually he unravels the tragedy of his spirit lovers' past. To respond to her call, he needs to embrace the hearafter.
Top Cast
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Production Budget
$1.5M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
Pending
Total global ticket sales
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- John Day
- Screenplay & Story
- Clinton Phillips, John Day
- Original Score
- Clive Cockburn
- Original Title
- The Returning
- Country of Origin
- New Zealand
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 38m
- Production Budget
- $1.5M
- Production Studios
- New Zealand Film Commission, David Hannay Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
John Day
Clinton Phillips, John Day
Clive Cockburn
Kevin Hayward
Simon Clothier
Trishia Downie
Department Leadership Roster
John Day
Director
Clinton Phillips
Screenplay
John Day
Screenplay
Trishia Downie
Producer
Kevin Hayward
Director of Photography
Simon Clothier
Editor
Mike Becroft
Production Design
Christine West
Costume Design
Clive Cockburn
Original Music Composer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Returning.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Returning.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Returning
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Returning about?
A successful city lawyer abandons his practice and heads out to the country. There he comes upon a stately, but neglected, homestead. He moves in, and during his first night a beautiful ghostly woman makes love to him, in his sleep. Soon his dreams become more engrossing than his everyday world and girlfriend. Gradually he unravels the tragedy of his spirit lovers' past. To respond to her call, he needs to embrace the hearafter.
Who directed The Returning?
The Returning was directed by John Day.
Who stars in The Returning?
The principal cast of The Returning includes Phillip Gordon, Alison Routledge, Max Cullen, Jim Moriarty, John Ewart.
When was The Returning released and how long is it?
The Returning was released in 1990 with a total runtime of 1h 38m.
Who composed the musical score for The Returning?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Returning was composed by Clive Cockburn.
















