The workprint of "Heavy Metal" mainly consists of raw animation footage and storyboards, but also contains some finished footage.

This version neatly depicts the development and changes the movie has gone through. Unfortunately, the most important element, the music that has made the movie a cult classic, is missing.

Theatrical Version without ending credits: 81:18 Min

Workprint without ending credits: 90:23 Min

In the workprint the various episodes are arranged in a different order and one episode, being too lengthy, has been cut from the film.

Episode order workprint:

1. Smooth landing
2. Grimaldi 1
3. Den
4. Captain Sternn
5. Neverwhere Land
6. B17/Gremlins
7. So beautiful and dangerous
8. Grimaldi 2
9. Harry Canyon
10. Grimaldi 3
11. Taarna
12. Grimaldi 4

Episode order Theatrical Version:

1. Smooth landing
2. Grimaldi 1
3. Harry Canyon
4. Grimaldi 2
5. Den
6. Captain Sterrn
7. B17/Gremlins
8. So beautiful and dangerous
9. Grimaldi 3
10. Taarna
11. Grimaldi 4


The episodes "Smooth landing, Harry Canyon, B17/Gremlins and Grimaldi 1- 4" do not contain any important changes.

Here is how the two versions differ from each other:

DEN
Als the queen summons Uluthc at the beginning of the episode her crotch is naked and shaved in some shots in the workprint, just as in Richard Corbens comic. In the Theatrical Version she is clothed.

For the love scene between Den and the queen the faces of the characters and the queens hair have been changed for the Theatrical Version. Originally, the scene had been animated for the story "Arabian Nights" from Corbens comic. But when it was decided to produce "Den" instead, the artists had to change the features since the scene was wanted to be kept in the movie.

CAPTAIN STERRN
As Captain Sterrn is chased through the space station by Hanover Fiste one scene was not included in the Theatrical Version because it didn't fit he music. In this scene Sterrn runs past three security robots. As they see Hanover Fiste approach they aim and shoot at him until he crushes their heads with his hands.
38 Sec.

NEVERWHERE LAND
The episode has been deleted entirely. On the DVD it is fully animated among the deleted scenes.

In this episode the green orb lands on earth. Live evolves and the orb causes violence on our planet. It all starts with dinosaurs maiming each other and continues with cavemen chasing mammoths. We see Vikings, Romans, the Plague and Jack the Ripper. At last we see Adolf Hitler and the workprint changes to B17.
3:02 Min.

For the final version of Neverwhere Land a few minor changes have been made compared to the workprint. Hitler has been removed and replaced with general WW2 footage.

Also, Jack the Rippers murder has been toned down. While in the workprint he decapitates the girl while having sex with her, in the final version it is only hinted at that he stabs her. The first four screens show the workprint version while the next four show the final version.
WP:

TV:

SO BEAUTIFUL AND DANGEROUS
In this episode the appearance of some characters has been changed.

TAARNA
In the workprint some live action scenes are shown that have been colored over for the final version.

DELETED SCENES: GRIMALDI 1- 4
In an early draft it was planned that the astronaut Grimaldi, after entering the house, would show the girl a giant carousel with various objects such as a B17 or a taxi that serve as changeovers to the various episodes. In the end, during Taarnas whipping the girl was to feel her pain and become the new guardian just like in the final version.