Grindhouse Releasing co-owner Bob Murawski may have taken home his first Oscar for Best Film Editing (The Hurt Locker) last night, but he is not ready to rest on his laurels. This week, Murawski will present the world premiere of late actor/writer/director Duke Mitchell’s never-before-seen exploitation flick Gone with the Pope.

Gone with the Pope follows four ex-cons as they set out to abduct the Pope and charge a dollar ransom from every Catholic in the world to set him free. Murawski spent the last 15 years restoring the film in between his mainstream gigs.

He says (via press release):

Of all the films I have been involved with, the one that I am most proud of is Gone with the Pope. Duke Mitchell didn’t live to see this masterpiece finished. I am honored to be the person to finish it for him. Completing this movie was a 15-year labor of love. No expense or effort was spared in rescuing this classic from cinematic oblivion and finishing it with the utmost quality. Our beautiful new 35mm print stands as a testament to Duke Mitchell’s unique and explosively entertaining vision.

Murawski’s editing creds include Night of the Scarecrow, From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, Animal Instincts 2 (a Skinemax classic of the early ’90s) and John Woo’s Hard Target. He has also edited the Sam Raimi films Army of Darkness, The Gift (starring a topless Katie Holmes), Spiderman (parts 1,2,& 3), and last year’s Drag Me to Hell.

Gone with the Pope will have its world premiere on Friday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m., at The Egyptian Theater (6712 Hollywood Boulevard) in Hollywood, California. The screening will include a Q&A session with the film’s cast and crew. For more information, visit Grindhouse Releasing.

Grindhouse Releasing is currently presenting a nationwide re-release of Raimi’s 1981 cult hit The Evil Dead.