Blu-Ray Rumors for 2010

[AndyDursin]

Yeah, it'll be nice to see THE ABYSS remastered at long last -- but this is par for the course so far in the Blu-Ray format.

THERE NEED TO BE MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS, MORE MOVIES.

A handful of scattered "major titles" isn't enough, especially ones that were rumored -- for 2009.

I don't get the strategy, and while I'm going to be looking forward to seeing THE ABYSS and the ALIEN films in HD later in 2010, I confess I'm still disappointed there aren't titles being rolled out on Blu on a MONTHLY BASIS as there should be.

According to French site Les Numériques, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is preparing a hefty list of titles for Blu-ray release in 2010. Apart from the obvious mention of the Alien quadrilogy, other interesting titles are in the slate, such as 'The Abyss' or 'The Sound of Music'.

Steven Spielberg's 'Minority Report' and Sam Mendes' 'Road to Perdition' are set for May-June 2010, as previously reported (see blu-ray.com, November 13 and November 16). Also in June, Fox expects to release some westerns, such as 'The Magnificent Seven', 'Hang 'Em High' and 'For a Few Dollars More'.

The second half of 2010 will reportedly see Blu-ray releases for James Cameron's 'The Abyss', Baz Luhrmann's 'Romeo+Juliet' and 'Moulin Rouge!', the 'Alien' quadrilogy/anthology and 'The Sound of Music' (which is being remastered in 4K).

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=3801

[Eric W.]

Yeah, it'll be nice to see THE ABYSS remastered at long last -- but this is par for the course so far in the Blu-Ray format.

THERE NEED TO BE MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS, MORE MOVIES.

A handful of scattered "major titles" isn't enough, especially ones that were rumored -- for 2009.

I don't get the strategy, and while I'm going to be looking forward to seeing THE ABYSS and the ALIEN films in HD later in 2010, I confess I'm still disappointed there aren't titles being rolled out on Blu on a MONTHLY BASIS as there should be.

Agreed.

The only "strategy" that happened this year was complete panic, overraction and full forfeiture of the first half of 2009 and most of the third quarter in response to the global economic meltdown we had happen starting a year ago.

This reaction was obviously hardly confined to BDs and home movie video.


We all saw it happen in just about everything you could name.

What's annoyed me is that I've seen delays pushing a number of things in and out of BD past into 2010 like they're writing off the whole year and that's frustrating to see after a point.


A lot of these industries simply panicked and overreacted and the home video market was certainly one of those. No reason to practically forfeit the entire year or least the first half entirely and most of the third quarter. Ridiculous.


Sure, I don't want something rushed and half baked and I think we'd all agree on that concept, but whether its videogames, BDs, and a number of other things I could get into, it almost feels like 2009 was almost written off entirely and it was an overreaction.

I also don't buy this excuse of: "We don't to have too many big names competiting against each other in a short amount of time" or some such rubbish.

No. You put the content out when it's ready and the customers buy what they want, when they want on THEIR clock and budget, not yours, studios.

That concept immediately loses credence when you're talking about content in different genres. People with different tastes will buy different things at an given time.

I just don't buy it. We have gotten some nice stuff to finally trickle out over the last couple of months or so but it really was pathetically dry for too much of 2009 IMO and it was an overdone panic all the way around.



Past this: I'm tired of rumors. Have a schedule, whatever it is, make it, put it out, stick to it.

[AndyDursin]

What's frustrating is for the last couple of years we've seen these rumored lists with a smattering of big titles. Not a large quantity, just a dozen or so. Every year it seems that's all we get -- if we're lucky. Remember when LAWRENCE OF ARABIA was "coming soon"? It's been like that -- for two years!

Meanwhile there still is no sign at all of the big Spielberg/Lucas movies which we know would be format-drivers. There has to be some reason why those aren't on the horizon -- and they can't possibly be, because they're not even in the rumored stage. There isn't going to be some magical announcement of those out of nowhere -- we're going to know months in advance if they were happening.

MINORITY REPORT is not going to sell Jaws, Jurassic Park, E.T., Raiders numbers -- it's like they're throwing BD format owners a bone with CE3K (wonder how that release even happened) and that, but that's pretty much it. (MINORITY would be a Fox release overseas but Paramount/DW here, so who knows if that will even happen domestically right away).

[Eric W.]

Here's some general rumors from Digital Bits, not confined to Fox, so maybe a thread title change is in order:


From The Bits' Rumor Mill:

Okay... so, a day after the April 2010 release of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (theatrical films) was announced by Warner Home Video, we're going to look farther ahead - out to as far as 24 months - to consider what's in the works software-wise for the Blu-ray format. I want to stress that all of this is, of course, subject to change given that we're still WELL in advance of official announcements. But with the holiday season upon us, which means that LOTS of new consumers and enthusiasts are buying BD players and joining the Blu-ray Disc community, we wanted to hint at some of what's in store for the year or two ahead in the way of catalog releases.

So let's start with what we think are the most exciting developments first. Based on information gathered from scores of industry sources over the last few months, we have strong reason to believe that Lucasfilm and Paramount are planning to bow the classic Indiana Jones Trilogy on Blu-ray in 2010, followed by at least some or all of the Star Wars films in 2011 (either the classic or prequel trilogies... or possibly even the long-awaited complete saga box set). As we've already been reporting for a while now, Fox's Alien Anthology box set is also due in 2010. And with the two Hobbit films due in 2011 and 2012, it's reasonable to assume that The Lord of the Rings: Extended Editions will be out on Blu-ray by the end of 2012 as well. One can also expect that the studios are going to try to capitalize on the DVD/3-D Blu-ray release of James Cameron's Avatar (sometime next year) to bow other Cameron catalog films in HD, so possibilities could include The Abyss, True Lies and even Titanic. What's more, in addition to the Indy films, our sources say that you're very likely to see key additional Spielberg catalog films arrive on Blu-ray in 2010 and 2011, as the director is a major supporter of the format. Word is that Jaws, the Jurassic Park films, War of the Worlds, Minority Report and Saving Private Ryan are all possible suspects. We also know that Apollo 13 is coming to BD early next year from Universal (April will be the 40th anniversary of the original NASA mission), and with the original Back to the Future film celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2010, don't be surprised to see at least one (if not all) of those films as well. And that doesn't even begin to include all of the vintage classics being prepared by Warner, Sony and other studios for BD release - including Ben-Hur, The African Queen, Lawrence of Arabia and others - nor the classic Disney animated features already announced for release in 2010 and beyond. Bottom line... the next few years are going to be HUGE for major catalog titles on Blu-ray. So start saving up your money now, folks.

As always, the above information is to be considered unofficial and subject to change until the studios in question make official announcements. Stay tuned...

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/rumormill.html#121509


My response to this is simply: Cool stuff but some of those dates, especially 2011 and 2012 for some of that, are ridiculous. I know it's a lot of hard work and meticulous tedioum to get a lot of that ready for BD and all but c'mon.

[AndyDursin]

Talk about hazy Eric. That post could've been from 2008 and he just changed the dates! There's almost no concrete info in there whatsoever, none of any kind. "Possible suspects" is all those titles are. And APOLLO 13 was issued on HD-DVD -- Universal releasing that on BD shouldn't be any kind of big news. BACK TO THE FUTURE was rumored a year ago. (And talk about disappointments -- Universal used to issue 2-4 catalog titles a month on HD-DVD, a practice they basically ceased to employ once they went to BD. There are still dozens of HD-DVD titles they haven't released on Blu).

I don't get what's going on here, I just don't. The issue of prep work ought to apply to old movies like THE AFRICAN QUEEN and such -- not to recent and popular films from the last 10-20 years that had HD masters struck and air in HDTV all the time.

I mean, JAWS has an HD master that looks great and has been airing on HDNET Movies, so there's no more "prep work" that needs to be done really and no reason why it hasn't been released already. JURASSIC PARK, RAIDERS -- again, there are HD masters in existence because they've run IN HD on television. Those masters would look even better on BD, so this feeling that they need to polish them up -- doesn't make sense.

There clearly is some master plan as to their decision to release, say, CATWOMAN and THE POSTMAN instead of truly outstanding titles.

My own belief is that they are still playing a waiting game, holding off on big ticket releases until the base of BD users is large enough that they'll maximize their profits by issuing those A-list titles then -- and not now. Until then they're issuing Van Damme catalog titles and B-grade releases for a hungry group of folks who'll buy anything they can get their hands on. I'm not saying I like it -- I think it's a dumb-founded strategy -- but it's the only explanation that makes sense.

I realize BD is getting a bigger piece of pie as opposed to DVD sales, but I still wonder how large the sales really are in the large scheme of things (especially since DVD sales are on a steep decline).

[Eric W.]

Andy, I pretty much agree with your entire post but I just wanted to concentrate on a few points from it:

My own belief is that they are still playing a waiting game, holding off on big ticket releases until the base of BD users is large enough that they'll maximize their profits by issuing those A-list titles then -- and not now.

And I've never been a fan of this. I've always been a rather adamant opponent of this line of thinking since I believe it defies basic logic and common sense and good business sense.


I'm a believer in: If you build it, they will come. Content sells. Content is king. Want more buyers? Have more content. Have it not cost a mint.

Not rocket science.

Until then they're issuing Van Damme catalog titles and B-grade releases for a hungry group of folks who'll buy anything they can get their hands on. I'm not saying I like it -- I think it's a dumb-founded strategy -- but it's the only explanation that makes sense.

Agreed, and it's very stupid.

hey did the same thing on DVD for a good while and that, too, was frustrating to watch. So they went back to the same old bag of tricks there and on double and triple dipping and all the rest of it...loading up the shelves with crap that no one in their right mind would buy...maybe they rent once if they're bored...


I mean, really: They're going to play this game where they put the LOTR Theatricals seperately AGAIN? And then the Extendeds come maybe 6-12 months later?

Ridiculous. I'm waiting for the extendeds. I didn't fall for that trick on DVD, I'm not going to fall for it on Blu.

I'm their worst nightmare. I'm picky and I'm cheap and I know all their tricks.

I realize BD is getting a bigger piece of pie as opposed to DVD sales, but I still wonder how large the sales really are in the large scheme of things (especially since DVD sales are on a steep decline).

By most reports, BD at this point in its life is ahead of where DVD was at this same point in its life. I'm sure you can look that up.



But the excuses are long gone now. I don't buy or accept any excuse at this point in BD's life.

The economy isn't melting down like a year ago (it's not great)...costs have come down on hardware and software and I think it's safe to say...like a lot of people forecasted and I was one of them: Once BD got into its third year of life and got to this round of holidays it basically was going to be done with the early adopter phase and be mainstream.


It was the same with DVD. Something about that third year on the streets is where the early adopter vestiges fully went away and it became mainstream.




BD is basically a mainstream product now and hardware and software price by and large testify to that fact. BD is no longer an early adopter product. That's a fact and it's completely official as of this holiday shopping season as I think a lot of us expected it to be.

So let's get it on. Get those titles out, studios. Those big names out and finish it. No more excuses. None.

They knew as of early 2008 at the latest that there was going to be one HD format and that's when the clock started to tick. If we're honest about it, I know for a fact industry insiders were hinting as far as back as Sept and Oct 2007 that Warner was going to flip to Blu and what that was going to mean.

My point? It doesn't take 4 years to get Star Wars ready for Blu-Ray. It just doesn't.

[John Johnson]

Paramount Home Entertainment have announced the US DVD and Blu-ray Disc release of The African Queen on 23rd March 2010. Legendary director John Huston’s treasured romantic adventure stars the incomparable Humphrey Bogart as hard-drinking boat captain Charlie Allnut—a role that won him his only Academy Award (Best Actor, 1951)—and renowned actress Katharine Hepburn as missionary Rose Sayer in a tale of two disparate people thrown together by fate and drawn together by love.

Available for the first time on US DVD and Blu-ray Disc, the film has been meticulously restored using state-of-the-art 4K digital technology. More on the restoration from the press release…

A six-year journey filled with challenges nearly as difficult as those faced by Rose and Charlie, the restoration process began at the source: Romulus Films—one of the film’s original production companies—provided access to the original three-strip negative at a London facility where the film was carefully scanned and digitized. The separate elements were then transferred to Los Angeles and painstakingly recombined and inspected frame by frame to ensure that every detail aligned and that any dirt and scratches were removed.

To ensure that the restored picture matched the filmmakers’ original vision, Paramount arranged a screening of an MPAA archive print for the film’s original cinematographer, Academy Award® winner Jack Cardiff, whose comments were recorded live during the screening. That same archival print was later screened alongside the newly restored version so that the restoration team could ensure that all of Cardiff’s notes had been addressed. The result is a vibrant, warm picture that reverentially recreates the film as it was originally meant to be seen.

Available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in both single-disc ($19.99/$26.99 SRP) and Commemorative Limited Edition Box-Sets ($34.99/$43.99 SRP), features are outlined below…

DVD: Full screen format with English, French and Spanish Mono and English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Blu-ray Disc: - 1080p High Definition with English, French and Spanish Mono and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.

Special features are as follows:
Embracing Chaos: Making The African Queen—This comprehensive documentary takes a look back at the production with commentary about the cast, the challenges of the filming locations and how the spectacular cinematography impacted the industry overall. Includes on-camera interviews with notable Hollywood icons, critics and crew members from the film including Martin Scorsese, Tony Huston, Richard Schickel and more, plus never-before-seen archival images and home movie footage provided by the estate of cinematographer Jack Cardiff.

The Commemorative, Limited-Edition DVD and Blu-ray box sets include the above along with:
An audio disc with a recording of the Lux Radio Theater presents The African Queen radio broadcast
A Senitype® film frame collectible reproduction
Collectible postcards featuring reproductions of images related to the film
A reproduction of Katharine Hepburn’s out-of-print memoir The Making of The African Queen or How I Went to Africa with Bogart, Bacall and Huston and Almost Lost My Mind

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content/id/72 ... added.html

[John Johnson]

Yeah, it'll be nice to see THE ABYSS remastered at long last -- but this is par for the course so far in the Blu-Ray format.

THERE NEED TO BE MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS, MORE MOVIES.

A handful of scattered "major titles" isn't enough, especially ones that were rumored -- for 2009.

I don't get the strategy, and while I'm going to be looking forward to seeing THE ABYSS and the ALIEN films in HD later in 2010, I confess I'm still disappointed there aren't titles being rolled out on Blu on a MONTHLY BASIS as there should be.

According to French site Les Numériques, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is preparing a hefty list of titles for Blu-ray release in 2010. Apart from the obvious mention of the Alien quadrilogy, other interesting titles are in the slate, such as 'The Abyss' or 'The Sound of Music'.

Steven Spielberg's 'Minority Report' and Sam Mendes' 'Road to Perdition' are set for May-June 2010, as previously reported (see blu-ray.com, November 13 and November 16). Also in June, Fox expects to release some westerns, such as 'The Magnificent Seven', 'Hang 'Em High' and 'For a Few Dollars More'.

The second half of 2010 will reportedly see Blu-ray releases for James Cameron's 'The Abyss', Baz Luhrmann's 'Romeo+Juliet' and 'Moulin Rouge!', the 'Alien' quadrilogy/anthology and 'The Sound of Music' (which is being remastered in 4K).

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=3801

German site Bluray-disc.de has received an advance review copy of Minority Report (which is distributed in Europe by 20th Century Fox) to find that it opens with a short teaser for the upcoming Blu-ray edition of the Alien Anthology. After the extended tagline "In space no one can hear you scream – but on Blu-ray they can," it is revealed that the Anthology will consist of the movies Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection.

Additionally, according to the print edition of the UK movie magazine Empire, this release is being produced by Charles De Lauzirika, who is behind the BD releases of most of the movies directed by Sir Ridley Scott, including the monumental five-disc Blade Runner. De Lauzirika said that, while the Quadrilogy DVD was already very comprehensive, this Anthology Blu-ray set will blow it out of the water, with new extras and commentaries. Also, a new sound mix has been done for the extended edition of Alien 3, which involved bringing back some of the cast to reloop their dialogue.

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=4339

[Coriolanus Quince]

Also, a new sound mix has been done for the extended edition of Alien 3, which involved bringing back some of the cast to reloop their dialogue.

While they're at it maybe they can write a new script too and shoot new scenes that aren't completely laughable.

[Eric W.]

While they're at it maybe they can write a new script too and shoot new scenes that aren't completely laughable.

true