While many in Hollywood have been worrying about the lackluster overall boxoffice so far this year ('The Dark Knight' should improve that considerably), the home video departments of the major studios have been working overtime preparing a high-definition release slate for this fall that is absolutely incredible.
With Blu-ray sales up 350% compared to BOTH Blu-ray and HD DVD sales at this point last year, its clear that Blu-ray is gaining serious ground, and the studios are no longer fearful about bringing some of the biggest titles of the summer, and from deep within ther vaults, to the format. Here's a run-down.
Things start off shortly, with Paramount releasing a quartet of Jack Ryan films (Clear and Present Danger, The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and The Sum of All Fears) and last years' hit Beowulf on July 29.
The real battle for the consumer dollar in home video really begins in September, however. Paramount again delivers a top tier title with last year's mega-hit (and former HD DVD-exclusive) Transformers on September 2. On the 9th, Disney will be bringing out both volumes of Quentin Terentino's very popular Kill Bill series, while Sony and Warner will be going further back into the vault to bring out Jerry Maguire and How the West Was Won, respectively. On the 16th, Paramount will release the family-friendly Shrek the Third, and, though it has yet to be announced, Warner is expected to release the Matrix Trilogy to coincide with the release of Speed Racer.
The biggest news of the fall for classic film lovers, though, might just be the fully remastered Godfather Trilogy which Paramount has announced for September 23. Warner, meanwhile will be bringing out the excellent film-noir L.A. Confidential, the same day. The month is rounded out on the 30th, with two of this years' biggest hits to date: Iron Man from Paramount and Forgetting Sarah Marshall from Universal.
In case September doesn't cause you to go broke, October is shaping up to be equally amazing. Disney leads the month off on October 7 with the release of their first "platinum edition" title on Blu-ray, Sleeping Beauty. Fox takes over in on the 21st with the release of 6 classic James Bond titles (Die Another Day, Dr. No, For Your Eyes Only, From Russia with Love, Live and Let Die, and Thunderball) just in time for the release of the latest in the franchise, Quantum of Solace, to hit theatres. Paramount will also be releasing last year's Tim Burton/Johnny Depp vehicle Sweeney Todd the same day.
On November 4, Warner will finally bring out The Shawshank Redemption (which has only been planned since the first Blu-ray inserts back in 2006).
In case all of that wasn't enough, though, don't worry. There's also a number of huge titles coming, that just haven't had their release dates confirmed. In addition to the Matrix (mentioned earlier), Casablanca will be coming in an Ultimate Collector's Edition from Warner, and JFK is just waiting for a date from the studio as well. The Dark Knight, which opens in theatres tomorrow, could prove to be the film that brings Blu-ray truly mainstream (much as The Matrix did for DVD) when it hits this winter. The rumor is December 9, but that could easily change. Also, a Batman Anthology is expected as well, that contains the slightly older Batman series of films by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher. And, of course, Pixar's latest hit, Wall-E will be hitting Blu-ray in a direct digital transfer that should be demo-worthy material when it arrives sometime this fall.
The other MAJOR series that's unfortunately still up in the air at the moment is Indiana Jones. Spielberg and Paramount want all four films out this fall on Blu-ray, and have even done a new restoration on the older titles, but Lucas is being Lucas, so it's anybody's guess at this point. I'm fairly certain you'll at least see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls this fall (likely in October), but the first three are the real prize, and it could go either way unfortunately.
The studios have still yet to announce most of their October - December slate of releases so expect many more huge announcements in the months ahead. For those fans of smaller films, many smaller and avant-garde distributors (such as Criterion) will also be making a big push into Blu-ray this fall, so stay tuned to the release lists.
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