Disney's Bluray plans for 2008

[dugpa]

Look a post that's not about Warner!

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Rolls into 2008 with Blu-ray

WDSHE Expands Blu-ray Line-Up with First Platinum Blu-ray Release, BD-Live and Full Motion Picture-in-Picture

Also Announces the Extension of Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour

BURBANK, Calif. -- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) announces an exciting new line-up of Blu-ray initiatives in 2008, an ever-expanding Blu-ray slate and new technological-advancements in bonus feature materials, all which guarantee a superior high-definition home entertainment experience.

"This is an exciting time for Disney as we not only announce the release of our first Platinum Disney animated classic on Blu-ray with Sleeping Beauty, but also allow consumers to create an entirely new home entertainment experience with stunning new bonus features and amazing interactive capabilities like never before seen," stated Bob Chapek, President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

For the first time ever, WDSHE will begin releasing its treasured animated classics on Platinum Edition Blu-ray Disc(TM) launching with Sleeping Beauty in the fall of 2008. Taking advantage of the numerous technological advancements of the Blu-ray format, these all time favorites have been revitalized to include exceptional high-definition picture and sound quality and compelling interactive content such as virtual games, full motion picture-in-picture and online shopping capabilities via BD-Live broadband connection.

Sleeping Beauty will be WDSHE's first Platinum Edition Blu-ray Disc and will feature a Virtual Castle, utilizing the new BD-Live technology, as well as the interactive game Maleficent's Challenge which puts viewers face-to-face with one of Disney's greatest villains. Sleeping Beauty Blu-ray Disc will also feature an all-new enhanced home theater mix in 7.1 surround sound.

Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo Blu-ray Disc will debut the first Cine-Explore featuring full motion picture-in-picture (BonusView). This interactive visual commentary with director Andrew Stanton, co-writer Bob Peterson and co-director Lee Unkrich allows the viewer to dive deeper into the making of Finding Nemo without ever leaving the film. For kids and families, there is the all-new BD-Java enabled learning mode "Mr. Ray's Ed-venture." Hosted by Dory, Marlin and of course Mr. Ray, viewers will learn all about sea life and have the opportunity to earn stickers for their virtual sticker book by answering "quizlettes" while watching the movie. Viewers can also go to their sticker book at any time and create their own scene. Finding Nemo will also feature an all-new enhanced home theater mix in 7.1 surround sound.

As part of its continued worldwide Blu-ray release strategy, WDSHE will be announcing the addition of many exciting movie titles to their 2008 Blu-ray line-up in North America, Europe and Asia.

In North America, WDSHE will be releasing new theatrical titles to Blu-ray Disc day-and-date with DVD including The Game Plan (Walt Disney Pictures) on January 22; Gone Baby Gone and Becoming Jane (both Miramax) on February 12; and Dan In Real Life (Touchstone Pictures) on March 11. WDSHE will expand its catalogue titles on Blu-ray Disc with the releases of The Rock (Hollywood Pictures) and Con Air (Touchstone Pictures) on January 8; Crimson Tide (Hollywood Pictures) on February 5; The Rookie (Walt Disney Pictures) on March 4; Hidalgo (Touchstone Pictures), Coyote Ugly: The Double Shot Edition (Touchstone Pictures), Unbreakable (Touchstone Pictures), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures) and National Treasure: Collector's Edition (Walt Disney Pictures) in spring 2008.

In Europe/Australia, WDSHE will roll out Blu-ray Discs in 2008 beginning with The Recruit (Touchstone Pictures) in January; and Dark Water (Touchstone Pictures) in February; Underdog (Walt Disney Pictures) and Starsky & Hutch (Buena Vista) in February; Coyote Ugly (Touchstone Pictures) and The Rookie (Walt Disney Pictures) in March; Hidalgo (Touchstone Pictures) and Gone Baby Gone (Miramax) in April; Signs (Touchstone Pictures), There Will Be Blood (Miramax), Shall We Dance (Miramax), Ladder 49 (Touchstone Pictures), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures) and National Treasure: Collector's Edition (Walt Disney Pictures) in May; and The Game Plan (Walt Disney Pictures) and Unbreakable (Touchstone Pictures) in summer 2008.

Japan will see WDSHE release Blu-ray titles starting with Hollywoodland (Miramax) in February; The Rookie (Walt Disney Pictures), Hidalgo (Touchstone Pictures), Meet The Robinsons (Walt Disney Pictures), and Starsky & Hutch (Buena Vista) in April; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures), Coyote Ugly (Touchstone Pictures) and National Treasure: Collector's Edition (Walt Disney Pictures) in May; and Unbreakable (Touchstone Pictures) and Signs (Touchstone Pictures) in summer 2008.

Following overwhelming consumer response WDSHE is also announcing the extension of Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour, sponsored by Panasonic, to eight additional North American cities. The first stop will be to Toronto, Canada the weekend of January 25th and continue on to Nashville, Denver, Dallas, Raleigh-Durham, Hartford and conclude with Chicago at Unity 2008 in July.

The results of the 2007 tour not only reaffirmed consumers' continued desires for high-definition picture without compromise but reaffirmed the need to be educated on how to achieve the ultimate high-definition home entertainment experience beyond just owning an HDTV.

About Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, a recognized leader in the home entertainment industry, is the marketing, sales and distribution company for Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax and Buena Vista product which includes DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and electronic distribution. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is a division of The Walt Disney Studios.

[SharpShooter5]

Chronicles of narnia will be a must, and good to hear we'll get another pixar title..although with it was the incredables (nemo is the most overrated pixar film IMO)

also sleeping beauty should look amazing in hi def

[ganthc]

I have no issues with Disney discs, and will probably get a lot of those titles. I'm looking forward to getting The Rock tomorrow. Blind buys are never scary when it's Disney.

[Sehnzeleid]

Nothing mentioned I want except for The Rock.

[chlngr1970]

Originally Posted by ganthc

I have no issues with Disney discs, and will probably get a lot of those titles. I'm looking forward to getting The Rock tomorrow. Blind buys are never scary when it's Disney.

If you haven't seen The Rock, it is a definate blind buy. Glad I have the Criterion DVD to tide me over

Had Blu Ray not run me off, I would love to have that, along with Crimson Tide, Hidalgo, and Con Air ( so sue me, I liked it )

j

[ganthc]

Yes, Crimson Tide, Narnia, will be automatic buys as well. I will buy Sleeping Beauty and Finding Nemo also. There are some great titles that will be coming from Disney.

[bembol]

National Treasure, Unbreakable, Con Air, The Rock and Crimson Tide especially.

[ganthc]

Originally Posted by bembol

National Treasure, Unbreakable, Con Air, The Rock and Crimson Tide especially.

Yes, all of those except for Con Air. That movie annoyed me. Cyrus the Virus...are you kidding me???

[sub780lime]

Originally Posted by SharpShooter5

Chronicles of narnia will be a must, and good to hear we'll get another pixar title..although with it was the incredables (nemo is the most overrated pixar film IMO)

agree, agree, and agree on all three points.

[SharpShooter5]

Originally Posted by Sehnzeleid

Nothing mentioned I want except for The Rock.

totally forgot about that, and con air

i want to pick them up but i haven't seen any reviews yet, i don't like buying barebones Blurays cause i know there will be a new one in no time

i'll have to wait and see what the quality is before getting them

[chlngr1970]

Originally Posted by SharpShooter5

totally forgot about that, and con air

i want to pick them up but i haven't seen any reviews yet, i don't like buying barebones Blurays cause i know there will be a new one in no time

i'll have to wait and see what the quality is before getting them

But I thought special features didn't matter?

It seems that special features matter more than some would like to admit. I don't complain if a release is bare bones. But when a release has good extras, I watch them. I found I watched almost all the special features on my HD DVDs, even the web enabled features...

j

[Pirate]

The only features I ever want are commentaries (video or audio). Except for a few exceptions, I’ve found most interviews, featurettes and making-of documentaries to be fairly worthless. And don't even get me started on this new online shit.

[chlngr1970]

Originally Posted by Pirate

The only features I ever want are commentaries (video or audio). Except for a few exceptions, I’ve found most interviews, featurettes and making-of documentaries to be fairly worthless. And don't even get me started on this new online shit.

I went trhough all the special features, both on line and off, on the transformers disc, and had a lot of fun...

j

[bembol]

Originally Posted by ganthc

Yes, all of those except for Con Air. That movie annoyed me. Cyrus the Virus...are you kidding me???

LOL

John Malkovich/Cyrus the Virus is the only reason why I like it.

[biglyle]

Bought Con-air and The Rock today

[Moonraker]

The Rock Blu Ray has licensed the special features from the criterion edition. What an awesome surprise.

[Pirate]

Originally Posted by chlngr1970

I went trhough all the special features, both on line and off, on the transformers disc, and had a lot of fun...

j

There are times, like with LOTR, where I love going through all the extras, but commentaries are the only must for me.

[chlngr1970]

Nothing is realy a must for me. If it is there, fine, if not, the sword!

Ahem...

Yeha...I don't need special features. I use to buy the bare bones release if that was released at the same time as the SE, but with the GF, I tend to buy more SEs than before.

j

[sub780lime]

The only thing I really watch consistently are blooper reels and deleted scenes. I am only into documentaries with major releases (LOTR, SW, Transformers, etc) and I love commentaries, but no longer have the time to put them on like on used to. I still wish for those commentary audio tracks to be available in some format that I can dump on my iPod and then just listen to them.

[SharpShooter5]

Originally Posted by Moonraker

The Rock Blu Ray has licensed the special features from the criterion edition. What an awesome surprise.

serious...thats the best news i heard in my whole life

def gonna pic that up...might get con air while i'm at it

[dugpa]

Originally Posted by Moonraker

The Rock Blu Ray has licensed the special features from the criterion edition. What an awesome surprise.

On the downside, the disc contains the film The Rock.

Only title in that release that is a must have is Sleeping Beauty. From a story standpoint it's kind of a rehash of earlier Disney films, but visually it's nothing short of breathtaking. The backgrounds of that film look better than most animation today.
I might pick up Nemo as well, though I concur with others that I'd rather have The Incredibles. I know Nemo is the top grossing Pixar film and that's why Disney wants to get it out there. But there's no reason they couldn't give us Incredibles too. Seems to me that film would appeal more to the early adoptor types.

[supercutz]

Originally Posted by chlngr1970

But I thought special features didn't matter?

It seems that special features matter more than some would like to admit. I don't complain if a release is bare bones. But when a release has good extras, I watch them. I found I watched almost all the special features on my HD DVDs, even the web enabled features...

j

To people on this forum features matter. To "J6P", hell no. I don't think anyone has disputed otherwise.

[Vonner]

Originally Posted by supercutz

To people on this forum features matter. To "J6P", hell no. I don't think anyone has disputed otherwise.

I'd say the opposite of that. It's the "J6P" that want the features. We, or I, just want top notch A/V on the main attraction.

[elfman]

Originally Posted by Vonner

I'd say the opposite of that. It's the "J6P" that want the features. We, or I, just want top notch A/V on the main attraction.

Yeah, that's the way I see it too. It's also a "perceived" value, having more stuff on a disc.

[dugpa]

Yeah, it's J6P that wants the extra features, and the studios think that too. I remember when Amir and Kevin did the hd-dvd promotional talk here in Dallas one of the things they said was that studios are convinced they need new features beyond improved image and sound to sell people on upgrading from sd dvd. Thus the major focus on internet features and pip and such from both camps.

[Taxi]

I'm not J6P, and I want the features. I want the best video/audio I can get, but I also want features, because I'm a film fan.