Buena Vista Home Entertainment has announced ‘Casanova,’ ‘Chicago,’ ‘The Guardian’ and ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ will comprise their January slate of Blu-ray titles. Unlike previous waves, all four will be released on BD-50 discs — the first time a studio has dedicated an entire wave to the larger disc capacity.
Sadly missing from the announcement is ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,’ which is heavily advertised on currently available Buena Blu-ray titles. Hopefully the extended wait will be worthwhile.
From the January 2007 Blu-ray press release:
Commenting on the announcement, Chapek stated, “BVWHE is thrilled to kick off 2007 with this 50GB slate of Blu-ray releases. We’re moving forward into an exciting future with these dual-layer discs, which offer the maximum capacity for bonus materials and expanded content. We continue to forge new frontiers with our Blu-ray discs and to further explore the seemingly limitless boundaries of creativity the format allows. We’ve just begun to cultivate the future growth of our industry with Blu-ray.”
The Blu-ray release of the Academy Award®-winning musical Chicago (Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere) will feature a host of exciting bonus materials, including audio commentaries from director Rob Marshall and screenwriter Bill Condon; a deleted scene with optional commentary; the featurettes “Behind the Scenes,” “From Stage to Screen: The History of Chicago,” “An Intimate Look at Director Rob Marshall” and “When Liza Minnelli Became Roxie Hart”; extended versions of classic musical numbers including “And All That Jazz,” “When You’re Good to Mama,” “Cell Block Tango” and more; and a Movie Showcase highlighting some of the most spectacular dance numbers.
Casanova’s Blu-ray bonus materials will include audio commentary from director Lasse Hallstrom; a “Blu-scape” featurette created specially for the Blu-ray release by noted director/cinematographer Louie Schwartzberg titled “Reflections of Venice”; and the featurettes “Creating an Adventure” and “Dressing in Style.”
The Blu-ray release of The Guardian will contain a host of bonus materials including deleted scenes; an alternate ending; audio commentaries by director Andrew Davis and writer Ron L. Brinkerhoff; and the featurettes “The Guardian: Making Waves” and “Unsung Heroes: So Others May Live.”
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy will arrive on Blu-ray with bonus materials including audio commentaries; deleted scenes; and the featurettes “The Making of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and “Sing Along: So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish.”
All titles are expected to carry an SRP of $34.99. Check back regularly for a first look at the cover art.
