Warner Home Video has announced Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on Blu-ray, set for release on December 8, will be joined by new “ultimate editions” of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The six remaining Potter films, taking into account two films for The Deathly Hallows, will also receive ultimate edition treatments.
Tbe new versions of Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets will see an upgrade to 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio as well as 7 and thirteen minutes added to a new director’s cut, respectively. The theatrical cut will be housed on disc one, the new cut on disc two, and discs three and four will be dedicated to supplemental materials. Packed in with each set will be a 48-page character book and 2 cards from a new series of character cards.
Bonus features for these new ultimate editions are anchored with a new multi-part documentary split between each set. Warner’s original listing of features was a bit jumbled so I tried to break them out as logical as possible below.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
- Theatrical and extended version with 7 extra minutes on discs 1 and 2
- Tour the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry’s Room and the Great Hall – Welcome to the self-guided tour of Hogwarts, home of witches and wizards in training, and take in the sights
- Classrooms: Defense Against the Dark Arts; Spells and Charms; Potions; Transfiguration
- Deleted Scenes
- Library: Gallery of Art & Architecture
- Hogwarts Yearbook
- Guide to Ghosts – Discover the many marvelous and mysterious ghosts of Hogwarts
- Quaffle and Bludger – Get a lesson from Oliver Wood on how to play Quidditch
- Tour Hagrid’s Hut – Welcome to the self-guided tour of Hagrid’s Hut, home of Rubeus Hagrid, the keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts, and his faithful companion, Fang.
- Interview – Capturing the Stone: A Conversation with the Filmmakers – Director Chris Columbus, Producer David Heyman, Screenwriter Steve Kloves and Production Designer Stuart Craig talk about casting and bringing the novel to life.
- NEW: Introduction by Daniel Radcliffe – An introduction to the many special features for the Harry Potter films
- NEW: Creating the World of Harry Potter, Part 1: The Magic Begins – Discover the story of how one vision for the Harry Potter films came together out of limitless possibilities to create the visual world we have come to know and love.
- A Glimpse Into the World of Harry Potter 2001 International TV Special
- Deleted Scenes
- Trailers and TV Spots
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Theatrical and extended version with 13 minutes not shown in theaters.
- Creating the World of Harry Potter Part 2: Characters
- A Whole New Realm of Discovery… Discover the intriguing inside stories of why so many of Britain’s most celebrated stars took roles in the series
- See the newly unveiled screen test between Daniel Radcliffe and Evanna Lynch (selected to play Luna out of 15,000 hopefuls!)
- Go on the set to see firsthand how each of the directors brought unique strengths to the series
- Witness the amazing transformations as Daniel, Rupert and Emma grow with their characters over a decade of unprecedented filmmaking.
- Never-Before-Seen Screen Tests of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Revealed – 2002 HBO First Look special
- Trailers and TV Spots
- Deleted Scenes
- Lockhart’s Classroom
- Photo Gallery: Certificates – Have a look at Gilderoy Lockhart’s many achievements
- Required Reading – Find out what text books you’ll need for Lockhart’s Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
- Behind Hogwarts
- A Conversation with J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves – The author and screenwriter detail how the books are brought to life, and the changes that happen in the process
- Build a Scene – Building a scene as magnificent as Professor Dumbledore’s office takes more than wood, plaster, nails and paint. It takes imagination.
- Tour Dumbledore’s Office – Welcome to the self-guided tour of Professor Dumbledore’s office, one of the most fascinating rooms at Hogwarts.
- Interviews with Students, Professors and More
- Gallery of Production Sketches
- Spellcaster Knowledge Challenge [Game]
- EA Game Preview
Pre-order Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Ultimate Edition) on Blu-ray at Amazon.com.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Ultimate Edition) on Blu-ray at Amazon.com.
