Updated: Avatar on Blu-ray will feature 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio.
James Cameron’s earlier slip up regarding the release date of Avatar on home video turned out to be right on the money. Thanks to an article at the L.A. Times and information sent to retailers, we can now confirm that Avatar will make its Blu-ray Disc and DVD on Thursday, April 22 aka Earth Day.
Also as expected, Fox will be packaging Avatar on Blu-ray as a streamlined movie-only release to maximize a/v quality (here’s hoping for 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio). There will be no supplemental features – not even menus – but a second disc will include the DVD version of the film.
“We went to Fox and told them that, for this movie, we wanted to do something really special and reach for the best presentation of any film in the history of the format,” Avatar producer Jon Landau said. “This is a movie that has done the unexpected every step of the way. Fox agreed with us and the result is amazing. Everything that is put on a disc takes up room — the menus, the extras, the trailers and studio promotions — and we got rid of all of that so we could give this movie the best picture and sound possible.”
This approach feeds into the rumors and James Cameron suggestion that Avatar will see a theatrical re-release this fall with additional scenes, followed by a multi-disc Blu-ray double dip release with the possible inclusion of Blu-ray 3D. Fox of course continues to deny plans for Blu-ray 3D but we have heard from a retailer source that “Q4” is when they were told to expect Avatar on Blu-ray 3D.
The L.A. Times does confirm that a multi-disc Avatar release will be coming in November and that Fox and Cameron will discuss its contents and the environmental impact of releasing the title on Earth Day at a March 23 press event in West Hollywood. Could this be when Fox formally confirms or denies the inclusion of Blu-ray 3D? We’ll find out in roughly one week’s time.
Here are the international release dates for Avatar on Blu-ray and DVD.
- FRANCE – April 21
- BELGIUM – April 21
- NETHERLANDS – April 21
- SPAIN – April 21
- CHINA – April 22
- BRAZIL – April 22
- RUSSIA – April 22
- NORTH AMERICA – April 22
- GERMANY – April 23
- JAPAN – April 23
- SWITZERLAND – April 23
- MEXICO – April 23
- UK – April 26
- DENMARK – April 27
- NORWAY – April 28
- WEDEN – April 28
- NEW ZEALAND – April 28
- AUSTRALIA – April 29
- FINLAND – April 30
- ITALY – May 6
Avatar on Blu-ray will carry an SRP of $39.99 and see an on-shelf price in the upper $20s. Check out the cover art below and look for the Amazon.com pre-order link in the coming days.
Source: The L.A. Times
