QUOTE(fentanyl @ Aug 13 2008, 12:49 PM)
'Indiana Jones' Coming to Blu-ray this OctoberIndiana Jones is coming to Blu-ray, with Paramount Home Entertainment announcing an October next-gen debut for his latest adventure, 'Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.'
In what is sure to be one of the most highly-anticipated Blu-ray releases of the year, Paramount has confirmed an October 14 street date for the $300 million-plus-grossing 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,' which will hits day-and-date with the standard DVD.
Arriving as a two-disc set, disc one will see a BD-50 dual-layer presentation with 1080p video and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround audio. (French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround dubs are also included, along with English, French and Spanish subtitle options.)
Extras on disc one include a pair of featurettes ("The Return of the Legend," "Pre-Production") and -- exclusive to the Blu-ray release -- the "Indiana Jones Timeline," a Bonus View picture-in-picture track presenting three different journeys that "explore the movie through interactive timelines that include video featurettes, in-depth information and unique imagery."
Disc two boasts six "Production Diary" segments with cast & crew ("Shooting Begins: New Mexico," "Back To School: New Haven, Connecticut," "Welcome to the Jungle: Hilo, Hawaii," "On-Set Action," "Exploring Akator," "Wrapping Up!"), six additional featurettes ("Warrior Makeup," "The Crystal Skulls," "Iconic Props," "The Effects of Indy," "Adventures in Post Production," "Closing: Team Indy"), three pre-visualization sequences, and five still galleries ("The Art Department," "Stan Winston Studios," "Production Photographs," "Portraits," "Behind-the-Scenes Photographs").
Detailed specs:
Extras for this release include:
Disc 1
* Indiana Jones Timelines— Explore the movie through interactive timelines that include video featurettes, in-depth information and unique imagery. Your adventure begins with one of these three timelines:
o Story Timeline: Showcases the key events of the “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” storyline.
o Production Timeline: A Making-of chronology for “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”.
o Historical Timeline: Dives into the real-world historical influences that are referenced in the film.
* The Return of a Legend—The evolution of the new film and a tribute to the legendary hero and his creators. (HD)
* Pre-Production—Follows Steven Spielberg as he creates animatic sequences, Shia LaBeouf as he learns to swordfight and captures the reunion of filmmakers and cast on the soundstage. (HD)
Disc 2
* Production Diary: Making Kingdom of the Crystal Skull—Join filmmakers, cast and crew for a complete look at the making of the film.
o Shooting Begins: New Mexico (HD)
o Back To School: New Haven , Connecticut (HD)
o Welcome to the Jungle: Hilo , Hawaii (HD)
o On-Set Action (HD)
o Exploring Akator (HD)
o Wrapping Up! (HD)
* Warrior Makeup (HD)
* The Crystal Skulls (HD)
* Iconic Props (HD)
* The Effects of Indy (HD)
* Adventures in Post Production (HD)
* Closing: Team Indy (HD)
* Pre-Visualization Sequences
o Area 51 Escape (HD)
o Jungle Chase (HD)
o Ants Attack (HD)
* Galleries
o The Art Department
+ The Adventure Begins
+ Cemetery and Jungle
+ Akator
o Stan Winston Studio
+ Corpses, Skeletons & Mummies
+ Aliens & Crystal Skulls
o Production Photographs
o Portraits
o Behind-the-Scenes Photographs
Almost all extras in HD!
This will be one of the few BDs that is THX-certified. That scoop earlier this year about Indy 4 being prepped for BD with THX certification is true after al. Well, THX was founded by George Lucas, so why not (THX no longer under Lucasfilm however).
This will be the first title ever from Lucasfilm. This is really important news, because like DVD, Lucas usually waits until the format really matures before he release his movies on it, hence the late release of Star Wars to DVD. With Indy 4, Lucas is now confident with BD format. We may see more titles from Lucasfilm soon.
PS: It was also revealed that while a DVD box set with all four Indiana Jones films will also be released, there are currently no plans to bring the remainder of the series to Blu-ray.