'Eastern Promises' Headed to HD DVD this December

Universal has announced that the David Cronenberg mob thriller 'Eastern Promises' will make its way to HD DVD just in time for the new year.

The follow-up to Cronenberg's highly-acclaimed 'A History of Violence,' 'Eastern Promises' didn't quite nab the same buzz or box office despite the presence of stars Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts. Perhaps hoping to give it a boost ahead of Oscar time, Universal is giving 'Eastern Promises' a speedy home video turnaround, debuting the flick day-and-date on HD DVD and standard-def DVD December 26 -- a mere three months after it first hit theaters.

Tech specs are set to include 1080p/VC-1 video, and audio options in Dolby TrueHD (48kHz/24-bit) and Dolby Digital-Plus (1.5mbps) 5.1 surround.

Announced extras are slim, including two featurettes (entitled "Secrets and Stories" and "Marked for Life"), plus the studio's MyScenes bookmark function.

Retail for the HD DVD/DVD combo release is $39.98.

You'll find disc details for 'Eastern Promises' linked from our HD DVD Release Schedule, where it is indexed under December 26.

We've also set up a dedicated thread for Universal's latest in our Forums area -- click the following link to discuss the 'Eastern Promises' HD DVD release.