Posted Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 10:00 AM PDT by Peter Bracke
Fox has confirmed that in addition to bringing all five classic 'Planet of the Apes' films to Blu-ray this November in a box set, it will also make each available as individual stand-alone releases.
As previously reported, Fox has set a November 4 street date for the ambitious six-disc 'Planet of the Apes: 40-Year Evolution Collection' box set, which will feature all five 'Apes' films plus a sixth bonus platter with extensive bonus features and all-new exclusive material.
In addition, Fox will also bringing each of the five films -- the original 1968 'Planet of the Apes,' 'Beneath the Planet of the Apes,' 'Escape from the Planet of the Apes,' 'Conquest of the Planet of the Apes' and 'Battle for the Planet of the Apes' -- to Blu-ray on the same day, each with identical specs and bonus features to the individual versions found in the box set. (The sixth disc of additional supplemental material will only be available on the 'Evolution Collection.')
Exclusive to the Blu-ray releases will be a slew of bonus materials. Included on all five films will be an isolated score in DTS-MA 5.1 Surround audio, while the original 'Planet of the Apes' also gets a Bonus View (Profile 1.1) picture-in-picture track dubbed "Science of the Planet of the Apes," which explores the scientific background of the series.
Additional exclusives include a new HD featurette for each film ("Evolution of the Apes," "Impact of the Apes," "The Secret Behind Escape," "Riots and Revolutions: Confronting the Times," "End of an Epic: The Final Battle"), the BD-Java interactive game "Beyond the Forbidden Zone," and a PSA from NASA.
Tech specs for each are identical, with BD-50 dual-layer presentations featuring 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfers (2.35:1) and English DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 Surround audio.
Suggested retail price for each individual Blu-ray has been set at $34.99.
You'll find the latest specs for all six titles in Fox's 'Planet of the Apes' saga linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under November 4.
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