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I Want My 'Mummy' Specs for Blu-ray

Thu May 15, 2008 at 09:00 AM ET
Tags: Disc Announcements, Universal (all tags)

Full specs are in for Universal's debut Blu-ray release 'The Mummy,' which the studio will launch this June with DTS-MA audio and a bevy of exclusive content.

As we first reported last month, Universal announced their premiere line-up of Blu-ray releases for this Summer, jump-started by a July 22 bow for the 1999 Brendan Fraser blockbuster 'The Mummy.'

Just-announced tech specs give a good indicator of Universal's probable Blu-ray strategy, with the BD-50 dual-layer disc featuring 1080p video, (no codec specified) and DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 Surround audio.

Extras will mirror the previous HD DVD release, including audio commentaries with the cast and crew, a quartet of featurettes ("Visual and Special Effects Formation," "An Army to Rule the World," "Building a Better Mummy," "Unraveling the Legacy of the Mummy"), deleted scenes, and a storyboard comparison. Also packaged on the disc is a sneak peak at the upcoming 'The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,' and a movie ticket offer.

Exclusive to the Blu-ray is a U-Control picture-in-picture track offering behind-the-scenes footage and filmmaker interviews.

Universal has not yet confirmed a suggested list price for 'The Mummy,' but we'll keep you posted.

As always, you'll find the latest specs for 'The Mummy (1999)' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under July 22.

We've also set up a dedicated thread for Universal's Blu-ray debut in our Forums area -- click the following link to discuss 'The Mummy (1999)' Blu-ray release.

Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
The Mummy (1999) (Blu-ray)
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Universal Details Plans For Blu-ray (Apr 17, 2008)

Universal Goes Day-and-Date on Blu-ray with 'Doomsday'

Mon May 05, 2008 at 01:00 PM ET
Tags: Disc Announcements, Universal (all tags)

Making an early announcement to retailers, Universal has set a late-July bow for the futuristic thriller 'Doomsday.'

Marking the studio's first day-and-date release on Blu-ray, Universal will unleash the critically-derided, $15 million-grossing actioner on July 29, concurrent with the standard DVD.

Due to the early nature of this news, there are no tech specs or supplement details as of yet.

Universal has also not yet set a list price for 'Doomsday,' but more details should surface shortly.

You'll find preliminary specs for 'Doomsday' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under July 29.

We've also set up a dedicated thread for Universal's latest in our Forums area -- click the following link to discuss the 'Doomsday' Blu-ray release.

Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
Doomsday (Blu-ray)

'Heroes' Double-Header Coming to Blu-ray this August

Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 03:00 PM ET
Tags: Disc Announcements, TV on High-Def, Universal (all tags)

Universal has announced their first TV-on-Blu-ray release, with plans to bring the first two seasons of 'Heroes' to the format this August.

Only hours after revealing their long-awaited debut wave of Blu-ray releases, Universal is already off and running with further announcements, now setting an August 26 Blu-ray debut for 'Heroes: Season One' and 'Heroes: Season Two' (the latter due day-and-date with the standard DVD set).

Due to the early nature of the news, there are not yet any tech specs or supplement details available for either set (although 'Heroes: Season One' is expected to contain an extras package comparable to the feature-packed HD DVD version released last year).

Universal has also not yet set a suggested list price for either 'Heroes' collection, but says full details should be revealed shortly, so we'll certainly keep you posted.

In the meantime, you'll find preliminary specs for 'Heroes: Season One' and 'Heroes: Season Two' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under August 26.

We've also set up a dedicated thread for Universal's TV-on-Blu-ray debut in our Forums area -- click the following link to discuss the 'Heroes: Season One/Heroes: Season Two' Blu-ray releases.

Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
Heroes: Season One (Blu-ray)
Heroes: Season Two (Blu-ray)
Heroes: Season One (HD DVD)
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Universal Details Plans For Blu-ray (Apr 17, 2008)

Universal Details Plans For Blu-ray

Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 01:00 PM ET
Tags: Universal, Industry Trends, Release Dates (all tags)

Universal Studios is expected to announce plans today to begin issuing new release titles on Blu-ray starting this summer.

As reported by Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, the studio, which had been one of the staunchest supporters of the HD DVD format, is expected to announce the recent theatrical release 'Doomsday' as their inaugural Blu-ray title, with approximately 40 other films following in the latter half of the year.

Other titles singled out for Blu-ray release include the studio's upcoming films 'Hellboy II: The Golden Army,' 'The Incredible Hulk,' 'Wanted,' 'Mamma Mia,' and 'The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.' In anticipation of the new 'Mummy' film, Universal's first jump into the Blu-ray pool will come on July 22 with three films from the franchise, including the Brendan Fraser action adventures 'The Mummy,' 'The Mummy Returns,' and the spin-off 'The Scorpion King' starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Other titles mentioned for Blu-ray treatment include 'Land of the Dead, ' 'End of Days,' 'Knocked Up,' 'American Gangster,' 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin,' 'Miami Vice,' and 'U-571.'

Additional news and titles will no doubt be forthcoming, so we'll be sure to keep you posted as we learn more.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
The Mummy (1999) (Blu-ray)
The Mummy Returns (Blu-ray)
The Scorpion King (Blu-ray)

Universal Ends HD DVD Support with 'Atonement'

Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 03:00 PM ET
Tags: Industry Trends, Universal (all tags)

Universal has confirmed that it will close the curtain on its HD DVD support with this month's release of 'Atonement.'

Although the studio has yet to issue a formal statement, when asked to comment on reports that it had pulled its planned Spring HD DVD release of 'Charlie Wilson's War,' a Universal rep confirmed to High-Def Digest that the studio will no longer issue new titles on the format following the March 18 HD DVD debut of 'Atonement.'

As we've previously reported, the studio waited only hours after Toshiba pulled the plug on HD DVD to announce its own intention to make the move to Blu-ray (at press time, Universal had yet to reveal plans for their first Blu-ray titles).

Today's confirmation from Universal leaves the studio with only one HD DVD title awaiting release prior to 'Atonement,' the March 11th debut of 'Fletch'

Universal's news follows Paramount/DreamWorks' announcement last week that they will end their HD DVD support with this week's releases of 'Into the Wild' and 'Things We Lost in the Fire.' This now leaves Warner as the last major studio still releasing HD DVD titles beyond this month (the studio has previously said that it will honor its pledge to continue dual-format releases through the end of May).

Needless to say, we'll keep you posted on further details of Universal's transition to Blu-ray as they're announced.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
Atonement (HD DVD)
Fletch (HD DVD)
Into the Wild (HD DVD)
Things We Lost in the Fire (HD DVD)
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Universal Reveals Early 'Charlie Wilson's War' HD DVD Plans (Feb 05, 2008)
Paramount Cancels Majority of HD DVD Slate (Feb 28, 2008)
Universal Studios Goes Blu (Feb 19, 2008)

'American Gangster' HD DVD Tops VideoScan's Weekly High-Def Disc Sales Chart

Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 04:00 PM ET
Tags: Disc Sales, Universal (all tags)

Blu-ray may have officially won the high-def format war last week, but in a strange twist, the top selling high-def disc of the week was an HD DVD release.

Yes, you read right. Universal's 'American Gangster' -- released on the same day that Toshiba announced it would drop HD DVD support -- topped Neilsen VideoScan's First Alert high-def disc charts for the week ending February 24, 2008, outselling the top Blu-ray release ('Michael Clayton') by nearly 2:1.

Of course, the remaining nine titles on VideoScan's high-def best sellers chart were all Blu-ray titles, giving the format yet another weekly win in overall sales, with Blu-ray commanding 77% of all high-def disc sales for the week. (Thanks to Robert for the correction!)

A complete list of VideoScan's top ten high-def best sellers for the week follows below: (click linked titles to read our reviews)

1. American Gangster (HD DVD); INDEX: 100
2. Michael Clayton (Blu-ray); INDEX: 62.24
3. The Rock (Blu-ray); INDEX: 27.26
4. Cars (Blu-ray); INDEX: 26.18
5. We Own the Night (Blu-ray); INDEX: 24.29
6. Planet Earth (Blu-ray); INDEX: 22.69
7. Con Air (Blu-ray); INDEX: 21.37
8. Gone Baby Gone (Blu-ray); INDEX: 19.89
9. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (Blu-ray); INDEX: 19.26
10. Crimson Tide (Blu-ray); INDEX: 18.28

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
American Gangster Tops Hidef Media Chart Week Ending Feb 24 [Format War Central]
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Toshba Officially Drops HD DVD (Feb 19, 2008)

Universal Brings 'Atonement' to HD DVD

Thu Feb 28, 2008 at 04:30 PM ET
Tags: Disc Announcements, Universal (all tags)

Underlining the continued confusion surrounding Universal's transition to Blu-ray support, the studio today confirmed a March HD DVD arrival for the Oscar-nominated epic, 'Atonement.'

Though Universal announced early last week that it would switch alliances from HD DVD to Blu-ray, the studio has yet to put a timetable on the transition, telling us as recently as last Friday that the fate of their entire upcoming HD DVD slate was in flux.

Adding to the confusion, today Universal confirmed earlier retail reports that it is planning an HD DVD/DVD Combo debut of the Keira Knightley-James McAvoy epic romance 'Atonement' for March 18 (day-and-date with the standard DVD release).

Although the HD DVD version lacks any U-Control features or other exclusives, the healthy supplement package includes audio commentary with director Joe Wright, deleted scenes with optional commentary, and two making-of featurettes ("The Making of Atonement," "From Novel to Screen").

Tech specs for the HD DVD feature 1080p/VC-1 video and English, French and Spanish Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 Surround and subtitle options (no high-res audio has been announced for the release).

Rounding out Universal's announcement, they've supplied a high-res look at the HD DVD's cover art:


Suggested list price for the HD DVD/DVD Combo is $39.98.

You'll find complete specs for 'Atonement' linked from our HD DVD Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 18.

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

Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
Atonement (HD DVD)
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Universal: HD DVD Plans in Flux (Feb 22, 2008)
Universal Goes Blu (Feb 19, 2008)

Universal: HD DVD Plans in Flux

Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 11:00 AM ET
Tags: Industry Forecasts, Universal (all tags)

With Universal having thrown its weight behind Blu-ray earlier this week, the studio says the fate of its remaining HD DVD releases is currently TBD.

Though the studio has yet to make any formal announcements, when asked to confirm recent retail reports that it was planning a March 18 HD DVD debut for the Oscar nominee 'Atonement,' a Universal rep told us that the studio's entire HD DVD slate is currently in flux -- leaving open the possibility that it may not issue any more titles in the format.

As for which titles might be affected by such a move, prior to Tuesday's announcement, Universal had only confirmed two upcoming HD DVD releases: the Chevy Chase comedy 'Fletch' (due March 11), and the Tom Hanks-Julia Roberts starrer, 'Charlie Wilson's War' (which had been planned for sometime in the April-May timeframe).

At press time, the majority of titles on the HD DVD release schedule were split between Warner and Paramount/DreamWorks. As we've previously reported, Warner recently reiterated their intention to continue supporting the format until the end of May, while Paramount has yet to set a timetable for its own move to Blu-ray (just this week, the studio issued fresh details for two upcoming HD DVD releases, 'Sweeney Todd' and 'There Will Be Blood.')

We'll keep you posted on any changes to the HD DVD release schedule as soon as official information comes to us.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
HD DVD Release Schedule [High-Def Digest]
Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
Fletch (HD DVD)
Dirty Harry (Blu-ray)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (HD DVD)
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Universal Studios Goes Blu (Feb 19, 2008)
Warner: HD DVD Plans Unchanged (Feb 20, 2008)
Universal Reveals Early 'Charlie Wilson's War' HD DVD Plans (Feb 05, 2008)
Paramount Goes Blu (Feb 21, 2008)

Universal Studios Goes Blu

Tue Feb 19, 2008 at 12:14 PM ET
Tags: Universal (all tags)

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has officially announced that it will release its titles on Blu-ray.

Though details of the studio's transition away from HD DVD were still sketchy at press time, Universal Studios Home Entertainment President Craig Kornblau officially confirmed the move in a just issued statement:

"The path for widespread adoption of the next-generation platform has finally become clear. Universal will continue its aggressive efforts to broaden awareness for hi-def’s unparalleled offerings in interactivity and connectivity, at an increasingly affordable price. The emergence of a single, high-definition format is cause for consumers, as well as the entire entertainment industry, to celebrate. While Universal values the close partnership we have shared with Toshiba, it is time to turn our focus to releasing new and catalog titles on Blu-ray."

Universal's statement this morning comes only hours after primary HD DVD-backer Toshiba announced that it would drop its support of the format. Universal was the format's most ardent studio backer, having released titles on HD DVD exclusively since the format's inception.

We'll have more on this breaking story as it comes to us.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Toshiba Officially Drops HD DVD (Feb 19, 2008)

Universal Cancels 'Dazed & Confused,' 'Land of the Dead' HD DVD Re-Issues

Fri Feb 08, 2008 at 11:00 AM ET
Tags: Street Date Changes, Universal (all tags)

Sorry, combo haters: Universal has pulled the previously-announced HD DVD non-combo re-issues of 'Dazed & Confused' and 'Land of the Dead' from its high-def schedule.

As we've previously reported, back in December the studio announced plans to re-issue 'Land of the Dead' and 'Dazed & Confused' as HD DVD-only versions on March 11. Both titles had originally been released in 2006 as HD DVD/DVD combos back in 2006, and those versions were expected to go out of print once current retailer inventories were depleted.

Universal gave no reason for the cancellation of the re-issues, but a studio rep tells us they may resurface at some point in the future, and the current combo versions of the titles will remain on the market until further notice.

Given this news, we've moved our listings for the 'Land of the Dead' and 'Dazed & Confused' re-issue versions to the "Street Dates Postponed" section of our HD DVD Release Schedule.

For full details on the HD DVD/DVD combo versions of both titles, you can read our full-length reviews of 'Land of the Dead' and 'Dazed & Confused.'

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
Dazed and Confused (Combo Edition) (HD DVD)
Land of the Dead (Combo Edition) (HD DVD)
Human Body: Pushing the Limits (Blu-ray)
Land of the Dead (Re-Issue) (HD DVD)
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Non-Combo HD DVD Re-Issues Planned For 'Dazed & Confused,' 'Land of the Dead' (Dec 19, 2007)


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