'King Kong' Roars to HD DVD

Universal Studios Home Video has announced it is bringing its first 800-pound gorilla to HD DVD, when 'King Kong' makes his next-gen debut on November 14.

Peter Jackson's remake of the great ape will be joined by two other high-profile action-adventure blockbusters, 'Hulk' and 'Waterworld.'

Each will be presented in 1080p/VC-1 video, though further technical specs are not yet available.

Extras on 'Hulk' will mirror those on the standard DVD release of the film, including audio commentary with director Ang Lee and multiple featurettes. Supplemental content for 'King Kong' and 'Waterworld' have not yet been released.

The studio has set a suggested list price of $29.98 for each release.

The timing of Universal's announcement comes only days after last week's [post 210]major news for Blu-ray, including the unveiling of Fox's first releases on the rival next-gen format. It is also likely not a coincidence that the release date for 'Kong' and company is November 14, which comes only a mere few days before the high-profile launch of Sony's Blu-ray-driven PlayStation 3 game console.

Stay tuned for complete details as soon as they are officially announced, and the latest specs for have been added to our complete HD DVD Release Schedule.