Posted Mon Aug 11, 2008 at 12:00 PM PDT by Peter Bracke
Warner has announced its latest "catch-up" classic for Blu-ray, with plans to bring a two-disc special edition of 'Casablanca' to the format in early December.
Originally released to great acclaim on HD DVD back in 2006, Warner will at last debut the Oscar-winning Michael Curtiz classic on Blu-ray December 2, day-and-date with the standard DVD.
Dubbed the 'Casablanca: Ultimate Collector's Edition,' the two-Blu-ray set comes housed in deluxe laser-cut Moroccan outer packaging, containing various collectibles including a collectible booklet, reproductions of executive memos and props, a branded passport holder with luggage tag, and a mail-in offer for a movie poster reproduction.
Extras shared between the Blu-ray and DVD re-issue are extensive, including a pair of audio commentaries (with critic Roger Ebert and historian Rudy Behlmer), the TCM movie special "Bacall on Bogart," a pair of featurettes ("You Must Remember This: A Tribute to Casablanca," "As Time Goes By: The Children Remember"), additional footage, outtakes, rare radio broadcasts, scoring sessions, multiple still galleries, a WB cartoon short, and a pair of original theatrical trailers.
The second disc in the set will include the 1993 full-length documentary "Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul."
Tech specs have not yet been released, so there's no confirmation on whether the film's video and/or audio will be receiving an upgrade for Blu-ray.
Warner has also not yet announced a suggested list price for the Blu-ray, but as always, we'll keep you posted.
You'll find the latest specs for 'Casablanca' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under December 2.
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