Warner Home Video (WHV) announced it will launch its first titles on HD DVD. Clint Eastwood's four-time Academy Award-winning, Best Picture of 2004, MILLION DOLLAR BABY; four-time Oscar-nominated epic, THE LAST SAMURAI and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, Joel Schumacher's movie adaptation of Broadway's longest running show will all be released on April 18, 2006. Each of these titles will be available for $28.99.
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, the fourth feature in the popular POTTER franchise, debuts March 7 on DVD (Warner Home Video, $30.97 for two-disc special edition). GOBLET OF FIRE will also be available in UMD format for PSP.
Dennis Weaver, who played limping deputy Chester Goode in GUNSMOKE and the intelligent New Mexico deputy solving crime in the Big Apple in TV's MCCLOUD, died Friday, Feb. 24, 2006. He was 81 years old. Weaver died at his home in Ridgway, in southwestern Colorado, of complications from cancer, publicist Julian Myers said Monday.
Universal Studios Home Ent. has announced that Peter Jackson's KING KONG will be released on DVD March 28, 2006, just 100 days after its theatrical release. There will be two editions: a movie-only single disc ($30) and a two-disc special edition ($31) that includes the final entries in the online production diaries (three hours of post work from Weta Digital), a mockumentary on Skull Island and a tribute to '30s era New York City and the influence of the original KONG. Weta also designed the DVD cover art.
4Kids Ent. Home Video Inc., in association with FUNimation Ent., will release its YU-GI-OH! VOLUME 4.2: MY FREAKY VALENTINE DVD on Feb. 7, 2006. This eight episode, three-hour DVD features two multi-episode storylines.
In My Freaky Valentine Part I, II & III, Mai has done the unthinkable and joined the enemy. Using the sinister sorcery of Seal of Orichalcos, Mai unequivocally plots to trap Joeys soul for Dartzs evil master plan. Has Mai been brainwashed? Or is there a deeper and darker reason for the sudden change?
Animated movies lead the nominees for the 2006 DVD Exclusive Awards, with Lilo & STITCH 2: STITCH HAS A GLITCH and TARZAN II receiving the most nods, at 12 and 11, respectively.
Including its nominees for Pixar's THE INCREDIBLES, Buena Vista scored 44 nods, far from the runner-up, Warner Home Video with 23, including 12 for sister company New Line Home Ent.
20th Century Fox Home Ent. garnered 16 nominees, Universal Studios Home Ent. nine and Paramount Home Ent. eight.
Global distributor/producer BKN has entered the home entertainment and new media distribution business by forming BKN Home Ent. Ltd. in the U.K. and BKN Home Ent. Inc. in the U.S. to take greater control of the distribution of the companys content in all emerging forms and venues.
Matthew Graham-Clare has bee named md of the U.K. operation with Mark Saxe serving as production director.
Buena Vista Home Ent. (BVHE) announced that it will begin releasing titles beginning summer of 2006 on the Blu-ray Disc format in conjunction with the hardware manufacturer's release of Blu-ray Disc products. Titles will include Walt Disney Pictures DINOSAUR; Quentin Tarantino's KILL BILL: VOL. 1; HERO; DARK WATER; LADDER 49; THE BROTHERS GRIMM; THE GREAT RAID; ARMAGEDDON, directed by Michael Bay and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer; Kevin Smith's JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK; and the documentary EVEREST narrated by Liam Neeson.
DEG: The Digital Ent. Group, which held its annual reception at CES 2006 in Las Vegas, honored THE INCREDIBLES: COLLECTORS EDITION (Buena Vista Home Ent.) as the Theatrical DVD Title of the Year.
Other winners included KING KONG: COLLECTORS EDITION (Warner Home Video) for Catalog; LOST: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON (Buena Vista Home Ent.) for TV; and the animated FAMILY GUY PRESENTS: STEWIE GRIFFIN, THE UNTOLD STORY (Twentieth Century Fox Home Ent.) for Direct to DVD.
Warner Home Video announced its initial HD DVD and Blu-ray offerings at CES 2006, now underway in Las Vegas.
On the eve of tomorrows Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, four studios announced their initial Blu-ray hi-def DVD offerings for the spring, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
Disney's KIM POSSIBLE the animated hit comedy/action series from Walt Disney Television Animation, resumes production for a fourth season of 22 new episodes. KIM POSSIBLE airs in the U.S. on Disney Channel, Toon Disney and the ABC Television Network's "ABC Kids" daypart.
The international hit, KIM POSSIBLE, is from multiple Emmy-nominated creators/exec producers Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle. Emmy nominee Steve Loter also returns as director and producer of the fourth season.
Tim Burtons CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, which collected a sweet $407 million overall at the box office, makes its DVD debut on Nov. 8, 2005 (Warner Home Video, $30.97, two-disc deluxe edition, $28.98 single disc). The movie benefits greatly from Alex McDowells imaginative production design and vfx from Moving Picture Co., Framestore CFC, Cinesite (Europe), Digital Domain, Darkside Effects Ltd. and Neal Scanlan Studio.
Deluxe edition bonus features include:
* Five making-of featurettes:
Warner Home Video (WHV) will release THE DUKES OF HAZZARD as the first new Universal Media Disc (UMD) release title on Dec. 6, day-and-date with the DVD. Also available on that date will be AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE VOLUME 4 from Cartoon Network.
This will be followed by WHVs second wave of UMD titles on Dec. 20: CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, BATMAN BEGINS, CONSTANTINE, HOUSE OF WAX, THE MATRIX, T3 and ENTER THE DRAGON.
BIONICLE 3: WEB OF SHADOWS is the third in the series of CG-animated features made for DVD (Buena Vista Home Ent., $29.99). With one final duty to fulfill before they can build their new home on the island of Mata Nui, six great Toa heroes return to Metru Nui and find their once-glorious city shrouded in shadows and overrun by a sinister army of spidery, web-slinging Visorak.
As part of the reorganization and establishment of the recent Warner Bros. Home Ent. Group, Ronald Sanders has been named president, Warner Home Video. He assumes responsibility for the overall worldwide operation of Warner Home Video, including sales, marketing, distribution, finance, administration and physical operations.
Patricia Wyatt has been named president, HIT North America, based in the companys New York City office where she will be responsible for expanding the existing consumer products and home entertainment businesses for HITs classic preschool brands, including Bob the Builder, Thomas & Friends, Barney, Pingu and Angelina Ballerina, as well as launching new content. She will also serve on HITs executive management board.
Tim Burtons CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, which collected a sweet $205 million at the box office with the help of vfx from Moving Picture Co., Framestore CFC, Cinesite (Europe), Digital Domain, Darkside Effects Ltd. and Neal Scanlan Studio, makes its DVD debut on Nov. 8 (Warner Home Video, $30.97 two-disc deluxe edition, $28.98 single disc).
Special edition bonus features include:
* Five making-of featurettes:
Chocolate Dreams: Learn about Burton's vision for the film and how he adapted the story.
THE INCREDIBLES was the big winner at 2005 Home Entertainment Awards, garnering three awards the 2005 Home Entertainment Awards, presented by the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) in recognition of outstanding achievement in home video. The awards were announced at VSDA's Home Entertainment 2005, which took place at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. VSDA's Home Entertainment 2005 is the annual convention of the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA).
The Special Extended DVD edition of THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING was the top winner with six trophies at the 8th Annual DVD Awards with Leonard Maltin. The New Line Home Ent. DVD set led all entries in the Grab.com Viewers Choice Award (tied with two others), Best of Show (tied), Blockbuster Theatrical (tie), Authoring Design, Video Presentation and Audio Presentation.
SIN CITY, Robert Rodriguezs ambitiously stylized adaptation of Frank Millers graphic novel (with vfx divided between Hybride, CaféFX and The Orphanage, along with crucial assistance from the directors Austin, Texas-based Troublemaker Studios), lands on DVD Aug. 16, 2005 (Buena Vista Home Ent., $29.99).
Paramount Home Ent. and PBS Home Video have acquired the North American rights to PorchLight Ent.s JAY JAY THE JET PLANE, with plans to relaunch the property on home video in the spring of 2006. Under the multi-year deal, Paramount Home Ent. will distribute and market a minimum of two new titles per year in North America under the PBS Kids label.
Warner Home Video is releasing, for the first ime on DVD, A PUP NAMED SCOOBY-DOO, VOLUME 1 and VOLUME 2. Geared toward preschoolers, both DVD titles follow the adventures of Scooby-Doo as puppy, along with pint-sized versions of Shaggy, Velma, Daphne and Fred as they solve mysteries. The volumes street on July 19, 2005, and retail for $14.98 SRP each.
The series, produced by Hanna-Barbera, originally aired on ABC and is currently airing on Cartoon Network/Boomerang.
IDG World Expo will host Macworld Conference & Expo, the world's most comprehensive Macintosh OS event. The event showcases products and services for professionals involved in media and creative content development for corporate and home applications, as well as consumers using the Mac at home. Macworld brings together the loyal base of Mac OS audiences in creative services, education, application development, entertainment, small office/home office and Internet-based environments.
Warner Home Video (WHV) has served up for summer viewing WHATS NEW SCOOBY-DOO? VOL. 5: SPORTS SPOOKTACULAR, featuring four sports themed adventures from the hit TV series.
