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Now then, in announcement news today, Kino Lorber Studio Classics has revealed that it’s working on a new 4K Ultra HD release of Bryan Singer’s The Usual Suspects (1995) set to debut later this year. (The street date is currently listed as coming soon.)

Disney is releasing its classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in a new 85th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray on 3/22, but only as a Disney Movie Club Exclusive. This edition includes cover artwork based on the original 1937 movie poster (which you can see below), plus a new featurette entitled 10 Ways Snow White Changed Animation Forever. SRP is $29.99, but the DMC Club price is $24.99.

Paramount has just announced that Coming 2 America, the recent Amazon Studios sequel to the original Coming to America, will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on 3/8. Extras will include audio commentary by director Craig Brewer and the From Queens to Zamunda behind-the-scenes featurette, with never-before-seen footage and interviews. You can see the cover artwork below.

Paramount is also re-releasing Jack Reacher (2012) in a new 4K Steelbook configuration on 4/5.

And here’s something interesting: We’ve mentioned before that Paramount is going to be releasing John Ford’s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance in 4K Ultra HD likely in April. Well, here’s more confirmation: Amazon.fr now has it listed for release in France on 5/24. What’s more, they also have Tony Scott’s Beverly Hills Cop II set for 4K release on the same day, which means that it’s almost certainly coming here in the States as well. And don’t forget that The Untouchables is also coming to 4K here in the States, likely on 5/31.

Also of note: Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners is listed on Amazon.fr as coming there in new Blu-ray limited editions on 5/18, which means we’re likely to see Arrow Video’s long-awaited Blu-ray (and maybe 4K) release announced soon too.

A couple more quick bits of upcoming release news... retail sources are now suggesting that Universal’s Sing 2 will arrive on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 3/22.

Vinegar Syndrome has revealed that they’re working on a new 4K restoration of Bo Arne Vibenius’ Thriller: A Cruel Picture (1973) for release on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray in May. The film will be uncut and uncensored, mastered from the original 16 mm AB roll camera negative. You can read more here.

And here’s something interesting: Gordon Parks’ Shaft (1971) has been remastered for 4K, and it appears than an actual 4K UHD release may be in the offing this year. This is obviously a Warner Bros. title, but our industry sources suggest that it’s been licensed by the Criterion Collection. So watch for an announcement from them in the weeks and months ahead.

We’ve updated our 4K Ultra HD Release List here at The Bits with all of these titles accordingly.

Also today, RLJE Films has set Edward Drake’s Apex for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 2/8. The film stars Neal McDonough and Bruce Willis.

The company has also set Camille Griffin’s Silent Night for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 3/8, staring Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode.

They have Tony Aloupis’ I Am Mortal coming to both formats on 3/1 as well, starring Sean Gunn and Eloise Smyth.

Sony has set Denzel Washington’s A Journal for Jordan for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 3/8.

And Universal is releasing Brooklyn Nine-Nine: The Complete Series on Blu-ray and DVD on 3/8. You can see the cover artwork below.

Finally today, some very sad news: The great filmmaker and legendary VFX pioneer Douglas Trumbull has died. Trumbull was in a significant way responsible for the rebirth of the modern visual effects industry in the 1970s and 80s as a result of his work on Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. He followed this with equally pioneering work on such films as The Andromeda Strain, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Blade Runner, and more recently The Tree of Life. In the process he certainly influenced the work of other VFX pioneers with whom he collaborated over the years, including the likes of Brian Johnson, Colin Cantwell, Con Pederson, John Dykstra, Richard Yuricich, Syd Dutton, Pat McClung, and many others. Of course, he also directed some great feature films of his own, including Silent Running and Brainstorm. And we haven’t even mentioned the 65mm Showscan process he developed, nor his work with IMAX, nor his contributions to Universal’s Back to the Future: The Ride. When you tally it all up, Trumbull’s shadow is long indeed. On a personal note, I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to meet him briefly on a couple of occasions. And it goes without saying that the debt cinephiles everywhere owe to the man is significant. Thank you, Douglas. You will be dearly missed. Trumbull was 79. You can read more about his life and work today at here at Variety, The Guardian, The Hollywood Reporter, and Deadline. I also strongly recommend you check out this great 2018 feature article on Trumbull via the VFX Society’s VFX Voice.

We’ll leave you with a look the cover artwork for a few of the titles mentioned above (with Amazon pre-order links if available), along with that new Snow White BD cover and retail art for The Message 4K (which is TBA from Shout! Factory)...

That’s all for now. Stay tuned...

(You can follow Bill on social media at these links: Twitter and Facebook)