All three versions are now available for pre-order on Amazon.com by clicking on the cover artwork above.
Extras on each version will include feature-length audio commentary on the film with director/writer Peter Jackson and co-producer/writer Philippa Boyens, the New Zealand: Home of Middle-Earth documentary, the 14-part The Appendices: Part 7 – A Long-Expected Journey: The Chronicles of The Hobbit documentary (includes The Journey Back to Middle-Earth, Riddles in the Dark: Gollum’s Cave, An Unexpected Party: Bag End, Roast Mutton: Trollshaws Forest, Bastion of the Greenwood: Rhosgobel, A Short Rest: Rivendell and London, Over Hill: The Misty Mountains, Under Hill: Goblin Town, Out of the Frying Pan…: The Forest Ledge, Return to Hobbiton: The Shire, The Epic of Scene 88: Strath Taieri, The Battle of Moria: Azanulbizar, Edge of the Wilderland: Pick-ups and the Carrock and Home is Behind, The World Ahead), the 8-part The Appendices: Part 8 – Return to Middle-Earth: The Company of Thorin documentary (Assembling the Dwarves, Thorin, Fili & Kili, Balin & Dwalin, Oin & Gloin, Dori, Nori & Ori, Bifur, Bofur & Bombur, Mr. Baggins: The 14th Member and Durin’s Folk: Creating the Dwarves), 4 The People and Denizens of Middle-Earth featurettes (The Stone Trolls, Radagast the Brown, Goblins and Azog the Defiler), 5 Realms of the Third Age: From Bag End to Goblin Town featurettes (Hobbiton, Rhosgobel, Rivendell, The Misty Mountains and Goblin Town), The Songs of the Hobbit featurette and presumably production artwork galleries, trailers, TV spots, Easter eggs and more. Whew!
Also today, Disney has officially revealed (via an ad in Home Media Magazine) that they’re releasing a Mary Poppins: 50th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray/DVD Combo on 12/10 with “all-new Blu-ray Bonus” content. Just when you thought Disney wasn’t interested in their live-action catalog films anymore, there you go. Thanks to our friends over at the HTF for alerting us! Here’s what the packaging will look like…
For those of you wondering what happened to The Black Hole and that newly-restored print of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea on Blu-ray, Disney has apparently been working on plans to remake each of those films (Black Hole is set to be directed by Joseph Kosinski with script by Jon Spaihts, while 20,000 Leagues was to have been helmed by David Fincher but that’s now on hold), so the Blu-ray releases are being held back until closer to the time the new films reach theaters, much as was the case with the original Tron. Just FYI.
By the way, following up on yesterday’s post, we’ve also gotten official confirmation from 20th Century Fox this morning that the Fantastic Voyage and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea feature films are indeed coming to Blu-ray this year in the U.S. (street date 10/8). The U.K. BD versions are currently set for release on 11/4.
Finally this morning, Sony’s This Is the End is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com on Blu-ray Combo and DVD. Street date is listed as 10/1. Official details are still TBA.
Back tomorrow with more. Stay tuned…
- Bill Hunt