Extras on the Blu-ray SKUs will include a gag reel, audio commentary by Waititi, 3 featurettes (Hammer-worthy: Thor and The Mighty Thor, Shaping a Villain, and Another Classic Taika Adventure), and 4 deleted scenes (Looking for Zeus, Wasting Time, A Safe Vacation, and Fighting for You). You can see the final cover artwork for the 4K version above left and also below.
Meanwhile, Scream Factory has revealed the extras that will be included on their forthcoming 4K UHD release of Dan O’Bannon’s The Return of the Living Dead (street date 10/11). You’ll get the film on both Ultra HD and Blu-ray, mastered from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative. The UHD will feature both HDR10 and Dolby Vision high dynamic range. Each disc will include no less than four legacy audio commentaries, plus trailers, TV spots, image galleries, Zombie subtitles, and more previously-created extras.
The set will also include a Blu-ray bonus disc that will add The Return of the Living Dead Workprint (additional footage in SD), the More Brains: A Return to the Living Dead documentary, and 9 featurettes (The FX of The Return Living Dead – Expanded Version, Party Time: The Music of The Return of the Living Dead – Expanded Version, The Origins of the Living Dead, The Return of the Living Dead: The Dead Have Risen, Designing the Dead, Horror’s Hallowed Grounds, and A Conversation With Dan O’Bannon). You can see the cover artwork below.
Speaking of Scream Factory, for those wondering why Shout! and Scream are only including the Theatrical Cut of Sam Raimi’s Army of Darkness in 4K on their forthcoming Ultra HD release (due 10/4), we’ve asked the company about it and have been given this statement...
“Director Sam Raimi meticulously oversaw the first ever 4K restoration of Army of Darkness. If you are wondering why [only] the Theatrical Cut was chosen, the answer is straightforward: Of the multiple cuts of the film, the only version where an original cut negative existed at Universal was the Theatrical Cut. Additionally, we were unable to locate original negatives (or trims) for the scenes from the alternate cuts. Obtaining the original negatives for our UHD releases is essential in presenting films in proper 4K HDR.”
– Shout!/Scream Factory statement provided to The Digital Bits website, 8/25/22
So there you go. Adjust your plans accordingly.
Moving on, we have a few more updates from retail sources on forthcoming 4K catalog titles for you... look for Warner’s The Polar Express, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Elf, and A Christmas Story to arrive on 4K UHD on 11/1, followed by Casablanca on 11/8.
Also, Universal’s 8 Mile will street in 4K on 11/8, with the animated Puss in Boots and Shrek 2 following on 11/22.
And 88 Films will release Cannibal Holocaust on 4K Ultra HD in the UK on 11/28.
Keep in mind that all of these dates are tentative until officially announced by the studio. We’ve updated our 4K Ultra HD Release List here at The Bits with all of this information accordingly.
One other quick 4K note: With House of the Dragon now airing on HBO, if anyone is interested in Game of Thrones: The Complete Series in Ultra HD, Amazon is currently selling the box set for just $109—that’s a hefty 57% off the original $254 SRP. You can find it here and see the cover art below.
And on the regular Blu-ray front, Universal has just set the Peacock original series Bel-Air: Season One for Blu-ray and DVD release on 10/4. This is their dramatic sequel to the original NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and I’ll be damned if it isn’t way better than it has any right to be. You can also see the cover art below.
That’s all for this afternoon! Back tomorrow with more. Stay tuned...
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