Tag Archives: 4K remaster

The Hobbit: Motion Picture Trilogy on 4K December

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Well, it’s official, if you haven’t already heard by now that Peter Jackson‘s “The Hobbit: The Motion Picture Trilogy“ on 4K UHD Blu-ray is coming on December 1st. The three films here include “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” (2012), “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” (2013), and “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” (2014). The motion pictures featured a cast of Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Dean O’Gorman, James Nesbitt, and John Callen.

Just like “The Lord of the Rings“ films, these films have all received new 4K remasters that were “overseen by [the director] Peter Jackson” himself. Again, as with The Lord of the Rings films, you will get both the Theatrical and Extended versions of the films included here, each on their own discs here for these films. That means you’ll see it be a 6-disc set that features a 4K UHD Blu-ray disc for each version of the film. That means no Blu-ray counterparts included, and in turn no bonus materials that I’ve been told of. Warner provided me the PRESS RELEASE to the announcement of these films officially coming out earlier today, and it has zero mention of extras coming (this year) for the release. First though, here’s a glimpse at the contents of this set below.So, I’ll get to the point here. There is actually a release planned for 2021 called the 6-Film “Middle-Earth” (Ultimate Collector’s Edition) on 4K UHD Blu-ray. That release will feature both trilogies in 4K, with both versions of each film, and the Blu-ray counterparts (remastered) and containing the previously released bonus materials — as well as some new exclusive extras. But, don’t get confused here. That’s for a future 2021 release on 4K of the two trilogies bundled together. Let me take some quotes regarding that from the press release to hopefully clarify that fully.

“In addition, it was also announced that a 4K UHD “Middle-earth” Ultimate Collectors’ Edition featuring the theatrical and extended versions of all six films, along with new bonus content, previously released Blu-ray discs of The Hobbit Trilogy, and remastered Blu-ray discs of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy will be released in the summer of 2021. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy featuring remastered Blu-ray discs of the theatrical and extended versions of the 3 films will also be released in the fourth quarter 2021, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.”

So, again, as I said before, take a deep breath. Here’s even more on that, via the announcement headline.

“Six-film “Middle-earth” Ultimate Collectors’ Edition with new Bonus Content to be released in 4K UHD in Summer 2021 

 The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Remastered Blu-ray™ to be released in 4K UHD in fourth Quarter 2021 to celebrate 20th anniversary of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”

So, that’s a thing. There’s an upcoming bundle with extras if you want that, but if you already own the previous Blu-ray versions of these films with extras (bonus materials) then the only thing you’ll be missing out on will be the new extras and perhaps the digital copy? Speaking of which, this release will come with a digital code (copy) of each film in the trilogy and I will assume also both versions of each film.

For this upcoming 2020 release, the tech specs include a 2160p presentation in HDR10 and Dolby Vision forms of high dynamic range and Dolby Atmos sound. You can find a bit of info regarding (confirming) this and details about Peter Jackson’s involvement with these upcoming releases below, taken from the press release.

“The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs of The Hobbit Trilogy and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy will feature Dolby VisionTM HDR that dramatically expands the color palette and contrast range and uses dynamic metadata to automatically optimize the picture for every screen, frame by frame. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs of The Hobbit Trilogy and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy will also feature a Dolby Atmos® soundtrack remixed specifically for the home theater environment to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead.”

Now, you can find the 4K UHD Blu-ray available for preorder over at Amazon [commissions earned] and at retailer Best Buy. It’s totally worth noting that there will also be an exclusive 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook release available of the trilogy only over at retailer Best Buy (pictured below), which is now up for preorder.

Finally, further below, after the break, you can find the full announcement regarding this trilogy and The Lord of the Rings trilogy both coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray.

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The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone Blu-ray

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The 1990 film “The Godfather: Part III” has been re-edited by director Francis Ford Coppola as “Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, CODA: The Death of Michael Corleone“ which is officially coming to Blu-ray Disc on December 8th via Paramount. The film, based on Mario Puzo‘s novel and screenplay co-written by Coppola, starred Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Andy Garcia, Talia Shire, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, George Hamilton, Bridget Fonda, and Sofia Coppola. The tech specs for the Blu-ray have not yet been fully detailed but it is known that the film has received a new 4K scan and was remastered. Below you can find details about this release’s video and audio presentations, taken from the press release.

“‘Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone’ is an acknowledgment of Mario’s and my preferred title and our original intentions for what became ‘The Godfather: Part III,’” said Coppola. “For this version of the finale, I created a new beginning and ending, and rearranged some scenes, shots, and music cues. With these changes and the restored footage and sound, to me, it is a more appropriate conclusion to ‘The Godfather’ and ‘The Godfather: Part II’ and I’m thankful to Jim Gianopulos and Paramount for allowing me to revisit it.”

“Coppola and his production company American Zoetrope worked from a 4K scan of the original negative to undertake a painstaking, frame-by-frame restoration of both the new Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone and the original The Godfather: Part III. In order to create the best presentation possible, Zoetrope and Paramount’s restoration team began by searching for over 50 original takes to replace lower resolution opticals in the original negative.  This process took more than six months and involved sifting through 300 cartons of negative.  American Zoetrope worked diligently to repair scratches, stains, and other anomalies that could not be addressed previously due to technology constraints, while enhancements were made to the original 5.1 audio mix.”

“The Blu-ray presentation will include the newly restored and re-edited film, an exclusive introduction by Coppola, and access to a Digital copy of the film.”

The is no indication if this will receive a physical 4K release anytime soon, but you’d think that it would be later and include the first time films to form the entire trilogy. Stat tuned for full details regarding the tech specs, as I’m expecting it to come in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio with a lossless 5.1 surround mix (in either Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio). The release will come with a digital code (copy) of the film. Lastly, no info regarding bonus materials has been made aside from this including a new introduction by the director (Francis Ford Coppola).

UPDATE: This upcoming Blu-ray Disc release is now able to preorder over at Amazon.

Further below, after the break, you can find the complete announcement regarding this newly re-edited version of the third film in “The Godfather” trilogy.

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2004 Michael Mann film Collateral on 4K in December

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The 2004 Michael Mann directed film “Collateral“ starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx is officially coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray on December 8th via Paramount. The film co-starred Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Bruce McGill, Javier Bardem, Irma P. Hall, and Barry Shabaka Henley.

Tech specs for the 4K release include a 2160p presentation in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio from a new 4K remaster that was done “under the supervision of the director” [Michael Mann]. No specific details yet regarding the audio format or configuration on this release, but I have put in an inquiry directly to the studio (Paramount) about this and I hope to hear back and provide you all with an update soon.

This release will come in the form of a “combo pack” meaning that it will come with a Blu-ray Disc counterpart (in this case: “remastered, offering an exceptional viewing experience”) and digital code (copy) of the film. You can find the 4K UHD Blu-ray now listed for preorder over at Amazon. The bonus materials set to be included on the release are listed below.

  • Commentary by Director Michael Mann
  • City of Night: The Making of Collateral
  • Special Delivery
  • Deleted Scene with Commentary
  • Shooting on Location: Annie’s Office
  • Tom Cruise & Jamie Foxx Rehearse
  • Visual FX: MTA Train

Below, after the break, you can find the full information regarding the announcement of this upcoming 4K UHD Blu-ray release of the film.

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Trading Places on Paramount Presents Blu-ray December

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The 1983 film “Trading Places“ starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd will be getting a new limited edition Blu-ray Disc release on December 1st via Paramount Presents. The film, directed by John Landis, co-starred Ralph Bellamy, Denholm Elliott, Don Ameche, Jim Belushi, and Jamie Lee Curtis. This movie has received a new 4K remastered transfer that was supervised by the film’s director (John Landis) as described below:

“Newly remastered from a 4K film transfer supervised by director John Landis, TRADING PLACES cemented Eddie Murphy’s star status.  The limited-edition Paramount Presents Blu-ray Disc™ is presented in collectible packaging that includes a foldout image of the film’s theatrical poster and an interior spread with key movie moments.  The film will also be available on 4K Ultra HD Digital.”

The tech specs for the release have not yet been fully detailed, but hopefully, I’ll be able to give you a rundown on that soon, as I put in an inquiry to the studio about those. You can find the upcoming Paramount Presents Blu-ray now available for preorder over at Amazon.

This release, spine #12 in the series, will feature the beautiful packaging we have come to expect from the Paramount Presents line, complete with a fold-out mini theatrical poster (pictured below).

Below, you will find a list of the bonus materials set to be included on the Blu-ray release.

  • NEW Filmmaker Focus with John Landis
  • A Digital Copy of the film
  • Previously released bonus content:

    • Deleted Scenes
    • Insider Trading: The Making of Trading Places
    • Dressing the Part
    • The Trade in Trading Places
    • Trading Stories
    • Industry Promotional Piece
    • Theatrical Trailer
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