Tag Archives: Sean Astin

Middle-Earth Ultimate Collector’s Edition 4K November

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As promised, a “Middle-Earth Ultimate Collector’s Edition“ box set, now with a new release date, is officially coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray on November 16th, via Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The 31-disc box set includes all six of the Peter Jackson-directed film adaptations of the J.R.R. Tolkein stories “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” via trilogies for each. The theatrical and extended versions of each of the six films will be included in this box set, and those films consist (chronologically) of the following:

  • “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001)
  • “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” (2002)
  • “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003)
  • “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” (2012)
  • “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” (2013)
  • “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” (2014)

MAJOR UPDATE: the original release date of late October (10/26 specifically) for this has now been pushed back to a new release date of November 16th.

The tech specs for the releases include 2160p video presentations for each film in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio with HDR10 and Dolby Vision forms of high dynamic range and Dolby Atmos sound. The theatrical versions of the film are on one BD-100 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc, while the Extended Cuts are presented on two BD-100 4K discs (as part 1 and part 2). This set will also come in the form of a “combo pack,” meaning that it will include the Blu-ray Disc counterparts (remastered in 1080p HD) for both trilogies and for both theatrical and extended cut for each. Then, there’s a bonus disc that I’ll discuss a bit further below, which makes this a 31-disc set. Also, you’ll get a digital code (copy) of each of the six films and of each version — compatible with Movies Anywhere.

You can now find the 4K UHD Blu-ray of the “Middle-Earth Ultimate Collector’s Edition“ available for preorder over at Amazon. The bonus materials set to be included with the release will feature all of the extras found on the previous Blu-ray (and DVD) releases as well as include an exclusive Bonus Disc. The contents of that disc are listed below.

  • Exclusive Blu-ray Bonus Disc includes:
    • Alamo Drafthouse: The Lord of the Rings Cast Reunions (hosted by Stephen Colbert)
      • “The Fellowship of the Ring” – RT: 39:38​ (with Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Sean Astin and Elijah Wood)
      • “The Two Towers” – RT: 32:24​ (with Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler and Viggo Mortenson)​
      • “The Return of the King” – RT: 29:48 (with Ian McKellan, Andy Serkis, and Peter Jackson)​
    • Festival De Cannes Presentation Reel

Also, as you’d expect, the audio commentary tracks will be included for each film, and (as mentioned) the extras will be physically included this time around as well. This set will contain a lot of physical extras and some rather impressive packaging that features the ability to change the slipcase into different configurations (as pictured below).

The physical extras included are detailed briefly below and further below I’ve included some further glimpses at the artwork and contents for this 4K set.

  • Exclusive Blu-ray Bonus Disc
  • 64-Page Booklet of Costume Sketches, Photography and Production Notes
  • 7 Travel Postcards

Lastly, I’ll remind you that this 4K set technically has yet to be officially announced by the studio [Warner], however, it’s obviously coming according to Amazon, but stay tuned for an update with confirmation and for further details.

UPDATE: This has been officially announced today [9/9] and you can find the full info regarding the release listed below.

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The Lord of the Rings Trilogy comes to 4K in December

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“The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy“ is officially coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray on December 1st via Warner. Specifically, the trilogy is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray in the form of a standard release on the format, a 4K UHD Blu-ray Giftset (pictured below), plus as a 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook exclusive to retailer Best Buy (also pictured, further below). The box set will include the films “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings” (2001), “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” (2002), and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003) — all directed by Peter Jackson. The three films starred Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortensen, Sala Baker, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Billy Boyd, John Bach, Brad Dourif, Marton Csokas, and Bernard Hill.

UPDATE #7: Alright. I have now received the official announcement directly from my contact at the studio (Warner) and I have the PRESS RELEASE which you will find at the very, very bottom of this already lengthy post. I’ll try to be condensing this and putting as much based on the final word of this announcement in the coming hours. So, without further ado! Alright, the tech specs for both trilogies (The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit) will both include 4K presentations in the HDR10 and Dolby Vision forms of high dynamic range, along with Dolby Atmos sound. In fact, here’s a short bit (from the press release) regarding that.

“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.”

Next! The films as I can tell, from the hi-res images that Warner has provided me, will be like this in terms of the 4K UHD Blu-ray Discs included. And, yes, ONLY 4K discs will be included in these sets with no Blu-ray counterparts. The Lord of the Rings films will get 3 discs for each film in its trilogy, consisting of the first disc for each being the Theatrical version and the second & third discs being used for the Extended Cut split into two parts. Then, for The Hobbit films, it will be 2 discs for each film in that trilogy. It will consist of the first disc (for each) being used for that film’s Theatrical version and the second disc (for each) will be used for the Extended version (of that film). I know that’s a bit much to all take in at once. But, prepare for more.

Okay, so, it’s become apparent that there will not be any bonus materials included on these releases, likely because they didn’t have the Blu-ray counterparts for a purpose. That’s because they [Warner] actually plan to do a 2021 release of these films bundled together in what is being called the Six-film “Middle-Earth (Ultimate Collector’s Edition)” 4K UHD Blu-ray set. It will contain some specially created new extras and the original Blu-ray bonus materials on newly pressed remastered versions of the film included. The info regarding this can be found quoted below (from the press release).

“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.”

Deep breath. Now more on that, via the press release 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”

I know. I know. Okay, so moving on with what all I just learned from this official announcement. Some stuff I had previously reported, well all of it really, but namely this can still be used and I’ll leave it as-is.

According to the actor Sean Aston (in an announcement video seen below), it is known that “Peter Jackson oversaw the remastering” of all six of these films for the 4K releases, and they have all reportedly received a 4K DI (digital intermediate) new master for each. Meaning, it’s true 4K and was mastered in it for all of the films.

Now, finally, regarding the official info. It appears that no bonus materials will be included with these 2020 releases of the films. I’m trying to get a complete confirmation on that directly from Warner, but it sure seems that to be the case. Sorry to any fans this may upset, but this has been a hard year — I’m sure — to get physical media produced and projects finished like new extras, and so forth.

You can now find the standard 4K UHD Blu-ray version of the trilogy available for preorder over at Amazon. There will also be the aforementioned 4K UHD Blu-ray Giftset version of the trilogy, which is NOT exclusive to any retailer. It’s not only listed on Amazon but now is even listed over at retailer Best Buy!! And, there will be the 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook which is exclusive to Best Buy. That’s now back available for preorder and showing as in stock again. Below you can find the full glimpses at both the Giftset and the SteelBook versions of the 4K sets. Reminder, only one of these is an exclusive — despite all the confusion from earlier yesterday!!

4K UHD Blu-ray Giftset (above)
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Best Buy exclusive 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook (above)

And now, finally, as hinted at above, just sit back and enjoy Sean Astin announcing this all officially:

PLUS! As Sean mentions, “The Hobbit: The Motion Picture Trilogy“ is also set for a December 1st release on 4K UHD Blu-ray. What he doesn’t mention is that it will also come as a SteelBook exclusive and standard release. Its artwork can be found pictured below and the release is now available for preorder over at Amazon along with the SteelBook over at Best Buy (respectively in that order).

Finally, after the break, you can find the full PRESS RELEASE officially announcing these upcoming 4K UHD Blu-ray releases of the films.

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RUMOR: “The Goonies” is coming to 4K in June

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RUMOR: It seems that the recent 4K restoration of the Richard Donner directed 1985 film “The Goonies” is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray later this year, likely on June 9th, via Warner – according to numerous sources. The film (as mentioned) received a new 4K restoration which was shown during a limited theatrical re-release late last year and it sure is starting to seem very much like this year that it will receive a “35th Anniversary Edition” release, on 4K physically, from that restoration. The movie, executive produced & co-written by Steven Spielberg, starred Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Ke Huy Quan, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, Robert Davi, Joe Pantoliano, and Anne Ramsey. The tech specs for the 4K at this point have not yet been detailed, nor have bonus materials or really any info at all.

There’s not currently an Amazon preorder listing for the 4K UHD Blu-ray of the film, so stay tuned for an update on that, but you can find it already listed over at retailer Target and online retailer HD Movie Source. Further retailer listings should go up and I’ll be adding those as I discover them. For now, that’s all that I’ve got to tell you about this, and yes, I know that a lot of you will say that this info had been rumored and reported by others last month. First off, I don’t really often read those other sites and/or I may have overlooked it on the sources that I do actually follow which reported it, as I’ve been a bit busy. That said, I just feel this news is worth sharing with the readers. Lastly, I’m not sure if the package art (pictured above) is final or even real, but it came from a few sources I find to be dependable. Stay tuned for updates!

“Justice League: Throne of Atlantis” is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray in November

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The 2015 DC Universe animated film “Justice League: Throne of Atlantis” is going to be released on 4K UHD Blu-ray (for the first time) and will also re-released on Blu-ray Disc in a “Commemorative Edition” on November 13th by Warner.

Tech specs for the 4K release will include full 2160p with HDR10 form of High Dynamic Range, while audio format and configuration have yet to be detailed. Tech specs for the Blu-ray re-release include full 1080p HD video in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio, again with audio format and configuration yet to be detailed. If it’s any indication, the previous Blu-ray (released back in 2015) included DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio. The new “Commemorative Edition” on both 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Disc are both available for PRE-ORDER now over at Amazon. Both releases will come in the form of “combo pack” with the 4K including a Blu-ray, the Blu-ray including a DVD, and both including a Digital Copy of the film. Bonus materials set to be included on this new “Commemorative Edition” include an all-new featurette, an all-new audio commentary, and gets all the original bonus from the previous Blu-ray (ported over), which are listed below.

  • “Aquaman: The New King” (NEW featurette) – An immersive look at Arthur Curry’s evolution from guardian of the ocean to the King of Atlantis and key member of the Justice League.
  • Audio Commentary (NEW) – Renowned former DC Editor and current Creative Director of Animation Mike Carlin, Creative Director of Animation, and Throne of Atlantis screenwriter Heath Corson share their insights into the legend of Aquaman.
  • “Scoring Atlantis: The Sound of the Deep” (Featurette) – Every great film needs a great musical score. Filled with emotion, music takes us on a dynamic journey as we adventure with the hero. Throne of Atlantis takes us on that quest through the eyes of Arthur Curry.
  • Robin and Nightwing Bonus Sequence – Producer James Tucker provides video commentary for this exciting bonus sequence where Robin and Nightwing join forces.
  • Throne of Atlantis: 2014 New York Comic Con Panel – The entire, lively one-hour panel discussion between actor Matt Lanter, producer James Tucker, screenwriter Heath Corson, character designer Phil Bourassa and dialogue director Andrea Romano.
  • “Villains of the Deep” (Featurette) – From Ocean Master to Black Manta to King Shark, each villain operates from his own deep sense of conviction, presenting an incredible challenge for the hero in Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman. This documentary goes into the biographical details of the villains.
  • A Sneak Peek at “The Death of Superman” – The Death of Superman is widely considered one of the most popular stories in the Superman canon and the DCU. This sneak peek at the exciting new film discusses the story and its place in pop culture.
  • A Sneak Peek at “Reign of the Supermen” – An exciting look at the new film which brings the epic and emotional story of a world without the Man of Steel to life.
  • Bonus cartoons from the DC Comics Vault:
    • Batman: The Brave and the Bold, “Aquaman’s Outrageous Adventure!”
    • Batman: The Brave and the Bold, “Evil Under the Sea!”
    • Aquaman, “Menace of The Black Manta” and “The Rampaging Reptile-Men”
    • Justice League Unlimited, “Far from Home”

Further below after the break you’ll find the trailer for this new “Commemorative Edition” re-release on 4K and Blu-ray, as well as the official announcement.

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