Regardless of dimensions, Avatar operates in its own universe. So, when James Cameron's Na'vi lovefest is renewed in November, it will be the biggest news in home entertainment for the fall.
Like everything Avatar, there is speculation and confusion about just what is coming, however. But now we have answers.
When Avatar debuted on DVD and Blu-ray April 22, both formats offered the original theatrical cut and were free of extras. Cameron said he wanted the first wave to be pure cinema, with every available bit taken up with picture and sound. But he also promised to do his potential franchise justice with a big juicy re-release in November.
The speculation has been about 3D version, to the point where most people assumed it was definite. Wrong! No 3D now. Instead, according to sources at 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, the November release will be a three-disc collector's set. In Blu-ray only. In 2D only.
This second wave will be jammed with bonus materials collected over the long odyssey Avatar took to become a legend in cinema. Meanwhile, there will also be a director's cut at least 16 minutes longer than the original (the special re-release kicking out in theatres this weekend adds less than nine minutes). Cameron told QMI Agency in March that a film is an organic entity that morphs over time. Here is proof.
As for 3D, Cameron and producing partner Jon Landau made it clear in March that 2010 was too early, because the roll-out of 3D televisions was expected to be slow. While other mainstream movies shown in 3D in theatres will be available in home 3D versions before November -- including Monster House and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs -- Cameron is obviously still content to wait until 2011.
Also coming in 2011 -- in the fall -- is the Blu-ray debut of George Lucas' Star Wars series. All six films (meaning the digitally updated versions of the originals) will be available in one mega-box set with unseen extras dating back to the beginning. If we have to wait on Stars Wars, and the plans for Avatar are still crystallizing, what is the other big news in home entertainment?
Blu-ray is taking off. Many consumers buy only Blu-rays now. "If it's not BR it's not worth purchasing," Sun reader Dillon J. Sawyer e-mailed this week about some DVD-only titles. Combo packs are hot. They are a clever innovation combining a DVD and a Blu-ray copy of the same title. That allows consumers some flexibility. Digital copies are being pushed again by the industry, for the same reason, in this case to play movies on portable devices.
As for content, first-run films are still king. TV is trying to bounce back after a 2008-2009 slump. Studios are making a desperate attempt to stir up interest in catalogue titles. Classics took the biggest hit during the economic crisis.
Meanwhile, the overall industry is still healthy as a multi-billion dollar operation, despite dire predictions. Major titles are still coming. Here are highlights, with the most desirable edition highlighted:
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time on Sept. 14 (three-disc combo pack); Robin Hood on Sept. 21 (three-disc combo pack); Iron Man 2 on Sept. 28 (three-disc combo pack); The Karate Kid on Oct. 5 (two-disc combo pack); How to Train Your Dragon on Oct. 15 (two-disc combo pack); Alien Anthology on Oct. 26 (six-disc Blu-ray debut); Toy Story 3 on Nov. 2 (four-disc combo pack); The Pacific on Nov. 2 (six-disc Blu-ray in a tin box). More heavy hitters will be added to the list before the Christmas sales boom.
bruce.kirkland@sunmedia.ca
