The big news today is that – just as we predicted a month ago (see here) – CBS has just set Star Trek: The Animated Series for stand-alone Blu-ray release on 11/15. The 3-disc set will include all 22 episodes of the series in HD, along with all the same extras from the previous DVD release. Those include text commentaries by Michael and Denise Okuda on Yesteryear, The Eye of the Beholder, and The Counter-Clock Incident, audio commentary by David Gerrold on More Tribbles, More Troubles and BEM, audio commentary by David Wise on How Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth, a storyboard gallery for The Infinite Vulcan, the Drawn to the Final Frontier – The Making of Star Trek: The Animated Series featurette, 11 short What’s the Star Trek Connection? clips, and Show History. You, will, however get a bit of new swag – Juan Ortiz artwork postcards for key episodes.
By the way, a quick follow-up to Paramount’s recent announcement of the Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of Star Trek Beyond on 11/1... a number of you have asked what the aspect ratio will be, given that some theaters had much wider presentations, etc. We’ve confirmed with the studio that it’s 2.40:1 for all SKUs with no variable aspect ratio. So there you go.
Also today, Universal has officially set Kubo and the Two Strings for Blu-ray Combo, Blu-ray 3D Combo, and DVD release on 11/22. Audio on the Blu-ray versions will be English 5.1 DTS-HD MA format. Extras on all versions will include audio commentary with director/producer Travis Knight and 3 featurettes (Japanese Inspiration, Corners of the Earth, and The Myth of Kubo). To that, the Blu-ray versions will exclusively add an introduction by director/producer Travis Knight and 4 more featurettes (Mythological Monsters, Braving the Elements, The Redemptive and Healing Power of Music, and Epilogue by director/producer Travis Knight).
Universal has also set Versailles: Season One for Blu-ray and DVD release on 12/13.
In other release news, Apple Music (via Universal Music) will release Ron Howard’s documentary The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years in both regular and deluxe Blu-ray editions on 11/18 (SRP $24.98 and $36.98). The Deluxe Edition is a 2-disc set.
Scream Factory has just announced the specs for their Blu-ray release of the Bubba Ho-Tep: Collector’s Edition, which is due on 11/8 (SRP $34.93). New extras will include audio commentary with author Joe R. Lansdale and 3 new featurettes (the All is Well interview with writer/director Don Coscarelli, The King Lives! interview with star Bruce Campbell, and the Mummies and Make-up interview with special effects artist Robert Kurtzman). Legacy extras will include audio commentary by Don Coscarelli and Bruce Campbell, audio commentary by “The King”, deleted scenes with optional commentary by Coscarelli and Campbell, 5 featurettes (The Making of Bubba Ho-Tep, To Make a Mummy, Fit for a King, Rock Like an Egyptian, and Joe R. Lansdale Reads from Bubba Ho-Tep), archival Bruce Campbell interviews, a music video, the theatrical trailer, a TV spot, and a still gallery.
And finally, Well Go USA is releasing Phantasm: Remastered on 12/6 (SRP $29.98).
Here’s a look at the Blu-ray cover artwork for some of the titles mentioned above (with clickable Amazon pre-order links as they become available)...
That’s all for now. Stay tuned...
- Bill Hunt (@BillHuntBits)