Fox to Release Planet of the Apes Blu-ray Collection
By Brandon A. DuHamel
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment officially announced the
Planet of the Apes 40 Year Evolution Blu-ray Collection to be released on November 4th, 2008, just in time for the holidays. Packed with all new exclusive high definition content, the set will not only feature the original 1968 classic
Planet of the Apes starring Charlton Heston, but will also include the sequels
Beneath the Planet of the Apes,
Escape from the Planet of the Apes, a previously unavailable unrated version of
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and
Battle for the Planet of the Apes. Each film will be offered on dual-layer, BD-50 discs in their original 2.35:1 aspect ratio and feature newly mastered English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio lossless, English, Spanish, and French Mono soundtracks. The titles will also include English and Spanish subtitles.
In addition, Fox will also re-release the previously available
Limited Edition Planet of the Apes Ultimate Collection DVD set in a specially designed ape head at a new lower price on the same date as the Blu-ray collection.
The complete details for the Blu-ray package are:
- NEW Science of the Apes BONUSVIEW - Scientists, anthropologists and sociologists discuss the facts and fiction of the first film
- NEW "Beyond the Forbidden Zone" Adventure Game
- NEW "A Public Service Announcement From ANSA" in HD – A mission report from the agency regarding their brave astronaut
- NEW "Evolution of the Apes"- HD featurette tracing the apes story from the original novel to the screen
- NEW "Impact of the Apes" - HD featurette on how to market a worldwide pop culture phenomenon. The story behind the marketing and merchandising of one of the first ever film franchises and the series' lasting influence on pop culture through the years
- NEW Each Apes sequel will have an isolated score track in 5.1 DTS Master Audio
- NEW HD Making-of Featurette for Each Sequel
- Beneath the Planet of the Apes – "From Alpha to Omega: Building a Sequel"
- Escape from the Planet of the Apes – " The Secret Behind Escape"
- Conquest of the Planet of the Apes – " Riots and Revolutions: Confronting the Times"
- Battle for the Planet of the Apes – " End of an Epic: The Final Battle"
- Commentary by Composer Jerry Goldsmith
- Commentary by Actors Roddy McDowall, Natalie Trundy, Kim Hunter and Makeup Artist John Chambers
- Text Commentary by Eric Greene and Author of "Planet of the Apes as American Myth"
- Behind the Planet of the Apes Documentary – Includes all new interactivity and timeline
- Behind the Planet of the Apes Promo (1988)
- Planet of the Apes Makeup Test with Edward G. Robinson (1966)
- Roddy McDowall On-set Footage
- Planet of the Apes Dailies and Outtakes (No Audio)
- Planet of the Apes NATO Presentation (1967)
- Planet of the Apes Vintage Featurette (1968)
- A Look Behind the Planet of the Apes (1972)
- Don Taylor Directs Escape from the Planet of the Apes
- J. Lee Thompson Directs Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
- Original Theatrical Trailers
- Original Sketches by Costume Designer Morton Haack
- Photo Gallery
- Planet of the Apes Timeline
- Interactive Pressbooks
- Vintage Apes Newspaper Galleries
- Advertising and Lobby Card Galleries
- Behind-the-Scenes Galleries
