WDSHE Rolls into 2008 with Blu-ray (US and International)

[Loomis]

I posted this over in the main Disney forum, but I thought it would garner more discussion here as well...

Press release:

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRel ... BW20080105

WDSHE Expands Blu-ray Line-Up with First Platinum Blu-ray Release,
BD-Live and Full Motion Picture-in-Picture

Also Announces the Extension of Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour
BURBANK, Calif.--(Business Wire)--Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) announces an
exciting new line-up of Blu-ray initiatives in 2008, an ever-expanding
Blu-ray slate and new technological-advancements in bonus feature
materials, all which guarantee a superior high-definition home
entertainment experience.

"This is an exciting time for Disney as we not only announce the
release of our first Platinum Disney animated classic on Blu-ray with
Sleeping Beauty, but also allow consumers to create an entirely new
home entertainment experience with stunning new bonus features and
amazing interactive capabilities like never before seen," stated Bob
Chapek, President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

For the first time ever, WDSHE will begin releasing its treasured
animated classics on Platinum Edition Blu-ray Disc(TM) launching with
Sleeping Beauty in the fall of 2008. Taking advantage of the numerous
technological advancements of the Blu-ray format, these all time
favorites have been revitalized to include exceptional high-definition
picture and sound quality and compelling interactive content such as
virtual games, full motion picture-in-picture and online shopping
capabilities via BD-Live broadband connection.

Sleeping Beauty will be WDSHE's first Platinum Edition Blu-ray
Disc and will feature a Virtual Castle, utilizing the new BD-Live
technology, as well as the interactive game Maleficent's Challenge
which puts viewers face-to-face with one of Disney's greatest
villains. Sleeping Beauty Blu-ray Disc will also feature an all-new
enhanced home theater mix in 7.1 surround sound.

Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo Blu-ray Disc will debut the first
Cine-Explore featuring full motion picture-in-picture (BonusView).
This interactive visual commentary with director Andrew Stanton,
co-writer Bob Peterson and co-director Lee Unkrich allows the viewer
to dive deeper into the making of Finding Nemo without ever leaving
the film. For kids and families, there is the all-new BD-Java enabled
learning mode "Mr. Ray's Ed-venture." Hosted by Dory, Marlin and of
course Mr. Ray, viewers will learn all about sea life and have the
opportunity to earn stickers for their virtual sticker book by
answering "quizlettes" while watching the movie. Viewers can also go
to their sticker book at any time and create their own scene. Finding
Nemo will also feature an all-new enhanced home theater mix in 7.1
surround sound.

As part of its continued worldwide Blu-ray release strategy, WDSHE
will be announcing the addition of many exciting movie titles to their
2008 Blu-ray line-up in North America, Europe and Asia.

In North America, WDSHE will be releasing new theatrical titles to
Blu-ray Disc day-and-date with DVD including The Game Plan (Walt
Disney Pictures) on January 22; Gone Baby Gone and Becoming Jane (both
Miramax) on February 12; and Dan In Real Life (Touchstone Pictures) on
March 11. WDSHE will expand its catalogue titles on Blu-ray Disc with
the releases of The Rock (Hollywood Pictures) and Con Air (Touchstone
Pictures) on January 8; Crimson Tide (Hollywood Pictures) on February
5; The Rookie (Walt Disney Pictures) on March 4; Hidalgo (Touchstone
Pictures), Coyote Ugly: The Double Shot Edition (Touchstone Pictures),
Unbreakable (Touchstone Pictures), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion,
The Witch and The Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures) and National
Treasure: Collector's Edition (Walt Disney Pictures) in spring 2008.

In Europe/Australia, WDSHE will roll out Blu-ray Discs in 2008
beginning with The Recruit (Touchstone Pictures) in January; and Dark
Water (Touchstone Pictures) in February; Underdog (Walt Disney
Pictures) and Starsky & Hutch (Buena Vista) in February; Coyote Ugly
(Touchstone Pictures) and The Rookie (Walt Disney Pictures) in March;
Hidalgo (Touchstone Pictures) and Gone Baby Gone (Miramax) in April;
Signs (Touchstone Pictures), There Will Be Blood (Miramax), Shall We
Dance (Miramax), Ladder 49 (Touchstone Pictures), The Chronicles of
Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures)
and National Treasure: Collector's Edition (Walt Disney Pictures) in
May; and The Game Plan (Walt Disney Pictures) and Unbreakable
(Touchstone Pictures) in summer 2008.

Japan will see WDSHE release Blu-ray titles starting with
Hollywoodland (Miramax) in February; The Rookie (Walt Disney
Pictures), Hidalgo (Touchstone Pictures), Meet The Robinsons (Walt
Disney Pictures), and Starsky & Hutch (Buena Vista) in April; The
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Walt
Disney Pictures), Coyote Ugly (Touchstone Pictures) and National
Treasure: Collector's Edition (Walt Disney Pictures) in May; and
Unbreakable (Touchstone Pictures) and Signs (Touchstone Pictures) in
summer 2008.

Following overwhelming consumer response WDSHE is also announcing
the extension of Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour, sponsored by
Panasonic, to eight additional North American cities. The first stop
will be to Toronto, Canada the weekend of January 25th and continue on
to Nashville, Denver, Dallas, Raleigh-Durham, Hartford and conclude
with Chicago at Unity 2008 in July.

The results of the 2007 tour not only reaffirmed consumers'
continued desires for high-definition picture without compromise but
reaffirmed the need to be educated on how to achieve the ultimate
high-definition home entertainment experience beyond just owning an
HDTV.

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Loomis says:

One they didn't mention for Australia/Europe was Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, due out in April here in Australia.