'Avatar' DVD and Blu-ray to Include an Even Longer Cut of the Film
Nine new minutes in theaters and another seven more at home
This weekend Avatar returns to theaters with an additional 9 minutes of new footage with what is being dubbed Avatar: Special Edition. The film is expected to make its way into over 700 traditional and IMAX 3D theaters around the country, and I actually hope to catch it as I never did get a chance to see it in IMAX. And as I told you when the "Special Edition" was announced, the box-office totals for this re-release will be added to Avatar's domestic ($749,766,139) and worldwide records ($2,740,405,721).
While there's been talk of Avatar 2 and perhaps even a third film, Cameron has been quoted saying, "I'm trying to use the technology to keep people interested and enthused about the Avatar universe, because it's going to be a long time before we get another Avatar movie done." So, this may be your last chance to visit Pandora in theaters for quite some time, though there is even more Pandora to see in November.
In a new article at the Associated Press, Cameron says that while the new theatrical cut of Avatar will have an additional nine minutes of footage, the upcoming November special edition DVD and Blu-ray release "will also include a more expanded, 'alternate reality version' of the film that is 16 minutes longer than the original." Unfortunately, there is no elaboration on what the "alternate reality" version actually entails.
This would place the running time for the Collector's Edition DVD and Blu-ray around 178 minutes, two minutes shy of three hours.
Cameron reiterates what we already know about the sequel saying it will focus on the planet's ocean environment. He adds, "I love diving, and if I'm making this movie, I'm not going to be diving as much as I'd like, so I'm going to give myself a kind of methadone fix by doing fantasy ocean."
There is also mention of the converting of Titanic to 3D with hopes of releasing it in theaters in April 2012, the 100-year anniversary of its sailing and sinking.
I've added the trailer for the Avatar: Special Edition just below. Are you planning on checking it out again, or for the first time?
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I haven't definitely decided to go and see it again, but then ther is not much else of interest out at the moment so I might.
Or, I might just wait for the Blu-Ray.
I have the exact same dilemma. Not much else interesting is out, so I may spend the money. But the fact that there is even MORE footage they're holding back for the DVD I almost just wanna wait for the Blu-Ray.
Oh who am I kidding?! I'm probably gonna see Avatar:Special Edition a few times in IMAX 3D just like the last time it was out. hahaha
I just hope that this blu-ray will actually have special features and not just be another barebones one like the last one, talk about the studio milking the film for everything it has…
It will, this release was always intended to be the definitive edition with the extras. I think Cameron even said the rushed out the previous dvd so people wouldn't have to wait for (at most) a year before the dvd came out
Yeah but being cynical, he could have easily released the 'Definitive edition' dvd when they released the barebones one, but because the hype from Avatar was so high they knew that consumers would buy anything to do with the film despite it having no extra features. I mean it is very rare that any film comes out on DVD with its special features over a year after its cinematic release.
Sure, it's clever business and it's a way of capitalising on both short term and long term demand, but they really are milking it big time.
He and the studio did the same thing with Titanic back in 1998.
The multiple versions thing is becoming common to a lot of films from a lot of studios these days, across every genre and many directors.
They're lucrative. Although I think Lucas might have pioneered it with the Star Wars editions.
Remember folks, they released the last Avatar DVD/Blu-ray in order to "coincide" with Earth Day, as that apparently made some sort of impact on sales of the movie.
Is this starting to remind anyone of Star Wars? Not even a year after it was released there will already be three different versions of this film. I have no problem with director's cuts and extended editions and actually wish they could get theatrical releases in some cases. But why not just release the 178 minute version in theatres? It's an obvious money grab on the part of Cameron and Fox to release two different mutually exclusive versions of the film. Because of course if people start clamoring for the 171 minute version on DVD/Blu-ray, that's another opportunity for them to make even more money. I guess that just shows how greedy they are; the film has already made nearly $3 billion dollars. And it was incredibly mediocre anyway; I can't imagine that another 7, 9, or 16 minutes will improve on the childish dialog, lazy acting, or pathetically predictable plot that is already in place.
Yes, but then when Star Wars had childish dialogue, lazy acting and a pathetically predictable plot we got surprised by The Empire Strikes Back!!
And yes, I am a Star Wars fan from childhood, but let's not pretend that apart from it's impactful visual breakthrough that it's story spelled 'original' in bright neon across the sky.
Okay, so to clarify, my Star Wars comparison was mainly in terms of the different versions of the film. Depending on what changes you count (like the insertion of Hayden Christensen at the end of Return of the Jedi), there have been several different versions of the three original trilogy films; that was the comparison I was making. I don't think Avatar will be even remotely as revolutionary in terms of spectacle and visual effects as Star Wars. And I agree that Star Wars isn't the greatest in the acting/writing/plot departments, but the reason The Empire Strikes Back improved on it so much was that Lucas let other people write the script, though he was certainly very much involved in the process. I have no illusions that Cameron's ego will ever let someone else write a film of his. He's a very talented director, but a hack writer.
The comparisons to Star Wars were inevitable but ridiculous. Star Wars revolutionized film. Avatar created copycat gimmick movies. The CGI was amazing, truly, but the story was hacked and a lot of the acting was bad including Sam Worthington as the worst of the bunch.
Already got my tickets yesterday. WOOOOT!! Can't wait!!!
These studios are SO greedy. Thank GOD this didn't win best picture. We can only hope this 'special edition' won't be eligible.
James Cameron is a whore, but by gosh he makes the most fantastically enjoyable films:
1984 The Terminator
1986 Aliens
1989 The Abyss
1991 Terminator 2: Judgment Day
1994 True Lies
1997 Titanic
2009 AVATAR
In my book, Mr I'm-the-King-of-the-World-Cameron can do no wrong. Yes I loved AVATAR, yes it made too much money. Yes, I hate the studio for releasing a bare-bones DVD/Blu-ray and yes I think it is ridiculous and just-plain-greedy to rerelease a film six months after it left theaters…..AND I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I WILL HAVE WAITED FOR ALMOST A YEAR TO GET THE EXTENDED EDITION DVD/Blu-Ray.
But, like fans of all-things-Cameron around the world I'll be lining up to catch the biggest movie of alltime for the 4th and probably 5th time.
I love you James Cameron. I hate you James Cameron.
Brad, can the special edition be eligible for Best Picture?
Nah, I'm not gonna be going out to see this again. There is a Blu-Ray copy in my house somewhere if I really wanted to watch it. I'm not a big enough fan of the movie to go out and see 9 extra minutes.
The best way to summarize how I feel about Avatar is that when I watch it, I am fairly spellbound at the visuals (and it is okay entertainment to pass a couple of hours). After the movie is done, however, I don't think about it again. It doesn't stick with me.
yeah I want to seethe extra footage but I can't get a theatre listing in my area (Orange co. tn southern cal) Any body know where I can find the locations?
I'm assuming those 16 extra minutes would already include the 9 extra minutes of the Special Edition.
But would all 16 minutes have finished CGI that is of the same quality as the CGI in the original and special edition release?
I can't wait to never watch this film again.