Warner brings catalog to HD DVD

Plans simultaneous releases with standard discs

By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 1/31/2006

JAN. 31 | BURBANK, Calif.—Warner Home Video continued to trumpet its support for HD DVD Monday with the announcement of a number of simultaneous HD DVD and standard DVD releases.

“I want to put a baseless rumor to rest,” said Jeff Baker, Warner senior VP and general manager of theatrical catalog. “The death of DVD has been greatly exaggerated.”

At an afternoon event highlighting its 2006 catalog slate, Warner revealed that the first such day and date release, set for June, is a two-disc special edition of John Wayne western The Searchers. Between $600,000 and $700,000 was invested in the film’s restoration.

A 14-disc Ultimate Collectors Edition of the Superman franchise will be another Warner two-format disc launch. Its bow will be tied to the June 30 U.S. theatrical debut of Superman Returns.

The news adds more title weight to Warner’s HD DVD lineup. During the Consumer Electronics Show, the studio announced 24 HD DVD releases through mid-May, including new releases Batman Begins on March 28, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on April 11, Syriana on April 25 and Blazing Saddles on May 9.

Monday’s announcement reveals that Warner is just as bullish about putting its older films on the upstart format.

Baker said that all Warner catalog releases set for HD DVD also will roll out on Blu-ray once that competing format officially bows in the U.S.

It appears Warner is still working out certain distinctions between standard DVD and their high-def versions.

“Some high-def titles will have features not available in standard DVD, but not all of them,” Baker said. “Some [standard DVD bonus features] will carry over [to the HD DVD editions]. And some [HD DVD versions] will add material from [initial releases].”

Overall in 2006, Warner’s catalog division will bow 200 new to DVD releases from its 6,600-title library. That is about a 10% bump from the 181 releases in 2004.

Warner Home Video president Ron Sanders said during the presentation, “We’re not slowing down one bit—if anything, we’re ramping up our efforts.”

Revenue from theatrical catalog output from all the studios fell 3.5% in sales in 2005. But thanks to the massive size of Warner’s library, its catalog titles grew 11.4% over the prior year.

Warner has rolled out 1,200 films on DVD from its vault, which leaves “5,400 DVD possibilities,” said George Feltenstein, senior VP theatrical catalog marketing.

Recognizing some slowness in sales, retailers are rooting for high-definition to light a fire under the maturing DVD format. But stores are concerned about where to put the additional SKUs on already bulging shelves (VB, 1-13).

“I’ve already told them to get out of the music business,” Baker joked.

On a more serious note, he explained that Warner is coming to retailers’ aid by encasing boxed set discs in thinner Amaray cases beginning this May.

“It will vary by retailer, but some are cutting back on music and computer software,” he said. “Space is an issue, but a lot of studios are coming out with slim packs,” Baker said.

Other planned 2006 day and date HD DVD and standard DVD releases are two-disc special editions of Forbidden Planet and four Stanley Kubrick directed classics: The Shining, Clockwork Orange, 2001: Space Odyssey and an uncut version of Eyes Wide Shut.

The Superman box set will include a cut of filmmaker Richard Donner’s version of Superman II, which was scrapped when Richard Lester replaced Donner as director late in the film’s production. Although much of Donner’s material made it into Lester’s final version, it’s estimated that about 20% to 40% of Donner’s vision will first be available for fans in this Ultimate Superman package.

Further films set for two-disc special editions in 2006 include What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Mutiny on the Bounty and The Maltese Falcon. New to DVD films include The Gay Divorcee, Footlight Parade, Grand Prix and Knute Rockne All American.

Many of these films will be available individually and as part of gift sets surrounding such talent as Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.