70 HD DVD titles to be released through July
Matrix, DreamGirls, Good Shepherd in slate
By Jennifer Netherby -- Video Business, 3/28/2007
Click for a full list of upcoming high-def releases.
MARCH 28 | Studios backing HD DVD will put out 70 additional films on the format through July, the companies announced Wednesday.
Upcoming releases include Warner Home Video’s already announced Complete Matrix Trilogy, Paramount Home Entertainment’s DreamGirls and Universal Studios Home Entertainment’s Smokin’ Aces.
The Weinstein Co., Genius Products and Eagle Rock Entertainment also will release films on the format. Exact release dates and bonus features weren’t announced.
“Our consumer base continues to buy movies at rates that outpace DVD in its early years, which shows the willingness of consumers to make the transition to high-definition,” said Ken Graffeo, executive VP of HD strategic marketing for Universal Studios Home Entertainment.
Sales of HD DVD have lagged behind competitor Blu-ray Disc during the first two months of the year, partly due to the heavier release slate on the Blu-ray format. Blu-ray also has more players in the market due to the PlayStation 3 game console.
Last week, Toshiba said it would slash prices on its entry-level HD-A2 player to $399 and its step-up HD-A20 player to $499 on April 1, which could attract more early adopters to the format.
“HD DVD continues to perform exceptionally well for Warner Home Video, and we see this continuing as more titles from the HD DVD studios roll out and more hardware hits the market,” said Steve Nickerson, senior VP of market management for Warner.
Other upcoming releases include: The Good Shepherd (Universal), A Scanner Darkly (Warner), School for Scoundrels (Weinstein/Genius) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Universal) in April; The 40-Year-Old Virgin Unrated (Universal), Flags of Our Fathers: Special Collector’s Edition (Paramount), The Hitcher (Universal), The Fountain (Warner), Smokey and the Bandit (Universal), The Big Lebowski (Universal) and Lost in Translation (Universal) in May; Bruce Almighty (Universal), Liar Liar (Universal), Born on the 4th of July (Universal), Santana: Hymns for Peace (Eagle Rock), Deep Purple: They All Came Down to Montreux (Eagle Rock), Trading Places (Paramount) and Mallrats (Universal) in June.
