HOLLYWOOD, Calif.-(BUSINESS WIRE)-Paramount Home Entertainment (PHE) today announced its upcoming slate of releases on HD DVD for the first quarter of 2008. A compelling array of action-adventure, drama and family fare, PHE’s lineup of HD DVDs provides something for everyone, further expanding the format’s offerings for a broad consumer audience.
Released on January 8, PHE’s first HD DVD title of the year is David Fincher’s director’s cut of the mesmerizing drama Zodiac, which has been cited on over 200 critics’ lists as one of the top 10 films of 2007. The HD DVD includes over three hours of in-depth bonus materials including a multi-part exploration of the making of the film, the facts of the real-life attacks and more. Following on February 26, PHE will debut the director’s cut of Robert Zemeckis’ visually stunning cinematic experience, Beowulf, which conjures a world the likes of which has never been seen before with state-of-the-art technology and exhilarating storytelling. The HD DVD will include a feature-length picture-in-picture track, web enabled Beowulf Profiler, A Hero’s Journey: The Making of Beowulf with optional pop-up trivia and much more.
Director and screenwriter Sean Penn’s widely praised adaptation of the inspirational true story Into The Wild arrives March 4 with behind-the-scenes material that takes viewers deeper inside the enthralling, real-life story, characters and experience, along with the compelling drama Things We Lost In The Fire, which features phenomenal performances by Halle Berry and Benicio Del Toro, as well as a discussion of the film and deleted scenes.
DreamWorks Animation’s funniest new animated hit Bee Movie buzzes onto HD DVD on March 11 loaded with exclusive content, including web-enabled downloadable features such as The World of Bees and a Build-A Bee Avatar, a picture-in-picture storyboard reel, customizable menus, Barry’s trivia track and much more.
“The Jack Ryan Collection” will arrive on HD DVD featuring four explosive thrillers including The Hunt for Red October starring Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin, Clear and Present Danger and Patriot Games starring Harrison Ford as well as The Sum of All Fears with Ben Affleck and Morgan Freeman. In addition, the highly-anticipated film The Kite Runner, based on the international best-selling novel, also will debut on HD DVD in the first quarter.
About Paramount Home Entertainment
Paramount Home Entertainment (PHE) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. PHE is responsible for the worldwide sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment products on behalf of various parties including: Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Studios, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, CBS, PBS and Hasbro and for providing home entertainment fulfillment services for DreamWorks Animation Home Entertainment.
About HD DVD
HD DVD is the next generation, post-DVD standard for high capacity, high definition optical discs, approved by the DVD Forum, which develops and defines DVD formats. Its more than 220 strong membership brings together leaders in movies and entertainment, computing, consumer electronics and software. The North American HD DVD Promotional Group, Inc. is an organization established to promote the HD DVD format and educate consumers in North America. For more information and a complete listing of HD DVD launch titles please visit www.TheLookAndSoundOfPerfect.com.