Blood Diamond coming to HD DVD on July 2

[aloneindark]

Found on avsforum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Five Time Academy Award® Nominee
Debuts in High Definition
June 5 on Blu-ray Disc from Warner Home Video

Also Debuting For the First Time Ever July 2 on HD-DVD
The First WHV High Definition Title to Include New
Web-Enabled Features

Burbank, California (April 18, 2007) – June 5 marks Warner Home Video’s high definition debut of the heart-pounding adventure Blood Diamond on Blu-ray Disc, a must-have for Blu-ray Disc collectors. Blood Diamond has been nominated for five Academy Awards® including Best Actor (DiCaprio) and Best Supporting Actor (Hounsou). Also bursting with extras, the HD DVD will debut July 2 and includes commentary by director Edward Zwick, featurettes and production diaries.

The HD DVD of Blood Diamond will be the first HD DVD to include web-enabled extras which allows viewers to use their players to offer opinions in WHV’s online polls and to view other exciting special features such as maps of conflict pertaining to war-torn areas in Africa.

The HD DVD version of Blood Diamond will also contain the In-Movie Experience (IME), an exclusive interactive feature that allows viewers to enjoy new ways of accessing interviews and other material while the movie is running. In addition, for the first time WHV will include the new Focus Points feature that takes the viewer to exciting in-depth featurettes and production diaries. The IME for Blood Diamond allows viewers to embark on an epic journey with director Edward Zwick, charting the emotional and filmmaking challenges of Blood Diamond.

Acclaimed filmmaker Edward Zwick (Last Samurai, Glory) directs this thrilling epic about the human cost of the diamond trade set in war-torn Sierra Leone. The film which was touted as “undeniably gripping” (David Ansen, Newsweek), stars three-time Academy Award® nominee Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed, The Aviator, Gangs of New York), two-time Academy Award nominee Djimon Hounsou (Constantine, Gladiator, In America) and Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly (Little Children, A Beautiful Mind). The HD DVD and Blu-ray Discs will be available for $28.99 SRP. Order due date is May 1.

Blood Diamond is a powerful film that takes you on an unforgettable journey through harsh, yet astonishingly beautiful West Africa. Nominated as one of the best films of 2006 by the National Board of Review, Djimon Hounsou won Best Supporting Actor from the National Board of Review, and the Screen Actors Guild honored the film with Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Djimon Hounsou).

An ex-mercenary turned smuggler (Leonard DiCaprio). A Mende fisherman (Djimon Hounsou). Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman’s son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed across the alternately beautiful and ravaged countryside. Directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, The Last Samurai), this urgent, intensely moving adventure shapes gripping human stories and heart-pounding action into a modern epic of profound impact.

Special Features:
Behind the Story
· Focus Points: Featurettes and Production Diaries
· Commentary by Director Edward Zwick
· Blood on the Stone: Follow a Diamond’s Path from the Ground to the Store
· Becoming Archer: Profiling Leonardo DiCaprio
· Journalism on the Front Line: Jennifer Connelly on Women Journalists at War
· Inside the Siege of Freetown: Edward Zwick on One of the Movie’s Pivotal Sequences
· Nas Shine on ’Em Music Video
· Theatrical Trailer

[Blurry]

Sounds like the HD DVD version will come with a lot cool extras, which from the sound of it are lacking on the Blu-ray version. Though the HD DVD version is coming a month later.

Those network features with online polls sound pretty cool!

[Jared]

Even though I'm only mildly interested in seeing Blood Diamond, I really really hope that this information is legitimate. That way, maybe the multitude of threads that all start with "When will Blood Diamond be on HD DVD/Blu-ray?!?!?!" might actually stop.

[Ph8]

Originally Posted by Jared

Even though I'm only mildly interested in seeing Blood Diamond, I really really hope that this information is legitimate. That way, maybe the multitude of threads that all start with "When will Blood Diamond be on HD DVD/Blu-ray?!?!?!" might actually stop.

lol as soon as this hits page 2 you will see it again Those questions never stop......doesnt really bother me unless the information is on the same page the jsut posted their question on.....We were all there at one point.

[eNoize]

As long as the information is accurate and legitimate, it sounds as if the HD DVD version will be the one to own. If WHV is releasing a Blu-ray version a month earlier, not only is it going to lack the quality of the HD DVD version but also implies that the Blu-ray group may not see a re-release with enhanced features.

[BBHTGuy]

(i am not format bashing in this post. i hope this is not seen as that, i am just frustrated with the way my format of choice has been going of late...)


i feel that blood diamond is "policy making" for WB's HD disc plans in two ways.

one, "blood diamond" is huge concerning WB's extensive support of extras for high profile releases. we all know many A+ titles are not on BD (grr) because BD cannot support those features. nonetheless, WB appears to have moved on, and given up on BD-J. WB seems to be indicating that hi-def exclusives are important, and i hope we can finally count on them, and not be happy to have them.

i for one am glad WB is finally delievering on some of those promises we heard over a year ago, even if they are not being fulfilled on my format of choice (BD).

second, i feel WB is finally tired of waiting on BD's long-touted BD-J interactivity. what this means for BD on a whole, I do not know. it has been no secret who WB was really behind, and i wonder how long WB will release discs for an inferior hardware base? (as much as it pains me to say it, BD is really beginning to look bad for the consumer. BD supporters, like myself, have been forced to look elsewhere for full featured discs and players.)

i do not know what this means for the big picture, but i do know this:

BD fans do not benefit from getting skimpy discs.

(again, the consumer who only supports BD loses out.)

before you flame me, i do support both, but i am just tired of BD's promises that seem to mean nothing.

[timbobarry]

Not sure how much flaming youll get in the HD DVD software forum since its taking jabs at Blu-ray.

[Blurry]

Another news story posted on HDDVD Blog - similar to the one reported above: http://hddvdformat.blogspot.com/

[ERICHroxx]

Great Stuff! This is one of the best movies of the year, AND its action sequences and African jungle will look wicked in HD.

[imdaly]

Originally Posted by BBHTGuy

(i am not format bashing in this post. i hope this is not seen as that, i am just frustrated with the way my format of choice has been going of late...)


i feel that blood diamond is "policy making" for WB's HD disc plans in two ways.

one, "blood diamond" is huge concerning WB's extensive support of extras for high profile releases. we all know many A+ titles are not on BD (grr) because BD cannot support those features. nonetheless, WB appears to have moved on, and given up on BD-J. WB seems to be indicating that hi-def exclusives are important, and i hope we can finally count on them, and not be happy to have them.

i for one am glad WB is finally delievering on some of those promises we heard over a year ago, even if they are not being fulfilled on my format of choice (BD).

second, i feel WB is finally tired of waiting on BD's long-touted BD-J interactivity. what this means for BD on a whole, I do not know. it has been no secret who WB was really behind, and i wonder how long WB will release discs for an inferior hardware base? (as much as it pains me to say it, BD is really beginning to look bad for the consumer. BD supporters, like myself, have been forced to look elsewhere for full featured discs and players.)

i do not know what this means for the big picture, but i do know this:

BD fans do not benefit from getting skimpy discs.

(again, the consumer who only supports BD loses out.)

before you flame me, i do support both, but i am just tired of BD's promises that seem to mean nothing.

<HUG> No flaming from me.

[TaiwaneSTUD]

i was about to flame Warner until i read

The HD DVD of 'Blood Diamond' will be the first next-gen title to include web-enabled extras, including allowing viewers to use their players to offer opinions in Warner's online polls, as well as view other exciting special features such as maps of conflict pertaining to war-torn areas in Africa.

Furthermore, the HD DVD boasts an In-Movie Experience (IME) video commentary with additional behind-the-scenes and interview footage. And for the first time on 'Blood Diamond,' Warner will include the new Focus Points feature that takes the viewer to exciting in-depth featurettes and production diaries.

now it just makes much more sense.

but releasing a month late makes up for blu-ray cuz its version gets ahead start. in this regard, warner is playing it fair for both formats.

[nickdalodger]

Originally Posted by BBHTGuy

(i am not format bashing in this post. i hope this is not seen as that, i am just frustrated with the way my format of choice has been going of late...)


i feel that blood diamond is "policy making" for WB's HD disc plans in two ways.

one, "blood diamond" is huge concerning WB's extensive support of extras for high profile releases. we all know many A+ titles are not on BD (grr) because BD cannot support those features. nonetheless, WB appears to have moved on, and given up on BD-J. WB seems to be indicating that hi-def exclusives are important, and i hope we can finally count on them, and not be happy to have them.

i for one am glad WB is finally delievering on some of those promises we heard over a year ago, even if they are not being fulfilled on my format of choice (BD).

second, i feel WB is finally tired of waiting on BD's long-touted BD-J interactivity. what this means for BD on a whole, I do not know. it has been no secret who WB was really behind, and i wonder how long WB will release discs for an inferior hardware base? (as much as it pains me to say it, BD is really beginning to look bad for the consumer. BD supporters, like myself, have been forced to look elsewhere for full featured discs and players.)

i do not know what this means for the big picture, but i do know this:

BD fans do not benefit from getting skimpy discs.

(again, the consumer who only supports BD loses out.)

before you flame me, i do support both, but i am just tired of BD's promises that seem to mean nothing.

I think your right, I support both formats too, but this does seem to be a big problem with releases on Blu, I mean how long will Blu Ray supporters have to wait for Matrix as a well, alot of them say IME doesnt mean jack to them, but at the end of the day I'd rather have it then not and having to wait when its out on 1 format and not blu ray must suck as well, although if you read some of the hardcore fan boys they'd rather wait !

Bring on Blood Diamond HD style! At least IME works and thats what counts, to me it seems Blu Ray was rushed out just to be out, who wants to be double dipping once BDJ is finally up and working, not I !

[VC-1]

Great movie.

If Warners keeps stuff like this up (Matrix, Blood Diamond) they are gonna eclipse Universal as my favorite HighDef studio.

The HDDVD exclusive extras are just more after-effects of BluRay being rushed to market for the PS3 launch. I still think they would have been better off releasing BluRay this christmas and leaving it out of last years PS3 launch all together, maybe the machine would be selling better right now.

What a great summer this is shaping up to be for HDDVD owners though. I get the matrix boxset next month, Blood Diamond shortly after that, and countless other blind buys like The Road Warrior, Lost in Translation and The Frighteners Directors Cut.

Not bad for a format, that according to Fox, was supposed to be dead by January.

Hubris kills.

[KaneRobot]

Sounds good to me. I have no problem waiting a month for a better disc.

[BBHTGuy]

Originally Posted by VC-1

Great movie.

If Warners keeps stuff like this up (Matrix, Blood Diamond) they are gonna eclipse Universal as my favorite HighDef studio.

The HDDVD exclusive extras are just more after-effects of BluRay being rushed to market for the PS3 launch. I still think they would have been better off releasing BluRay this christmas and leaving it out of last years PS3 launch all together, maybe the machine would be selling better right now.

What a great summer this is shaping up to be for HDDVD owners though. I get the matrix boxset next month, Blood Diamond shortly after that, and countless other blind buys like The Road Warrior, Lost in Translation and The Frighteners Directors Cut.

Not bad for a format, that according to Fox, was supposed to be dead by January.

Hubris kills.

this is shaping up to be a great year for HD-DVD.....adn we don't even know the Q4 release calendar yet!