Original James Bonds on Blu-Ray, When?

[Anth]

Could I ask if anyone knows if or when the original James Bond movies are scheduled to be released to Blu-Ray.

I was always assuming when Sony did the full re-mastering of all the previous Connery, Moore and Dalton bond movies all to Hidefinition in mid 2006 that these would therefore be one of the front runners for the Blu-Ray releases.

However its been over a year later and I can not find any mention or plans for them to be released onto Blu-Ray.

It seems further strange as Casino Royal has been the biggest selling Blu-Ray to date. So it seems odd why any of the previous bonds have not saw a Blu-Ray release also.

Does anyone know anything about this, as the current remastered DVD's while better than the original releases still have some macroblocking that I am guessing Hidef Blu-Rays would remove.

Thanks
Anth

[WickyWoo]

When the next Bond movie comes out I'd expect

[Maximus]

Not until Bond 23 when the rights go back to MGM form Sony. Plus they just released the 'ultimate' collection so releasing a Blu-ray collection now would be a slap in the face to the people that bought the boxset.

[Seretur]

Considering that the Ultimate boxsets had a myriad of issues, some minor, some not so minor, I'd rather have the powers-that-be wait a bit and take their time to do the films justice. After all, we're talking 20 full-scale projects here. Ideally, all that has been learned from the past DVD editions will be applied towards making the Blu-ray collection as perfect as possible...

[Bond007]

Can't wait for all the Bonds to be on BD!!! In the meantime you can go to Frys.com and take advantage of their Bond DVD deals. $27.99 for each Vol. That's only $5.60 per DVD!!! Free shipping!!!

Here's the link:


http://shop1.outpost.com/template/dv...gwDo2w**.node2

[w_tanoto]

i heard that warner has the right of mgm titles at certain decade (not sure when)

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by w_tanoto

i heard that warner has the right of mgm titles at certain decade (not sure when)

UA titles are under the control of MGM who sold their home video distribution rights to Fox last year.

Sony own a minority stake in MGM, but control around 60% of voting shares through partnerships with other owners.

WB own the Ted Turner titles, basically.

The whole situation is very convoluted and complex. Especially now that Sony control Casino Royale and Bond 22.

[WickyWoo]

Turner bought everything that isn't UA from 1983 on back, which are now controlled by Warner, which is why Poltergeist is owned by Turner, but 2 and 3 MGM.

[w_tanoto]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

UA titles are under the control of MGM who sold their home video distribution rights to Fox last year.

Sony own a minority stake in MGM, but control around 60% of voting shares through partnerships with other owners.

WB own the Ted Turner titles, basically.

The whole situation is very convoluted and complex. Especially now that Sony control Casino Royale and Bond 22.

complicated

[Paradiso]

Man, oh man, the day we get 007 on Blu....bye-bye wallet.

[Blu As Hell]

Originally Posted by Paradiso

Man, oh man, the day we get 007 on Blu....bye-bye wallet.

Indeed my friend...indeed.

[Jack Torrance]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

UA titles are under the control of MGM who sold their home video distribution rights to Fox last year.

Sony own a minority stake in MGM, but control around 60% of voting shares through partnerships with other owners.

WB own the Ted Turner titles, basically.

The whole situation is very convoluted and complex. Especially now that Sony control Casino Royale and Bond 22.

Not quite that convulted... Sony only has rights to Casino Royale and Bond 22, after which rights revert back fully to MGM for future Bond movies. So I would imagine that Bond 23, if MGM decide to extend their current distribution arrangement with Fox, would then be released by Fox.

The Bond library up to Die Another Day is MGM's to do with as they please. One year after the Sony "take over" they exercised their right to take their catalogue of titles elsewhere, and so they took it to Fox.

To be clear, the "Ted Turner" titles is any MGM title up to 1985, but does not include United Artists titles.

Wait... this >is< convulted.

Has there been a studio that has been bough & sold and carved up into so many pieces as much as MGM (and still continues?)

[Jack Torrance]

Originally Posted by Bond007

Can't wait for all the Bonds to be on BD!!! In the meantime you can go to Frys.com and take advantage of their Bond DVD deals. $27.99 for each Vol. That's only $5.60 per DVD!!! Free shipping!!!

Here's the link:


http://shop1.outpost.com/template/dv...gwDo2w**.node2

The new special editions are fantastic.

I do remember someone involved with the production of the extra material for these discs telling me that they were preparing all new HD masters (this was a couple - more? - years back though, just as MGM was about to get sucked up by Sony for a brief spell) of the Bond flicks. So hopefully, a BD release isn't too far off (the original special edition boxsets were released relatively early into the life cycle of DVD after all).