Watership Down 4K UHD (1978) (UK)

[MifuneFan]

Update: Unfortunately this release has been cancelled

We regret to announce that, due to external issues beyond our control, the planned UHD/Blu-ray of Watership Down has been cancelled. Cancelling a release is always a last resort but in this instance we are left with no other option. We sincerely apologise for any disappointment.

BFI Films have stated on their website that they plan to release the new 4K restoration of Watership Down on Blu-ray and UHD on October 24th.

BFI
HMV
Zavvi

Extras

• Defining a Style (2005): short featurette about the film’s aesthetic
• A Conversation with the filmmakers (2005)
• Storyboard comparison
• Super 8 version of the film
• Trailer
• TV Spots
• Newly created optional English subtitles for the Deaf and partial hearing
• Newly created audio description track
• Double-sided poster featuring the original UK quad and the 2022 re-release artwork
• A set of four postcards featuring iconic scenes from the film
• Perfect-bound book featuring new writing on the film by Jez Stewart and Catherine Lester
• Newly commissioned sleeve art by Andrew Bannister

Credit to Bates_Motel

[Dickieduvet]

An absolute must have, a melancholic fever dream with beautiful animation and an amazing soundtrack.

Can't think of a film that traumatized me more as a kid.

What a great suprise announcement 🐰

[DaiShuryou]

Fantastic news, one of my favourite animated movies of all-time.

[kong73]

Love this film but I'm interested to see if they can improve on the Criterion blu ray. Does this need a 4k?

[HeckYourUp]

Oh this is awesome! Haven't seen this film since I was a child. Would love to revisit this in 4k.

[PowellPressburger]

I hope they don’t scrub it to death and get rid of the detail.

Fingers crossed

[McCrutchy]

More traditional animation on 4K UHD is great news.

[slimjean]

Originally Posted by kong73

Love this film but I'm interested to see if they can improve on the Criterion blu ray. Does this need a 4k?

Why not? It was filmed and it is a great one.

What else does one need to qualify?

[Kyle15]

Originally Posted by kong73

Love this film but I'm interested to see if they can improve on the Criterion blu ray. Does this need a 4k?

More room to breathe, higher dynamic range, better defined detail, etc. It's 35mm and despite not being live-action benefits for all the same reasons.

[Hammerlover]

Originally Posted by Kyle15

More room to breathe, higher dynamic range, better defined detail, etc. It's 35mm and despite not being live-action benefits for all the same reasons.

You sold me!

[MechaGodzilla]

Wow! This totally took me by surprise.

Excited to see what else the BFI have in store for us.

[slimjean]

Originally Posted by MechaGodzilla

Wow! This totally took me by surprise.

Excited to see what else the BFI have in store for us.

I wish Shout Factory would do Plague Dogs in 4K (and get the sound right from what I heard). Those two movies go together like Peas and Carrots!

[SpaceBlackKnight]

Originally Posted by slimjean

I wish Shout Factory would do Plague Dogs in 4K (and get the sound right from what I heard). Those two movies go together like Peas and Carrots!

UK cut has a mono fold down of the Dolby Stereo, US theatrical is proper stereo.

[dcx4610]

I have a new favorite past time:

1. Buy a Blu-ray, put it on a shelf and add it to my list of movies to watch.
2. UHD gets announced, sell the Blu-ray I never watched and buy the UHD...

[Yami]

Very happy to hear this. I've never thought that it has quite got the treatment that it has deserved on home video - the Criterion is alright but still has stability issues and I don't think the extras quite take account of its cultural footprint in the UK, which I have full faith that the BFI will do.

[slimjean]

Originally Posted by Yami

Very happy to hear this. I've never thought that it has quite got the treatment that it has deserved on home video - the Criterion is alright but still has stability issues and I don't think the extras quite take account of its cultural footprint in the UK, which I have full faith that the BFI will do.

I thought it had pretty good extras though. Marty Rosen interview was excellent.

Originally Posted by SpaceBlackKnight

UK cut has a mono fold down of the Dolby Stereo, US theatrical is proper stereo.

Yeah but at the cost of the worst censorship and an ending that ruins the movie. Thx for info! I didn't know that.

[Yami]

The Rosen interview was fine, but I don't think it's worth as much as the audio commentary he did for the old Australian DVD. It's not always scene specific but it's very informative and he obviously enjoyed doing it - it runs longer than the film!

[Hydra Spectre]

I'm hoping for a Shout! Selects release of both Watership Down and The Plague Dogs in 4K UHD.
With both the original Dolby Stereo mixes, the original uncut versions, Dolby Vision + Atmos, and no DNR.

[singhcr]

Originally Posted by Kyle15

More room to breathe, higher dynamic range, better defined detail, etc. It's 35mm and despite not being live-action benefits for all the same reasons.

In some ways this might benefit from 4K more than live action. Granted, the characters themselves are flat so not as much of an improvement there but the backgrounds certainly do and since this is traditional animation there's plenty of light so it's about as optimal a photography situation as you can get from an exposure perspective. Plus you get the benefit of richer color, DR, etc.

I did go to a nitrate film festival at the George Eastman museum in June and one of the films there was Pinnochio, an original 35mm nitrate Technicolor print too.

Dammmnnn, that had a huge huge improvement in detail and color over the BD. Granted much of that improvement was due to the fact that the BD is DNR'd like crazy, but aside from the crazy detail in the background I was amazed at how much crisper the characters were and how much more depth there was to the image overall along with how beautiful the color was. Keep in mind this is still a theatrical print, not a special showprint or something off the negative. Watership isn't as "pretty" as that film due to its more muted palette and not being IB Tech but I bring it up to say that traditional animation can benefit from 4K more than one might think.

[moreorless]

Originally Posted by Kyle15

More room to breathe, higher dynamic range, better defined detail, etc. It's 35mm and despite not being live-action benefits for all the same reasons.

Been awhile since I watched it but I remember the backgrounds having a rather watercolour/pencilled style to them which I'd say potentially benefits from UHD provided its not DNRed which you wouldnt expect from BFI.

I do think there's a good case that one of the defining features of growing up in the 80's was being exposed to Watership Down at a young age.