HD DVD Promotion Group adds Universal's Jurassic Park, ET, Jaws to "Coming soon" list

[dobyblue]

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh...sic,_E.T._/454

Generating lightning fast buzz among early adopters, the HD DVD Promotions Group has added a trio of exclusive Spielberg classics to the "Coming Soon" section of its 2007 HD DVD release list, suggesting that the first of the director's long-awaited classics may finally be hitting the format.

The group, which is the official promotional organization for format backers including Universal and Toshiba, routinely updates its HD DVD title list (which can be found in PDF form here) with officially announced titles, as well as those confirmed to the group as being in the planning stages by the major studios.

Though not all of the "Coming Soon" titles the group has been listing on its site for the past year have actually seen release, the list does provide a strong indicator of what fans might expect in the coming months.

So needless to say, with the appearance of the Steven Spielberg classics 'Jaws,' 'Jurassic Park' and 'E.T.,' hopes are now high among HD DVD fans that the director's first titles will hit high-def this year.

Of course, as DVD enthusiasts know all too well, Spielberg turned out to be one of the longest hold-outs of the standard-def format, refusing to release his major titles for many years despite much pleading from the fanbase. It is also worth noting that Universal itself, in a press release and statements made only late last week, promised 100 new HD DVD titles in the coming year, but ino Spielberg titles were included on the list pending "filmmaker involvement." So we'll take a wait-and-see attitude towards the news, if only for fear of being disappointed.

Should even one of these Spielberg gems see release this year, however, it would certainly prove to be a boost for the HD DVD format, as most of the director's titles are currently distributed by Universal Studios releases, the sole studio holdout from the Blu-ray camp.

I feel sorry for the HD DVD camp having to get such hopes up over the Toshiba .pdf list.

[blitz6speed]

OK, lets say all 3 come out. Then what? LOL, you're still missing 50+% of hollywood and most importantly, the TOP GROSSING MOVIES OF THE PAST 2+ Years!!!

[ProvenFlipper]

What isn't on the MS-DVD "Coming Soon" list? The BDA can do the same for any movie from FOX, Disney, Sony, or Lionsgate. Who cares? When it has a release date, then we'll see... Until then, MS-DVD promo group is just blowing smoke in an attempt to get people to buy into their format.

[dobyblue]

You guys know it and I know it.

I think a lot of the HD DVD guys are getting it too.

[Spankey]

Originally Posted by ProvenFlipper

What isn't on the MS-DVD "Coming Soon" list? The BDA can do the same for any movie from FOX, Disney, Sony, or Lionsgate. Who cares? When it has a release date, then we'll see... Until then, MS-DVD promo group is just blowing smoke in an attempt to get people to buy into their format.

Basically. The MS-DVD promo group serves nothing but empty promises and false propaganda. It took Steven Spielberg how many years to approve his movies for release on DVD? The BDA might as well list Star Wars as soon to be release. I really am embarrassed that HD-DVD people still choose not to see the forest for the trees.

[Josh]

Can't wait to see Jurassic Park on Blu-ray in Japan (soon?)!

[JTK]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh...sic,_E.T._/454



I feel sorry for the HD DVD camp having to get such hopes up over the Toshiba .pdf list.

And I'm sure they have.

[blitz6speed]

Originally Posted by joshd2012

Can't wait to see Jurassic Park on Blu-ray in Japan (soon?)!

You imply such as to the fact that universal will have no choice in japan, or that it will be released under a different distributor? Because if so, ive read on AVS that Universal got the rights to JP back from sony in japan in 2005. But it could have been Zealot BS too, i never looked into it.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh...sic,_E.T._/454



I feel sorry for the HD DVD camp having to get such hopes up over the Toshiba .pdf list.

Yup, sure enough. I've made a few quick rounds and am seeing the threads and posts go up with "Potentially huge news for HD-DVD" and the rest of it, off of this.

[JBlacklow]

Hey, this list looks familiar...Oh, right, it's the same one from this time last year with a couple added titles and almost everything TBD. Hey, "Shawshank Redemption" and "Deadwood" and almost everything else! Glad you've managed to stay in the same place this whole time.

[Blubaru]

Originally Posted by blitz6speed

You imply such as to the fact that universal will have no choice in japan, or that it will be released under a different distributor? Because if so, ive read on AVS that Universal got the rights to JP back from sony in japan in 2005. But it could have been Zealot BS too, i never looked into it.

Universal still makes Blu-ray movies in Japan.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by JBlacklow

Hey, this list looks familiar...Oh, right, it's the same one from this time last year with a couple added titles and almost everything TBD. Hey, "Shawshank Redemption" and "Deadwood" and almost everything else! Glad you've managed to stay in the same place this whole time.

It's a complete non-story, but don't tell the HD-DVD fans that.

[bruce]

To be fair, there have been a few movies promised to come out on BR last year that did not
# Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Sony)
# The Da Vinci Code (Sony)
# From Hell (Fox)
# Gattaca (Sony)
# Glory (Sony)
# Legends of the Fall (Sony)
# The Princess Bride (MGM)
# The Professionals (Sony)
# Resident Evil (Sony)
# RoboCop (MGM)
# Sense and Sensibility (Sony)
# Winged Migration (Sony)

As of now I have to believe Jurassic Park is coming, just like I believe Spiderman is ( rumored but no offical date).

[dobyblue]

Yes, Universal did get rights back to Jurassic Park. Sony had it for a few years to make the Superbit versions of all three movies.

[dobyblue]

Let's hope Paramount learns how to use lossless audio before the Indiana Jones movies come out.

[phloyd]

Personally I put less stock in the LaSoP site than I do announcements from studios.

But I am willing to wait and see...

[Josh]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

Yes, Universal did get rights back to Jurassic Park. Sony had it for a few years to make the Superbit versions of all three movies.

Well, that sucks. I assume that was the same thing for E.T.?

[dobyblue]

i'm not sure - but by the time this comes out on HD I'm sure Universal will be format neutral, providing there are still two formats out to be neutral about.

[Deciazulado]

The "new" coming soon titles have the second line of this image as "date". What does this translate into?



"It is supposed to be released soon."
"As for the release date, it is not yet decided."

[goodstuff]

Looks like they're getting desperate here and had to bring out their biggest guns for one last shot. Too bad for them Fox, Disney and Sony have many more lying in wait.