'Fantastic Mr. Fox' Criterion Double Dip Announced

Wes Anderson's 2009 stop-motion film will be getting the Criterion treatment in February.

In an early announcement to retailers, the Criterion Collection will present 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' on Blu-ray on February 18.

'Fantastic Mr. Fox' is the story of a clever, quick, nimble, and exceptionally well-dressed wild animal. A compulsive chicken thief turned newspaper reporter, Mr. Fox settles down with his family at a new foxhole in a beautiful tree directly adjacent to three enormous poultry farms—owned by three ferociously vicious farmers: Boggis, Bunce, and Bean. Mr. Fox simply cannot resist. This adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic children's novel from Wes Anderson is a meticulous work of stop-motion animation featuring vibrant performances by George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Willem Dafoe, Michael Gambon, and Bill Murray.

The Blu-ray will feature a new digital master approved by director Wes Anderson, a lossless 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: Audio commentary featuring Anderson; Storyboard animatics for the entire film; Footage of the actors voicing their characters, puppet construction, stop-motion setups, and the recording of the score; Interviews with cast and crew; Puppet animation tests; Photo gallery of puppets, props, and sets; Animated awards acceptance speeches; Audio recording of author Roald Dahl reading the book on which the film is based; Gallery of Dahl's original manuscripts; Discussion and analysis of the film; Stop-motion Sony robot commercial by Anderson; and a booklet featuring a new essay; a 2002 article on Dahl's Gipsy House by Anderson; White Cape, a comic book used as a prop in the film; and drawings, original paintings, and other ephemera.

Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.95.

You can find the latest specs for 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under February 18.