In an industry first, Paramount's 'Mission: Impossible III' will become the first title to premiere on HD DVD, Blu-ray and standard DVD
simultaneously when it hits video October 30, as well as contain a host of extras produced exclusively in high-definition.
"M:i:III set a new standard for action films and is setting a new standard
for the home entertainment experience," said Meagan Burrows, president
of domestic home entertainment for Paramount Pictures. "We're giving consumers
all their options including the HD releases with a pristine presentation of
the film as well as high-definition bonus features created exclusively for the
movie."
Eschewing the industry-standard Tuesday bow, Paramount will instead release
the $133 million-grossing Tom Cruise hit on what the studio is dubbing "Mission Monday." Each release will contain some crossover in technical
specs and bonus features, though exact extras will vary depending on format.
Both the
HD
DVD release of 'Mi:III' and the
Blu-ray
edition will include a 2.40:1 widescreen transfer of the film in 1080p video
(compression codecs are not known at this time), English, French and Spanish
Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 surround tracks, and an identical set of bonus features:
four featurettes, five deleted scenes, the film's theatrical trailer and even some hidden "easter eggs."
However, included on the HD DVD version only will be an "enhanced video commentary"
featuring exclusive video footage of director J.J. Abrams, Tom Cruise and other
behind-the-scenes material. (Surprisingly, however, neither the HD DVD or Blu-ray
versions feature exclusive photographs of baby Suri Cruise-Holmes.)
"I'm thrilled that people with get a chance to see 'M:i:III' with the best
possible picture and audio," said Abrams, who was directly involved in
the production of the HD-exclusive bonus materials.
Paramount has set a retail price of $29.95 for both the HD DVD and Blu-ray versions.
The latest details for both releases can be found in our
HD
DVD Release Schedule and
Blu-ray
Release Schedule.