Posted Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 10:00 AM PDT by Peter Bracke
After sitting out the format war for nearly a year, the CEO of Genius Products says the company is preparing to release its first Blu-ray titles beginning later this year.
In a recent conference call with investors, Genius CEO Trevor Drinkwater stopped short of issuing any specific titles or release dates, but confirmed that the company will begin supporting the Blu-ray format by the end of 2008.
As the home video distributor for the Weinstein Company, Genius had been among the HD DVD camp's most high-profile initial partners. The company released nearly a dozen titles over the first six months of 2006 (including 'Clerks II,' 'Black Christmas' and 'Scary Movie 4'), before abruptly ending their support without any further explanation.
In light of Drinkwater's statements, could Genius/Weinstein finally be ready to release such highly-anticipated hits as '1408,' 'Grindhouse' and the 'Scary Movie' franchise to Blu-ray? High-Def Digest contacted each for comment, but representatives from both companies were unprepared to offer comments on their future high-def plans.
Nevertheless, Genius' plans for a late-2008 Blu-ray launch certainly remain a positive omen for Blu-ray fans. In addition to the Weinstein Co., Genius currently distributes titles on home video for such other prominent indie labels as Tartan Films, ESPN, Sesame Workshop, Here!, World Wrestling Entertainment, and IFC Films.
As always, we'll keep you posted on all future developments in the Genius/Weinstein Co. story as they come to us.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
The latest news on all things 4K Ultra HD, blu-ray and Gear.