Die Hard films debut worldwide on Blu-ray Disc

By M&C News Aug 31, 2007, 15:05 GMT

Bruce Willis returns as John McClane in the final installment of the blockbuster Die Hard franchise. An attack on the vulnerable United States computer infrastructure begins to shut down the entire nation. The mysterious figure behind the shattering scheme has figured out every digital angle -- but he never figured on an old-fashioned, \'analog\' fly-in-the-ointment: John McClane.

Cementing its intention to release at least one state-of-the-art title per month, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (TCFHE) announced worldwide Blu-ray new release plans for the $348 million global box-office action powerhouse Live Free or Die Hard (NOV. 20 North America / OCT. 28 International) day-and-date with the BD release of the Die Hard Trilogy.

The announcement further supports TCFHE’s aggressive global Blu-ray Disc release strategy that includes 29 new release and “must-have” catalog titles from Fox and MGM that runs through the end of the 2007 calendar year.  The only high-definition packaged media universally supported by the film, music, gaming and computer industries, BD is the #1 selling high-definition packaged media.

“On a worldwide basis, BD is averaging nearly 70% market-share per week of all high definition titles sold this year and, in the U.S., it is out-performing HD DVD by 2 to 1, in some territories the ratio is 3 to 1,” noted Mike Dunn, President Worldwide, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

“Given the retail landscape this holiday season, we expect the sales gap between Blu-ray and HD DVD to grow significantly wider as the most anticipated films of the year debut exclusively on the Blu-ray format.”
 
Live Free or Die Hard (Die Hard 4.0 Internationally)

The fourth installment of the established world-renowned Die Hard franchise, explodes onto BD day-and-date with the Die Hard Trilogy and features an arsenal of bonus content including a “Die Hard” music video by Guyz Nite, a “Making Of” documentary, actor and director commentaries and the exclusive high definition BD-Java multi-level strategy game “Black Hat Intercept!”.

“Black Hat Intercept!” begins with a warning from ‘The Warlock’ (cult-classic writer, producer and director Kevin Smith) that a computer virus has been placed inside an unwitting Internet companies’ mainframe by the infamous cyber-terrorist, Thomas Gabriel. As the team leader from inside the surveillance van, players must guide an agent into the building, outwit the building’s security systems and personnel without being detected and then wipe the hard drive clean before the virus destroys the U.S.

Additionally, the BD debut of the Die Hard Trilogy comes locked and loaded with numerous bonus features including deleted scenes, featurettes, actor and director commentaries, visual effect breakdowns, alternate endings, side-by-side comparisons and much, much more.

All of the BD titles announced today will be authored in BD-J with AVC (MPEG 4) compression and presented on 50 GB dual-layer discs with English 5.1 DTS HD Lossless Master Audio plus English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound. In addition to the highest quality audiovisual elements, each BD release will also feature D-Box compatible motion sensor cues to give D-Box chair equipped viewers a more life-like and intense viewing experience.  Complete title configurations and market release dates will be announced by individual territories.