So schnell kann’s gehen: Erst vor zwei Tagen hatte ich noch darüber berichtet, daß die “Planet der Affen / Planet of the Apes“-Reihe wahrscheinlich im November 2008 in den USA auf Blu-ray erscheinen wird, da gibt’s auch schon die offizielle Ankündigung auf Blu-ray.com. Auf einer französischen WebSite wurde bereits angekündigt, daß einer der Filme in einer unzensierten Fassung veröffentlicht wird. Laut dem Press-Release handelt es sich um “Eroberung vom Planet der Affen / Conquest of the Planet of the Apes” [USA 1972, J. Lee Thompson], den vierten Teil der Saga. Der Film wurde für die damalige Kinoauswertung für eine “PG”-Freigabe gekürzt. Die Gewaltszenen aus den Kampfsequenzen scheinen für die Blu-ray nun wieder integriert worden zu sein:

Fox Home Entertainment has announced that they will bring ‘Planet Of The Apes: 40 Year Evolution Blu-ray Collection‘ to Blu-ray on November 4th. The set, which features all five original ‘Planet of the Apes’ films, will feature BD-50s utilizing 2.35:1 1080p AVC accompanied by a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack.

The five films – ‘Planet Of The Apes’, ‘Beneath The Planet Of The Apes’, ‘Escape From The Planet Of The Apes’, ‘Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes’, and ‘Battle For The Planet Of The Apes’ – have all been specially prepared for this release, including a never-before-seen in the US unrated version of ‘Conquest of the Planet of the Apes’.

Extras for this release will all be presented in stunning high definition. They include:

• Science of the Apes BONUSVIEW – Scientists, anthropologists and sociologists discuss the facts and fiction of the first film (BD Exclusive)
• “Beyond the Forbidden Zone” Adventure Game (BD Exclusive)
• “A Public Service Announcement From ANSA” in HD – A mission report from the agency regarding their brave astronauts (BD Exclusive)
• “Evolution of the Apes”- HD featurette tracing the apes story from the original novel to the screen (BD Exclusive)
• “Impact of the Apes” – HD featurette on how to market a worldwide pop culture phenomenon. The story behind the marketing and merchandising of one of the first ever film franchises and the series’ lasting influence on pop culture through the years (BD Exclusive)
• HD Making-of Featurette for Each Sequel (BD Exclusive):
  • Beneath the Planet of the Apes – “From Alpha to Omega: Building a Sequel”
  • Escape from the Planet of the Apes – “The Secret Behind Escape”
  • Conquest of the Planet of the Apes – “Riots and Revolutions: Confronting the Times”
  • Battle for the Planet of the Apes – “End of an Epic: The Final Battle”
• Each Apes sequel will have an isolated score track in 5.1 DTS Master Audio (BD Exclusive)
• Commentary by Composer Jerry Goldsmith
• Commentary by Actors Roddy McDowall, Natalie Trundy, Kim Hunter and Makeup Artist John Chambers
• Text Commentary by Eric Greene and Author of “Planet of the Apes as American Myth”
• Behind the Planet of the Apes Documentary – Includes all new interactivity and timeline
• Behind the Planet of the Apes Promo (1988)
• Planet of the Apes Makeup Test with Edward G. Robinson (1966)
• Roddy McDowall On-set Footage
• Planet of the Apes Dailies and Outtakes (No Audio)
• Planet of the Apes NATO Presentation (1967)
• Planet of the Apes Vintage Featurette (1968)
• A Look Behind the Planet of the Apes (1972)
• Don Taylor Directs Escape from the Planet of the Apes
• J. Lee Thompson Directs Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
• Six Original Theatrical Trailers
• Original Sketches by Costume Designer Morton Haack
• Photo Gallery
• Planet of the Apes Timeline
• Interactive Pressbooks
• Vintage Apes Newspaper Galleries
• Advertising and Lobby Card Galleries
• Behind-the-Scenes Gallerie