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page created: 2/8/99




Studio News -
DreamWorks SKG

Get out your bug spray - ANTZ! is coming to a DVD player near you on March 23rd. And it will definitely be worth the wait. For an SRP of $34.99, here's what you get:

ANTZ! DVD cover artwork - DreamWorks Signature Selection
- Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)
- Dual-layered DVD
- Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio
- Full-length Director's Commentary
- Behind-the-scenes Production Featurette - The Making of ANTZ!
- Director's Inside Look - The Basics of CGI Animation & Early Design Process
- Production Notes
- Cast & Filmmaker Bios
- Theatrical Trailer
- 4 TV Spots

Naturally, in true DreamWorks style, the disc menus will feature full-motion graphics and sound. The Director's Inside Look will show the special facial system and development process used to create the main characters. And the disc will also be the first, fully CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) film to be released on the DVD format. All in all, a very nifty batch of extras. Can't wait!



PREVIOUS NEWS (10/26/98)

Here's your first look at those forthcoming DreamWorks DVDs. The first three are due on December 8th. Amistad and Paulie are coming in February.





Just in case you haven't heard, the December 8th titles will include:

Small Soldiers: Signature Series - 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, full frame, Dolby Digital 5.1, deleted scenes "From the Cutting Room Floor", production notes, cast & crew bios, theatrical trailers, behind-the-scenes featurette, interactive game demo

Mouse Hunt - 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, full frame, Dolby Digital 5.1, stunt footage, deleted scenes "From the Cutting Room Floor", production notes, cast & crew bios, theatrical trailers

The Peacemaker - 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1, stunt footage, deleted scenes "From the Cutting Room Floor", production notes, cast & crew bios, theatrical trailers

Many thanks to the Bits reader who provided the scans.




PREVIOUS NEWS (9/24/98)

The day we've all been waiting for is upon us. I just received this faxed press release this morning, direct from DreamWorks Home Entertainment. It confirms that they will have three DVD titles available by December. Enjoy:

DREAMWORKS LAUNCHES DVD

Three Films Premiere in December


Universal City, California, September 24, 1998 - DreamWorks SKG is entering the Digital VideoDisk (DVD) market, it was announced today by Matt Brown, head of Worldwide Home Entertainment. Just in time for the holiday season, three films are set to debut this December, including SMALL SOLDIERS, MOUSE HUNT and THE PEACEMAKER.

"We are thrilled to now offer DreamWorks pictures on DVD," Brown said. "The technology has moved beyond a niche audience and is gaining consistent ground with mainstream consumers. Buoyed by their successful theatrical and video releases, SMALL SOLDIERS, MOUSE HUNT and THE PEACEMAKER will have even more appeal on DVD, which allows us to add new, exciting behind-the-scenes footage. We believe sales of these movies will be strong throughout the holiday season and into 1999, with those beginning their collections."

Combining live-action with state of the art, computer-generated imagery, SMALL SOLDIERS has earned almost $54 million to date at the U.S. box office. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Jay Mohr, Phil Hartman, Gregory Smith and Dennis Leary, the film is receiving a multi-million dollar marketing campaign just prior to its DVD release when it premieres on videocassette November 10th. A major hit with kids, SMALL SOLDIERS characters were the number one boys' action toy of the summer. MOUSE HUNT, the $121 million worldwide box office smash, was one of the year's top ten videos, selling over 4.7 million videocassettes when it was released last May. The hit family film stars Nathan Lane, Lee Evans, Christopher Walken and the world's most tenacious mouse. International celebrities George Clooney and Nicole Kidman star in THE PEACEMAKER, which earned more than $110 million at the worldwide box office. A suspenseful action-thriller, the movie spent six weeks on top of the rental charts when it was released on video last March, and is selling extremely well since its sell-through release in September.

DreamWorks SKG was formed in October, 1994, by its three principal partners - Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen - as a single company to produce live-action motion pictures; animated feature films and television programs; network, syndicated and cable television programming, records, books, toys, consumer products and interactive entertainment.




PREVIOUS NEWS (5/20/98)

There are indications that DreamWorks SKG will release its films to open DVD as early as August, in addition to honoring its commitment to Divx. DreamWorks VHS product is currently being distributed by Universal Home Video, who will apparently do the same for DreamWorks DVDs. Expect The Peacemaker the studio's first feature film, to be its first DVD title as well, along with Mouse Hunt.

No word yet as to when Amblin will loosen its DVD moratorium, but the following article from a recent issue of Time Magazine may hold a clue. Keep in mind that the article has a couple of errors, notably that Gremlins is already on DVD (along with The Color Purple and Twister):

Time Magazine, April 6, 1998 Vol. 151, No. 13 - Notebook/The Scoop

Spielberg: DVD Means Definite Video Delay

If you've just bought a DVD player and can't wait to watch favorite flicks like E.T. and Gremlins, better not disconnect your dusty old VCR. Although there are nearly half a million DVD machines in U.S. homes, STEVEN SPIELBERG is keeping his entire film library--including pictures produced by his company Amblin--off the format. Some DVD boosters think Spielberg is resisting because he favors a sonics alternative made by Digital Theater Systems, a company he partly owns, which has not been embraced by major hardware manufacturers. The director's spokesman says he's merely waiting for millions more consumers to buy the players: "It's a question of the marketplace maturing, and Steven feels very strongly about it." One Amblin title, Twister, slipped out "under the radar" through Warner Home Video, but other films made for various studios are being held back. "Why would we want to upset Spielberg?" asks an exec from Universal, which owns rights to Jaws but won't release it for fear of alienating the man responsible for many of the studio's greatest hits. Spielberg isn't the only holdout. Paramount and Fox have also steered clear of DVD, while Disney has yet to commit any animated classics to the format. It isn't the first time major content providers have resisted new technology: Capitol-EMI refused to put out any Beatles titles during the early years of the compact-disc revolution.
--By Jeffrey Ressner /Los Angeles


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