Also here at the site today, we’ve posted the weekly update of the Release Dates & Artwork section, featuring all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, whenever you order anything from Amazon, you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we greatly appreciate it.

In announcement news today, Disney has officially set Pixar’s Cars 3 for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 11/7, with the digital release expected on 10/24. Extras on the Blu-ray versions will include the Miss Fritter’s Racing Skoool mini movie, the Lou theatrical short, 8 featurettes (Let’s. Get. Crazy., Legendary, Ready for the Race, World’s Fastest Billboard, Cruz Ramirez: The Yellow Car That Could, Generations: The Story of Cars 3, My First Car, and Cars To Die(cast) For), 5 deleted scenes, and audio commentary (with director Brian Fee, producer Kevin Reher, co-producer Andrea Warren, creative director Jay Ward), and more.

On the 4K front, it appears that Lionsgate has delayed the Ultra HD release of Terminator 2: Judgment Day due to an unspecified mastering issue. It was supposed to come out on 10/3, then 10/31, and now it looks more like an early 2018 release. We’ll keep you up to date.

While we’re talking 4K, it appears that Warner is going to be releasing Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises on the format on 12/5. They’re not up for pre-order on Amazon.com, however, and neither are Warner’s remaining Harry Potter titles. Nor Blade Runner: 2049 (scratch that – it is at this link), nor Dunkirk. All of this suggests that Amazon is trying to use its retail muscle to arm-twist the studio into a better contractual deal. This what happens when companies get too big for their own good. Irritating.

Strangely though, there’s a new version of Paramount’s Interstellar – also from director Christopher Nolan – that’s just been listed for release on 12/19. And though it doesn’t confirm for sure yet, at $31.99, we believe this is the new 4K Ultra HD release.

Back to Blu-ray again: If you’re buying the new GKids and Shout! Factory Studio Ghibli titles, three of which we’ve reviewed here at The Bits, there are two things to know: First, they offer 1080p HD quality that’s on par with the original Japanese Ghibli BDs, they include both the English dubbed and original Japanese audio in lossless DTS-HD Master Audio, and the include both English dubtitles and proper English translation of the original Japanese, plus they carry over the best of both the Disney and Studio Ghibli extras. These are definitely the best English-language versions you can buy. Also, the next wave of titles, including The Cat Returns and My Neighbors the Yamadas, has just been set for release on 1/18/18.

And Well Go USA has set Better Watch Out for release on Blu-ray on 12/5.

Here’s a look at the Blu-ray cover artwork for Scream Factory’s Cyborg: Special Edition and also those two new Studio Ghibli titles from GKids...

Back with more tomorrow. Stay tuned...

- Bill Hunt

(You can follow Bill on social media at these links: Twitter and Facebook)