Finally, after months of promises and rumors, Disney has released full details of its 4K Blu-ray releases of four classic James Cameron films: The Abyss, True Lies, Titanic and Aliens.
Each film will be presented with an immersive Dolby Atmos soundtrack and 4K HDR picture transfer, as well as being backed up by mountains of the sort of extra features film enthusiasts love.
James Cameron has managed to work his magic for AV fans again, too, by persuading Disney (as he did for the two Avatar 4K Blu-ray releases) to go beyond its usual 4K Blu-ray specifications by using high capacity 100GB 4K discs and providing all films in Dolby Vision HDR masters rather than sticking with just an HDR10 master.
As if all this wasn’t already exciting enough for fans of movies and the premium 4K Blu-ray experience, Disney has also announced the release of new Collector’s Editions of Avatar and Avatar: The Way Of Water. The former of which will feature an extended Collector’s Edition cut that will run for eight minutes longer than the regular Special Edition extended cut, and the latter of which will be accompanied by more than eight hours of extra features.
The US release schedule for all of these new titles lines up as follows:
Titanic – December 5 2023
Avatar Collector’s Edition – December 19 2023
Avatar: The Way Of Water Collector’s Edition – December 19 2023
Avatar 4K Limited Edition Steelbook (Best Buy exclusive) – December 19 2023
Aliens Collector’s Edition – March 12 2024
The Abyss Collector’s Edition – March 12 2024
True Lies Collector’s Edition – March 12 2024
All six titles will be available to pre-order from November 20 2023.
Now grab yourself a beer and settle in for the long haul as we go through all of the extra features and key specs you can expect to find on each of these huge new releases…
Aliens Collector’s Edition
4K BD ships with Blu-ray and Digital Code
137 minutes run time (Special edition run time 154 minutes)
1.85:1 ratio.
4K Disc size: 100GB
Audio: 4K UHD Theatrical Version and Special Edition: English Dolby Atmos, English 2.0 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, French 5.1 DTS-HDHR, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Blu-ray Theatrical Version and Special Edition: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, French 5.1 DTS-HDHR, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Bonus Features*
James Cameron Introduction – A message from writer/director James Cameron introducing the Special Edition version of the film.
2003 Audio Commentary by James Cameron and the Cast and Crew-Special Edition – 1990 Special Edition Commentary by James Cameron and the cast and crew.
The Inspiration and Design of Aliens – For the 30th anniversary, writer/director James Cameron reveals new insight into his own inspiration and the design elements for Aliens.
2003 Audio Commentary by James Cameron and the Cast and Crew – 1986 Theatrical Version Commentary by James Cameron and the cast and crew.
Isolated Scores
- Final Theatrical Isolated Score – This isolated track presents, as accurately as possible, James Horner’s music score in its final form following extensive reworking during the post-production process.
- Composer’s Original Isolated Score – Although there are a few instances where the length of individual sequences was changed slightly after the music was recorded, this isolated score track presents, as accurately as possible, James Horner’s original intentions.
Superior Firepower: Making Aliens – Immerse yourself in the world of Aliens with 11 fully-loaded featurettes that deconstruct all that went into making this sci-fi thriller, from casting to creature design to post-production and everything in between.
- 57 Years Later: Continuing the Story
- Building Better Worlds: From Concept to Construction
- Preparing for Battle: Casting and Characterization
- This Time It’s War: Pinewood Studios, 1985
- The Risk Always Lives: Weapons and Action
- Bug Hunt: Creature Design
- Two Orphans: Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Henn
- Beauty and the Bitch: Power Loader vs. Queen Alien
- The Final Countdown: Music, Editing and Sound
- The Power of Real Tech: Visual Effects
- ALIENS Unleashed: Reaction to the Film
Superior Firepower: Making Aliens Enhancement Pods – Supplemental video pieces to complement Superior Firepower: Making Aliens.
- Without Sigourney Weaver
- Origins of Acheron
- Building Hadley’s Hope
- Cameron’s Design Philosophy
- Finding an Unused Power Plant
- Cameron’s Military Interests
- Working with Sigourney Weaver
- The Importance of Being Bishop
- Paul Reiser on Carter Burke
- The Paxton/Cameron Connection
- Becoming Vasquez
- On Set: Infiltrating the Colony
- Props: Personal Light Unit
- Simon Atherton Talks Weapons
- Praising Stan Winston
- Test Footage: Chestburster
- Fighting the Facehugger
- Test Footage: Facehugger
- Stan Winston’s Challenge
- Test Footage: Queen Alien
- Stan Winston’s Legacy
- Cameron’s Cutting Edge
- Sigourney Weaver’s Triumph
- Re-Enlisting with Cameron
- From Producer to Stunt Double
Pre-Visualizations: Multi-Angle Videomatics
- Angle 1: Videomatic
- Angle 2: Videomatic/Final Shot Comparison
- Audio Commentary by Miniature Effects Supervisor Pat McClung
Direct Access to New/Additional Scenes From Special Edition
- Ripley’s Daughter – Burke informs Ripley that her daughter died two years ago.
- Van Leuwen’s Verdict – Van Leuwen reads the findings of the court of inquiry.
- The Colony/The Jordens’ Discovery – The colony is bustling with life and activity. Newt, along with her brother and parents, come upon the Derelict ship.
- Burke’s Answer – At Ripley’s apartment, Burke explains why he’s making the trip to LV-426.
- INT. Sulaco – Establishing shots of the interior of the Sulaco before the crew awakens from hyper-sleep.
- Hudson’s Hubris – As they descend in the drop ship to LV-426, Hudson boasts about their advanced weaponry.
- False Alarm – Hudson and Vasquez detect motion in the colony, only to find it is pet hamsters.
- Ripley Pauses – As she enters the colony, Ripley hesitates for a moment.
- The Sentry Guns – Hicks reveals they have robot sentry systems. While examining the colony blueprints, Ripley and Hicks discuss where to place the robot sentries.
- Fire in the Hole – Hudson and Vasquez set up the UA 571-C remote sentry weapons and following a quick test, seal the tunnel.
- Last Line of Defense – The Sentry Guns dutifully scan the tunnel for incoming targets.
- Newt’s Questions – Newt quizzes Ripley about the fate of her parents.
- Hudson’s “Ant” Theory – Hudson speculates on how the Aliens are organized and reproduce.
- The Aliens Attack – The Sentry Guns unload on multiple targets.
- The Aliens Retreat – Under withering fire from the sentries, the Aliens are temporarily repulsed.
- First Name Basis – As Ripley departs the drop ship to try and rescue Newt, she and Hicks share their first names with each other.
Deleted Scene: Burke Cocooned – Long one of the most sought-after lost moments from the entire Alien Anthology, this scene depicting Carter Burke’s fate is now revealed.
Deleted Scene Montage – This collection of scene extensions and omitted moments represents the remainder of deleted scenes not appearing in either the Theatrical Version or the Special Edition.
Still Galleries and more
- Original Treatment by James Cameron
- Storyboard Archive
- The Art of Aliens
- Cast Portrait Gallery
- Production Image Galleries
- Continuity Polaroids
- Weapons and Vehicles
- Stan Winston’s Workshop
- Colonial Marine Helmet Cameras
- Video Graphics Gallery
- Weyland-Yutani Inquest: Nostromo Dossiers
Post-Production Aftermath
- Image Galleries
- Laserdisc Archives
- Main Title Exploration
- Theatrical Trailers
- Teaser Trailer
- Theatrical Trailer
- Domestic Trailer
- International Trailer
*Bonus features vary by product and retailer
The Abyss
4K BD ships with Blu-ray and Digital Code
145 minutes run time (Special edition run time 171 minutes)
2.39:1 ratio.
4K Disc size: 100GB
Audio: 4K UHD Theatrical Version & Special Edition: English Dolby Atmos, English 2.0 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, French 5.1 DTS-HDHR, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Blu-ray Theatrical Version & Special Edition: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, French 5.1 DTS-HDHR, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Bonus Features*
NEW:
Documentaries
- Deep Dive: A Conversation with James Cameron – An exclusive new sit-down with James Cameron as he revisits the origin of the project and addresses some of the myths behind the production.
- The Legacy of The Abyss – Discover the lasting legacy of The Abyss with stories from James Cameron and the crew about how and why the film continues to have an impact on filmmaking today.
ADDITIONAL BONUS:
Documentary
- Under Pressure: Making The Abyss – The original documentary about the infamous production of The Abyss, with candid commentary by the actors and crew.
Archives
- Deepcore Timelapse – Watch this production timelapse of the Deepcore set being created.
- Videomatics Montage – Watch a montage of behind-the-scenes production videomatics.
- Montana Bridge Flooding – See behind-the-scenes footage of the Montana bridge flooding.
- Engine Room Flooding – See behind-the-scenes footage of the engine room flooding.
- Surface Shoot Montage – Watch a behind-the-scenes montage of the surface shoot.
- Crane Crash Shoot – Check out behind-the-scenes footage of the crane crashing sequence.
- Visual Effects Reel – Watch a reel of visual effects progressions to see how they were developed for the film.
- Miniature Rear-Projection – Watch behind-the-scenes footage of how production used rear-projection techniques on miniatures.
- Motion Control Timelapse – Watch this production timelapse of the motion control technology being used.
- Teaser Trailer
- Main Trailer
- Reviews Trailer
Still Gallery – Presented here are extras as they appeared in the “Imaging Station” on the Special Edition DVD release of The Abyss, along with the trailers. Since their original presentation has been preserved, resolution and clarity will vary from element to element.
*Bonus features vary by product and retailer
True Lies
4K BD ships with Blu-ray and Digital Code
141 minutes run time
2.39:1 ratio.
4K Disc size: 100GB
Audio: 4K UHD: English Dolby Atmos, English 2.0 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Dolby Digital AD, French 5.1 DTS-HDHR, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Blu-ray: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Dolby Digital AD, French 5.1 DTS-HDHR, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Bonus Features*
NEW:
Documentary
- Fear Is Not an Option: A Look Back at True Lies – Unveil the explosive behind-the-scenes secrets of True Lies with the cast and crew as they share untold tales of daring stunts, cutting-edge technology, and the comedic genius that brought this spy-thriller to life.
Archives: Script, Artwork, Marketing – Dive into the production secrets of True Lies with these exclusive behind-the-scenes documents and more.
ADDITIONAL BONUS:
Theatrical Trailer
*Bonus features vary by product and retailer
‘Titanic’ 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition
4K BD ships with Blu-ray and Digital Code, plus there will be a 4K Ultra Limited Edition Collector’s Box Set
194 minutes run time
2.35:1 ratio.
4K Disc size: 100GB
Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English 2.0 DTS-HDMA, English 5.1 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Bonus Features*
NEW:
Titanic: Stories From The Heart – Director James Cameron, producer Jon Landau and star Kate Winslet share memories and favorite moments, and recount the challenges of making the greatest love story in cinema history. Go back in time with film clips, photos and behind-the-scenes moments.
Behind-the-Scenes Presentation Hosted by Jon Landau – Jon Landau introduces a series of behind-the-scenes segments showcasing the making of Titanic.
Trailer Presentation Hosted by Jon Landau – Jon Landau shares an inside glimpse into the marketing of Titanic with a story of how a 4-minute trailer overseen by the filmmakers was delivered to theaters, instead of the original “action” trailer.
Fan Poster Art Gallery
ADDITIONAL BONUS:
Titanic: 25 Years Later with James Cameron – James Cameron explores the enduring myths and mysteries of the shipwreck, and mounts tests to see whether Jack could have fit on that raft and survived.
Commentaries
- Director Commentary by James Cameron (2005) – Watch the film with audio commentary by director James Cameron.
- Cast And Crew Commentary (2005) – Watch the film with audio commentary by cast and crew.
- Historical Commentary by Don Lynch and Ken Marschall (2005) – Watch the film with historical audio commentary by Don Lynch and Ken Marschall.
Reflections on Titanic
- Part 1 – With Titanic, James Cameron envisioned making a movie on a scale Hollywood had never seen before — from creating the set to casting the leads to ensuring there was a heartfelt story at the center. Many on the outside thought that Titanic would fail.
- Part 2 – Like the captain of a ship, James Cameron planned to go down with Titanic whether it succeeded or not. After pushing back the release date to December, test screenings around the globe proved to the team that this film was something special.
- Part 3 – Around the world, moviegoers were singing Titanic‘s praises. The emotional connection audiences made with the film launched Titanic into the pop culture stratosphere. Decades later, Titanic is still referenced, parodied and beloved by fans everywhere.
- Part 4 – Remastered in 3D for a 2012 re-release — coinciding with the centennial anniversary of the Titanic’s tragic voyage — the film’s timeless story of romance, drama and action still resonates with audiences everywhere.
Deleted Scenes – Check out scenes that didn’t make the final cut.
- James Cameron Introduction (2005)
- “I’ll Be The First”
- Rose Feels Trapped
- Brock’s Dilemma / Rose Visits Third Class
- Rose’s Dreams
- Come Josephine…
- Sneaking to First Class (extended)
- Escape from Lovejoy (extended)
- A Kiss in the Boiler Room
- Wireless Room / The Californian
- “How ‘Bout a Little Ice?”
- Flirting with Ice
- The First “S.O.S.”
- Ismay Panics
- Molly Brown’s Rowing School
- Irish Hospitality
- Ida Straus Won’t Leave
- Farewell to Helga
- Boat Six Won’t Return
- Release the Hounds
- A Husband’s Letter
- Jack and Lovejoy Fight
- Guggenheim and Astor
- “I’m Not Going”
- Cora’s Fate
- Jack and Rose in the Water (extended)
- “Out of the Question”
- “How Dare You!”
- Chinese Man Rescue
- Carpathia Sequence (extended)
- Alternate Ending
Deleted Scenes with James Cameron Commentary – All deleted scenes also available with commentary.
Additional Behind the Scenes
- Deep Dive – James Cameron discusses the preparation that went into filming the underwater scenes of the Titanic wreck.
- Upside-Down Wreck Miniature – Motion control operator Jim Rider and model crew chief Gene Rizzardi detail how they flipped the model of the Titanic wreck upside down to get the perfect shot.
- Escondido Underwater Set – The crew builds the Titanic wreck in an underwater tank in Escondido, duplicating the effects of the ship being underwater for decades.
- Two Roses – Gloria Stuart (Old Rose) and Kate Winslet (Rose Dewitt Bukater) meet to work on perfecting their character’s mannerisms and continuity throughout the film.
- Sinking Simulation – Lewis Abernathy (Lewis Bodine) and James Cameron explain how the Titanic sank, and why the simulation of the ship sinking is shown in the film.
- 1912 Morph Transition VFX – Visual effects supervisor Rob Legato explains why models of both the Titanic wreck and the ship in its prime were built. He also talks about new technology that was created to convey James Cameron’s vision.
- Melting Pot – The crew discusses how the extras on the set came from different backgrounds and bonded during their time working on the film.
- The Millionaire’s Suite – To emphasize the differences between the classes on the Titanic, executive producer Rae Sanchini and producer Jon Landau ensured that the fictional aspects of the story didn’t interfere with the historically accurate parts.
- Titanic at Sea – Visual effects supervisor Rob Legato details how the shots of the Titanic in the water were achieved without rebuilding the ship in its entirety.
- Digital People – Visual effects supervisor Rob Legato discusses how motion capture was used to populate the ship and make the scenes more realistic.
- The Big Exterior Ship Set – The crew describes the ship they built, including the parts they chose not to build.
- Rose Suicide – Director of photography Russell Carpenter reveals the intricacies of blocking and shooting the scene where Rose contemplates suicide.
- Tux Story – How Jack got a tuxedo for his first-class dinner with Rose.
- The Grand Staircase – Art director Martin Laing and production designer Peter Lamont explain how they recreated the grand staircase from the Titanic.
- First-Class Dining Shoot – How the crew recreated the dining saloon, down to the last detail, and how they prepared to drop it into a tank of water for the Titanic’s sinking scenes.
- The Dinner Shoot – The cast reveals how they made the long shoots in the dining saloon more entertaining.
- Third-Class Party – Kate Winslet recounts the joy of shooting the dancing scene in the film.
- A Woman’s Place – The cast and crew discuss Rose’s place as a woman in the 20th century, and how she broke free of the mold created for women like her.
- The Etiquette Kid – Etiquette coach Lynne Hockney gives James Cameron some suggestions for how to direct the mothers and children in the dining room.
- The Boiler Room – Art director Martin Laing and production designer Peter Lamont describe how they built the boiler room and made the environment look realistic.
- Flooding Hold Miniature – Model crew chief Gene Rizzardi explains how they built a rig connected to a fire hose to mimic the hold flooding.
- Boiler Room Flooding – The crew discuss the difficult, yet fun, shooting of the boiler room flooding scene.
- Shooting In Steerage – The cast and crew recount the difficulties of navigating the hallway sets during filming.
- Kate’s Action Costume – Costume designer Deborah Scott describes the dress Kate Winslet wore in the latter half of the film.
- Lifeboats 13 and 15 – See how this gripping scene — the descent of two lifeboats full of panicking people escaping the sinking ship — was coordinated.
- Stage Two Sinking Set – Go behind the scenes of Jack and Rose’s escape through the flooding hallways of the ship’s underbelly.
- Faking A Tilt – Jon Landau reveals some of the visual tricks the filmmakers employed to make the sinking of the ship more realistic and terrifying.
- Falling Funnel – The Skotak brothers explain how they helped create the stunning moment when a smokestack falls, crushing passengers and creating a wave that disrupts the flow of lifeboats.
- Sinking Videomatic – Explore the filming methods used to achieve James Cameron’s exact vision of the sinking sequence.
- Vertical Poop Deck Stunts – Catch the amazing stunts performed on the vertical poop deck where actors had to safely fall down the “sinking ship.
- Exterior Tank Shoot – See the testing of the cold, open-air tank that was used to film dozens of extras portraying floating, frozen corpses.
- Ice Makeup – Get a behind-the-scenes look into how the makeup team captured the harrowing aftermath of those in the water on the night that the Titanic sank.
- Open Lifeboats And The Carpathia – Ken Marschall’s emotional painting — of Titanic’s survivors reaching the Carpathia — is brought to life on screen.
- Carpathia Medal – See the medals gifted to the crew of the Carpathia — upon the ship’s return to New York — from the eternally grateful survivors of the Titanic
- Making The Music Video – Celine Dion speaks about the honor of singing Titanic‘s beautiful theme song and filming the music video.
Deep-Dive Presentation Narrated by James Cameron – Narrated by James Cameron, this video features footage from the actual Titanic wreck. Hear how the wreck inspired his vision for the film and learn about some of the obstacles getting footage from the actual wreck to use in the film.
$200,000,001: A Ship’s Odyssey (The Titanic Crew Video) – See funny moments on set with some of the cast and crew.
Videomatics
- Videomatics Introduction – Join James Cameron and the rest of the crew to see how they used previsualization and videomatics to prepare for shooting.
- Sinking Sequence – See how James Cameron brought his vision of the sinking Titanic to life before it was shot.
- Deep Dive – Learn how James Cameron prepared, before the crew entered the water, for their deep dive and shooting of the Titanic wreck.
Visual Effects
- VFX Shot Breakdown: “Engine Room” – Discover how the engine room was made to look realistic.
- VFX How-To For “I’m Flying” – Learn how the crew placed Jack and Rose at the bow of the ship for the “flying” scene.
- VFX How-To For “First-Class Lounge” – Discover how Rose and others were placed using the miniature model of the first-class lounge.
- Titanic Sinking Simulation – Take a look at a reference simulation created to see how the ship sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
Music Video “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion – Watch and listen to Celine Dion perform the award-winning song “My Heart Will Go On,” written for the movie by Will Jennings and James Horner.
Still Galleries
Titanic will also debut in a Limited-Edition Collector’s Boxed Set that’s a must-have for fans and perfect for gift giving. This spectacular set includes all of the above along with the following exclusive collectibles in an elegant slipcase:
- A hardcover coffee table book detailing the making of the film’s most iconic scenes
- A detailed schematic inspired by the actual ship blueprint, highlighting locations of key scenes
- Movie prop reproductions of a boarding pass, launch viewing ticket, ship menus, and notes from Jack to Rose and Rose to Cal
- Sheet music for the multi-award-winning hit “My Heart Will Go On”
*Bonus features vary by product and retailer
Avatar Collector’s Edition
4K BD ships with Blu-ray and Digital Code
162 minutes run time (Special edition run time 170 minutes, Collector’s Extended Cut Run Time 178 minutes)
1.78:1 ratio.
4K Disc size: 100GB
Audio: 4K UHD Extended Edition: 5.1 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 DTS-HDMA, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
4K UHD Special Edition: 5.1 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 DTS-HDMA, English Family Friendly 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
4K UHD Theatrical Edition: English Dolby Atmos, English 2.0 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Dolby Digital AD, English Family Friendly 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Blu-ray 3D Theatrical Edition: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Dolby Digital AD, English Family Friendly 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Blu-ray Extended Edition: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Blu-ray Special Edition: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English Family Friendly 2.0 Dolby Digital
Blu-ray Theatrical Edition: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English Dolby Digital AD, English Family Friendly 2.0 Dolby Digital
Bonus Features*
NEW:
Behind-The-Scenes Presentation Hosted by Jon Landau – Join Jon Landau as he unlocks the cinematic secrets behind the making of Avatar.
Colonel Miles Quaritch RDA Promos – Get an inside look into the RDA with these in-universe promos hosted by Colonel Miles Quaritch.
New Still Gallery – Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña Special Shoot
ADDITIONAL BONUS:
English Family Audio Track Theatrical and Special Edition Release – 5.1 Dolby Digital
Direct Access to New/Additional Scenes – Special Edition
- Herd – As they fly over Pandora in Trudy’s gunship, Jake, Grace and Norm get a closer look at some of Pandora’s creatures
- The Schoolhouse – Entering an abandoned schoolhouse in the jungle with Grace and Norm to retrieve supplies, Jake makes a grim discovery.
- Purple Moss – Jake follows Neytiri after his rescue, and delights in the bioluminescent moss that glows beneath his feet with every step.
- I Don’t Even Know Your Name – Newly tasked with teaching Jake the Na’vi ways, Neytiri brings him to dinner with the entire clan.
- What Does Hold Them Up? – The avatar team lands at their new base camp in the Hallelujah Mountains, and Jake and Norm marvel at the floating mountains.
- Extended Montage – Jake learns the ways of the Pandoran forest under Neytiri’s tutelage, and the gulf between his two worlds grows ever wider.
- Neytiri’s Flyby – As Tsu’tey, Jake and two other young hunters travel across suspended vines to dizzying heights, Neytiri sails past on her banshee.
- Sturmbeest Hunt – Omaticayan hunters on direhorses attack a massive herd of sturmbeests, while Jake takes aim from atop his banshee.
- Extended Love Scene – Jake and Neytiri confess their feelings for one another and bond together for life under the Tree of Voices in this extended scene.
- Drums of War – The morning after the military’s attack on the Tree of Voices, Parker and Quaritch get some bad news from the reconnaissance team.
- Tsu’tey’s Fall – In the RDA assault, Tsu’tey fights fiercely after boarding the Valkyrie shuttle. But the soldiers counter with a hail of bullets.
- Strumbeest Attack – Sturmbeests charge to the rescue when Neytiri is cornered by RDA soldiers in AMP suits.
- Extended Thanator Fight – Neytiri and her fearsome thanator battle Colonel Quaritch in his AMP suit in this extended sequence.
- The Last Shadow – When Neytiri and Jake find Tsu’tey mortally wounded, he passes leadership of the Omaticaya to Jake, with one last request of him.
Direct Access to New/Additional Scenes – Collector’s Extended Cut
- Earth – Jake navigates a bleak, dystopian Earth before tragic news offers an escape.
- Herd – As they fly over Pandora in Trudy’s gunship, Jake, Grace and Norm get a closer look at some of Pandora’s creatures
- The Schoolhouse – Entering an abandoned schoolhouse in the jungle with Grace and Norm to retrieve supplies, Jake makes a grim discovery.
- Purple Moss – Jake follows Neytiri after his rescue, and delights in the bioluminescent moss that glows beneath his feet with every step.
- I Don’t Even Know Your Name – Newly tasked with teaching Jake the Na’vi ways, Neytiri brings him to dinner with the entire clan.
- Sylwanin – Norm spars with Jake, who proceeds to one-up him. But Jake’s mention of Neytiri dredges up painful memories for Grace.
- What Does Hold Them Up? – The avatar team lands at their new base camp in the Hallelujah Mountains, and Jake and Norm marvel at the floating mountains.
- Alternate Montage with Grace’s Story – As Jake learns the Na’vi ways, the gulf between his two worlds grows wider, and Grace shares the tragic tale of Neytiri’s sister.
- Neytiri’s Flyby – As Tsu’tey, Jake and two other young hunters travel across suspended vines to dizzying heights, Neytiri sails past on her banshee.
- Sturmbeest Hunt – Omaticayan hunters on direhorses attack a massive herd of sturmbeests, while Jake takes aim from atop his banshee.
- Extended Love Scene – Jake and Neytiri confess their feelings for one another and bond together for life under the Tree of Voices in this extended scene.
- Drums of War – The morning after the military’s attack on the Tree of Voices, Parker and Quaritch get some bad news from the reconnaissance team.
- They Bulldozed a Sacred Site – Grace and Jake suspect that the RDA forces are plotting to provoke a Na’vi attack, as Trudy brings alarming news.
- Tsu’tey’s Fall – In the RDA assault, Tsu’tey fights fiercely after boarding the Valkyrie shuttle. But the soldiers counter with a hail of bullets.
- Strumbeest Attack – Sturmbeests charge to the rescue when Neytiri is cornered by RDA soldiers in AMP suits.
- Extended Thanator Fight – Neytiri and her fearsome thanator battle Colonel Quaritch in his AMP suit in this extended sequence.
- The Last Shadow – When Neytiri and Jake find Tsu’tey mortally wounded, he passes leadership of the Omaticaya to Jake, with one last request of him.
Memories from Avatar – Producer Jon Landau leads a spirited conversation with cast members, Sam Worthington, Zoë Saldana, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang, recalling warm memories from production and reflecting on the extraordinary success of Avatar.
Avatar: A Look Back – In this retrospective, cast and filmmakers reflect on their extraordinary journey making Avatar, the groundbreaking technologies they used to create an unparalleled cinematic experience, and the profound effect the film had on audiences worldwide.
Capturing Avatar – Journey with James Cameron and crew in this feature-length documentary, as they embark on a film the likes of which the world had never seen.
- Part One – After years of testing, research and design, James Cameron’s tackled Avatar, “the most complex film” in his storied career.
- Part Two – Actors and technology are pushed to the limit as James Cameron pushes the boundaries of a groundbreaking, new filmmaking paradigm.
- Part Three – James Cameron used ground-breaking technology to merge the virtual and live-action elements of his film.
- Part Four – The edit room became ground zero as music, sound and visual effects were finalized in order to make the film’s release date.
Featurettes – Take a closer look at the creation of Pandora and the making of Avatar with featurettes on key aspects of production design, performance capture, and the post-production process.
- Sculpting Avatar – Explore how clay maquettes were sculpted to help bring Avatar’s characters and creatures to life.
- Creating the Banshee – Discover all that went into designing the Banshees, high-flying predators of the Pandoran sky.
- Creating the Thanator – James Cameron and team reveal how the most terrifying beast in the Pandoran rain forest was brought to the screen.
- The AMP Suit – Explore the design of the AMP (Amplified Mobility Platform) and discover why it was the perfect weapon for Colonel Quaritch.
- Flying Vehicles – Explore the design of the RDA’s gunships and how they helped ground the story in a realistic world audiences could connect to.
- Na’vi Costumes – Discover the costumes of Avatar and why it was essential to create real-world costumes for characters that were seen only in a virtual world.
- Speaking Na’vi – Delve into the complex Na’vi language created for Avatar, and the challenging task for the cast who had to speak it.
- Pandora Flora – Explore the science behind the Pandoran rainforest, including the exotic plants and bioluminescence.
- Stunts – James Cameron and Avatar’s stunt coordinators discuss how they learned to move like a Na’vi, ride a Leonopteryx, and more.
- Performance Capture – Discover how the actors’ actions, emotions and spirit were captured in performance and transferred to a virtual character.
- Virtual Camera – Discover the virtual camera system that allowed James Cameron to apply camera angles, lighting and movement to his scenes long after the performance capture phase was completed.
- The 3D Fusion Camera – Explore the newly designed 3D Fusion camera system which enabled the filmmakers to create an immersive stereographic experience.
- The Simul-Cam – See how the newly created Simul-Cam seamlessly integrated the virtual world with the live action camera, allowing Jake’s avatar to appear in a scene with real-world actors.
- Editing Avatar – James Cameron and the film’s editors reveal the unique challenges they faced editing Avatar, and the benefits of “learning as you go”.
- Scoring Avatar – Composer James Horner and James Cameron discuss how Avatar’s score was grounded in the familiar while evoking a breathtaking new world.
- Sound Design – Explore the sounds of Pandora, including the Banshee, Direhorse and Thanator, as well as the near-future engineering sounds of the Dragon, Scorpion and more.
- The Haka: The Spirit of New Zealand – On the final day of production, the New Zealand stuntmen honored James Cameron with a traditional Haka dance.
Production Materials
- The 2006 Art Reel – Explore a video montage of striking artwork that inspired the movie’s look and feel, accompanied by temp dialogue and score.
- Brother Termite Test – Watch footage created by James Cameron’s production company for a science-fiction movie that was ultimately never produced.
- THE ILM Prototype with Motion Capture Reference – View a VFX test of the scene in which Jake and Neytiri meet, with performance capture reference.
- The ILM Prototype without Motion Capture Reference – View a VFX test of the scene in which Jake and Neytiri meet, without performance capture reference.
- Screen Test – Sam Worthington (Raw Footage) – This raw screen-test footage shows Sam Worthington nailing the part of Jake Sully in Avatar.
- Screen Test – Zoe Saldaña (Raw Footage) – Zoe Saldaña tackles three scenes: Neytiri meeting Jake, their first visit to the Tree of Voices, and her learning of his deceit.
- Zoe’s Life Cast (Raw Footage) – Zoe Saldaña undergoes the all-encompassing process of creating the life cast that will transform her into Neytiri.
- James Cameron Speech: Beginning of Live Action Filming (Raw Footage) – Director James Cameron inspires and gives thanks to the crew on the first day of live-action filming in New Zealand.
- ILM VFX Progression – Break down the layers of effects in a series of shots that showcase AVATAR’s battles, vehicles and explosions.
- Framestore VFX Progression – This reel opens a window into the art of worldbuilding through visual effects, highlighting Jake’s arrival on Pandora and more.
- [HY·DRAU”LX] VFX Progression – Examine the layers of effects in shots such as the interior of Trudy’s gunner, the shuttle bringing Jake to Pandora, and more.
- Hybride VFX Progression – Experience how the layering of effects in various shots from AVATAR helps bring these scenes to life on screen.
- Prime Focus VFX Progression – See the effects layered into the base’s control room where Jake tells the Colonel and Selfridge about Hometree, and more.
- Look Effects, Inc. VFX Progression – Unpeel the effects in various shots from the base and mountain camps.
- Crew Film: The Volume – Avatar cast and crew members appear in a spoof about a mo- cap actor.
A Message from Pandora – See how James Cameron’s lifelong quest to protect the environment led him to fight for the Amazon and its indigenous peoples
Deleted Scenes – Check out scenes that didn’t make the final cut.
- User’s Guide for Viewing Avatar Scenes with Unfinished Shots – A tutorial on the different types of unfinished shots seen throughout the deleted material.
- Stingbat Attack
- Pandora Rules
- Jake Meets Norm (First Cut)
- Jake Sees Decanted Avatars
- Norm Is a Living God
- Breakfast with the Scientists
- You’re in My World Now
- Grandma’s Teylu
- Pied Piper
- Going to the Mountains
- Interspecies Booty Call
- Norm’s Attitude Improves
- Learning Montage Section Early Cut
- We’re Buying Time
- Hunt Festival
- Driving Range
- The Dreamhunt
- The Challenge
- The Drums of War (Full Version)
- Escape
- The Eye of Eywa
- You’re a Long Way from Earth
- Battle Camp
- Kick Some Blue Ass
- Wainfleet Kills Norm
- Neytiri Kills Wainfleet (Alt Wainfleet Death)
- The Avatars Attack
- New Life
Scene Deconstruction – View these scenes in various production stages: final with picture-in- picture reference, template and performance capture.
- Welcome to Your New Body
- First Run
- First Sortie
- Night on Pandora
- Shahaylu
- Seyzey
- You’re Mine
- First Flight
- Toruk Macto
- You Are Omaticaya Now
- I Am One of You
- I Trusted You
- The Aftermath
- I See You
- Fly with Me
- You Chose Me for Something
- Eywa Has Heard You
Archives: Script, Artwork, Marketing
- Theatrical Trailer
- Teaser Trailer
- Avatar: The Original Scriptment
- Avatar: Screenplay Written by James Cameron
- The Art of Avatar
- The World of Pandora
- The Creatures
- Pandora Flora
- Pandora Bioluminescence
- The Na’vi
- The Avatars
- Maquettes
- Na’vi Weapons
- Na’vi Props
- Na’vi Musical Instruments
- RDA Designs
- Flying Vehicles
- AMP Suit
- Human Weapons
- Land Vehicles
- AVATAR: The Songs
- Pandorapedia
Still Galleries
Pandora – The World of Avatar – Go behind the scenes with James Cameron and Disney’s Imagineers to discover what it took to bring the breathtaking world of Avatar to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Raw Footage Production Elements
- Screen Test – Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña/Raw Footage – In their dual test, the chemistry between Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña lights up the screen.
- Screen Test – Stephen Lang/Raw Footage – Stephen Lang fully inhabits the role of Colonel Miles Quaritch in this series of scenes.
- Screen Test – Giovanni Ribisi/Raw Footage – Watch Parker Selfridge, Administrator of the RDA, come to life in Giovanni Ribisi’s performance.
- Screen Test – Joel David Moore/Raw Footage – Joel David Moore pivots from one scene to another, fully invested in the character of Norm Spellman.
- Screen Test – CCH Pounder/Raw Footage – CCH Pounder controls the room with her regal, imposing presence as Mo’at.
- Screen Test – Laz Alonso/Raw Footage – As the fierce warrior Tsu’tey, Laz Alonso commands attention in this riveting performance.
- Speaking Na’vi (Rehearsal/Raw Footage) – The Avatar actors make the Na’vi language their own in a series of clips that shows them learning how to speak it
- Wētā Workshop: Walk & Talk Presentation/Raw Footage – Go behind the scenes on a guided tour with Richard Taylor, who breaks down the workings of a series of props.
- Crew Short: The Night Before Avatar – In this animated short, producer Jon Landau has an unexpected adventure in the lead-up to Avatar’s opening.
Pandora Discovered – Sigourney Weaver narrates this first look at the world of Pandora.
*Bonus features vary by product and retailer
Avatar: The Way Of Water
4K BD ships with Blu-ray and Digital Code
183 minutes run time
1.85:1 ratio.
4K Disc size: 100GB
Audio: 4K UHD: English Dolby Atmos, English 2.0 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, English Family Friendly 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus
Blu-ray: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, English Family Friendly 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Bonus Features*
NEW:
Behind-the-Scenes Presentation Hosted by Jon Landau – Join Jon Landau as he takes you behind the scenes of the making of Avatar: The Way Of Water and discover the groundbreaking techniques used to bring audiences back to Pandora.
Memories from Avatar: The Way Of Water – Producer Jon Landau joins Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang in a conversation about their experiences and insights coming back to Pandora 13 years later in Avatar: The Way Of Water.
Production Design Panel Hosted by Jon Landau – Uncover the inspiration behind the new designs of Avatar: The Way Of Water with the award-winning Production Design team in this conversation hosted by Jon Landau.
Deleted/Extended Scenes – Check out these scenes that didn’t make the final cut.
- User’s Guide for Viewing Avatar: The Way Of Water Deleted Scenes and Extended Cuts with Unfinished Shots
- Date Night (Extended Cut)
- Crashed Samson Tiltrotor (Extended Cut)
- Goodbye Mo’at
- Neytiri Rides an Ilu
- Spider Mocks the Recoms
- Neytiri Spearfishes
- Learning Montage
- Ardmore and Quaritch Discuss Jake (Extended Cut)
- Ta’unui Village (Extended Cut)
- The Tulkun Hunt (Extended Cut)
- Scoresby and Garvin Rescued
- Parents from Hell and Standoff (Extended Cut)
Scene Deconstruction – View these scenes in various production stages: final with picture-in-picture reference, template and performance capture.
- Quaritch Wakes Up in His New Body
- The Return to High Camp
- High Camp Biolab
- Quaritch and Ardmore Discuss Their Mission
- Jake and Neytiri Argue
- First Swim
- Lo’ak Meets Payakan
- Jake and Kiri Dock Talk
- Death Rock
- Spider Finds Quaritch Underwater and Saves Him
- Spider Drags Quaritch to Land but Leaves Him
Production Materials
- “One Meal a Day” – James Cameron discusses the on-set initiative to eat one vegan meal a day.
- Editing – Learn, step by step, how the editing team transformed reference camera footage into the compelling narrative of Avatar: The Way Of Water.
- 3D Technology – Learn how the production team pushed 3D technology to new depths in this behind-the-scenes featurette.
- Virtual Camera – Join Richard Baneham, Oscar®-winning visual effects supervisor, and the visual effects team as they discuss the virtual camera’s role in the production process.
- Bringing the RDA to Life – Join James Cameron, Jon Landau, David Vickery and the ILM team for a look at the visual effects created for the opening sequences of the film.
- Tank Timelapse – Watch the building of the underwater performance capture tank in this timelapse video.
- Wētā Reel – VFX breakdown of shots by Wētā Effects.
- ILM Reel – VFX breakdown of shots by ILM.
- CJ Jones Sign Language Guide – Learn the basics of the Metkayina sign language from creator CJ Jones.
- JackCam – Join Jack Champion (“Spider”) as he interviews cast and crew on the set of Avatar: The Way Of Water.
- Shaman Blessing – A Brazilian shaman blesses the production of Avatar: The Way Of Water.
- Cliff Curtis Blessings – Actor Cliff Curtis gives Maori blessings for the cast and crew of Avatar: The Way Of Water.
Beyond the Big Screen
- Pandora – The World of AVATAR – Discover the story behind the artistry and imagination of Pandora – the World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
- Crew Movie – Avatar – The Way of the Jimverse – Join producer Jon Landau on an animated adventure across the Jimverse to restore order and save the world of Pandora.
- James Cameron and Jon Landau Hand and Footprint Ceremony – See James Cameron and Jon Landau honored with a hand and footprint ceremony in front of the world-famous Chinese Theater in Hollywood, CA.
- “Scene at the Academy” – Check out this Academy featurette for Avatar: The Way Of Water, diving into a key moment from the film.
Archives: Script, Artwork, Marketing
- Monday Night Football TV Spot – Watch the TV spot broadcast exclusively during ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”
Archives: Script, Artwork, Marketing – Dive into the Avatar Archives with these exclusive behind-the- scenes production assets.
ADDITIONAL BONUS:
Inside Pandora’s Box – A series of featurettes on the challenges facing cast and crew as filmmakers devise new technologies to push the limits of cinema.
- Building the World of Pandora – James Cameron and a team of talented artists combine years of research with their design skills to build the world of Pandora with new characters, creatures, indigenous clans, underwater environments and the take-no-prisoners hard-tech world of the RDA.
- Capturing Pandora – James Cameron’s approach to performance capture has the cast performing in a volume rigged with infrared cameras to capture their movement, and head rig cameras to capture emotion on their faces with only the boundaries of imagination to limit them.
- The Undersea World of Pandora – Co-production designer Dylan Cole and his team conceive of the marine creatures required for Avatar: The Way of Water while James Cameron and his stunt team devise extraordinary means to bring those creatures to life in a performance capture tank.
- The Challenges of Pandora’s Waters – James Cameron tackles the “non-trivial challenge” of performance capture above and below the water’s surface, utilizing a wave machine and current generator to reproduce ocean conditions, and underwater vehicles to replicate creature movement.
- Pandora’s Returning Characters – James Cameron reunites with his returning cast – Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang. Together they discuss the amazing evolution of their characters in Avatar: The Way of Water.
- Pandora’s Next Generation – Meet the talented young newcomers who have been cast as the next generation of Na’vi and follow them through the adventure of making Avatar: The Way of Water.
- Spider’s Web – James Cameron introduced the human character of Spider into the fabric of Pandora – thus creating a host of technological challenges on set…and an incredible journey for the young actor, Jack Champion.
- Becoming Na’vi – The Avatar cast is immersed in the culture of the indigenous Na’vi, living off the land in the Hawaiian rainforest and training in a multitude of disciplines in preparation for their roles.
- The Reef People of Pandora – In true James Cameron-style, the Metkayina reef clan has been developed with great attention to detail, bearing unique evolutionary traits and a culture – with new dwellings, new clothes and different way of life – all a result of living off the ocean.
- Bringing Pandora to Life – Once James Cameron completes his virtual production process, every sequence is turned over to Wētā FX to bring Pandora to life – with unprecedented advancements in facial performance, environments and making CG water look real.
- The RDA Returns to Pandora –
- Co-production designer Ben Procter and his team present an armada of new vehicles and human technologies that the RDA brings to Pandora – in concept design and with practical builds.
- The New Characters of Pandora – Meet the important new characters of the Avatar saga played by Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell and Jemaine Clement.
- The Sounds of Pandora – Hear how James Cameron worked with composer Simon Franglen to create the distinctive music of The Way of Water while building on James Horner’s brilliant score for Avatar, and learn how Chris Boyes created the immersive sounds of Pandora.
- New Zealand – Pandora’s Home – The production of the Avatar sequels is so thoroughly ensconced in New Zealand that James Cameron considers The Way of Water a “New Zealand film.” Hear reflections from the cast and crew, including the remarkable New Zealand crew, on making the film.
More from Pandora’s Box – Additional featurettes that highlight special teams within the production
- Casting – Discover the screen tests that won the talented young cast their roles in Avatar: The Way of Water.
- Stunts – The Avatar stunt team isn’t just creating breathtaking action, they’re driving the story. From racing underwater on ilus, flying the skies on ikrans, to maneuvering RDA speed boats, the stunt team leaves you breathless and wanting more.
- The Lab – Explore the Lightstorm Lab, the backbone of virtual production for the Avatar films. Comprised of specialized teams, the Lab builds & supports every aspect of the production – environments, motion edit, Kabuki, sequence, post-viz and software development.
- The Troupe – Avatar’s Troupe is the Swiss Army Knife of acting, while playing dozens of roles on set, in the performance capture volume and on live-action sets, they bring life to Na’vi clans and RDA Recoms. They also play Na’vi-scale puppets on the live-action sets.
Marketing Materials & Music Video – Marketing materials used to build audience awareness of the film
- Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength) Music Video – Multi Grammy-winning, music superstar, The Weeknd, performs his emotionally packed end title song in the official music video for the smash hit “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength).”
- Theatrical Trailers 1 & 2 – Avatar: The Way of Water used two theatrical trailers to engage the audience. The first was a teaser trailer released 7 months before the film. The second was a standard trailer that premiered 5 weeks before the film’s release.
*Bonus features vary by product and retailer
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