These are the first two of eight total Harry Potter Ultimate Editions. Warner is expected to gradually release Ultimate Editions of the remaining Harry Potter films (yes, even 'Half-Blood Prince') to tie in with the theatrical or home video releases of parts I and II of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'.
The extended cuts add 7 minutes to 'Sorcerer's Stone', and 13 minutes to 'Chamber of Secrets.' Update: the LPCM audio of the original editions has given way to DTS-HD Master Audio tracks (6.1 for the theatrical editions, 5.1 for the extended).
Each of the Ultimate Editions will include a new one-hour featurette that highlights a unique aspect of the filmmaking process and will be combined to make the complete eight-hour documentary, "Creating the World of Harry Potter."
'Sorcerer's Stone' will have Creating the World of Harry Potter, Part 1: The Magic Begins, in which viewers get an inside, in-depth look at the planning, creativity, personalities and other elements that went into the initial creation of Harry's screen world.
'Chamber of Secrets' contains Creating the World of Harry Potter, Part 2: Characters. Here fans get a first-hand look at the unique strengths of each of the films' directors and what they brought to the principal characters in the Harry Potter film series. In addition, it will include clips of never-before-seen screen tests of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, giving fans a chance to see how the characters have been transformed over the past decade.
The full list of special features follows:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Introduction by Daniel Radcliffe - An introduction to the many special features for the Harry Potter films (new)
Creating the World of Harry Potter, Part 1: The Magic Begins: discover the story of how one vision for the Harry Potter films came together out of limitless possibilities to create the visual world we have come to know and love (new)
In-Movie Experience with Director Chris Columbus: an interactive viewer experience where the entire film is examined; includes PiP, storyboard comparisons, still galleries (BD exclusive)
WB Maximum Movie Mode picture-in-picture programming, cast walk-ons, focus points, graphics and more (BD exclusive)
Diagon Alley
Tour the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry's Room and the Great Hall - Welcome to the self-guided tour of Hogwarts, home of witches and wizards in training, and take in the sights.
Classrooms:
Defense against the Dark Arts
Spells and Charms
Potions
Transfiguration
Third Floor Corridor
Deleted Scenes
Sorting Hat
Library
Gallery of Art & Architecture
Hogwarts Yearbook
Guide to Ghosts - Discover the many marvelous and mysterious ghosts of Hogwarts.
Hogwarts Grounds
Quaffle and Bludger: get a lesson from Oliver Wood on how to play Quidditch
Tour Hagrid's Hut: welcome to the self-guided tour of Hagrid's Hut, home of Rubeus Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, and his faithful companion, Fang.
Extra Credit
Interview - Capturing the Stone: A Conversation with the Filmmakers: director Chris Columbus, producer David Heyman, screenwriter Steve Kloves and production designer Stuart Craig talk about casting and bringing the novel to life.
A Glimpse Into the World of Harry Potter: 2001 International TV Special
Deleted scenes
Trailers and TV Spots
BD-Live with access to worldwide events, special guest participants, community features and more
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
In-Movie Experience with director Chris Columbus: an interactive viewer experience where the entire film is examined; includes PiP, storyboard comparisons, still galleries (BD exclusive)
WB Maximum Movie Mode picture-in-picture programming, cast walk-ons, focus points, graphics and more (BD exclusive)
Creating the World of Harry Potter, Part 2: Characters: explore how the cast and creative team of directors and designers take the characters' descriptions on the page to the actors' performances on film (new)
Screen tests of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson (new)
Deleted scenes
Lockhart's Classroom
Photo Gallery
Certificates: have a look at Gilderoy Lockhart's many achievements.
Required Reading: find out what text books you'll need for Lockhart's Defense Against the Dark Arts class
Extra Credit
Behind Hogwarts
A Conversation with J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves: the author and screenwriter detail how the books are brought to life, and the changes that happen in the process.
Dumbledore's Office
Build a Scene: building a scene as magnificent as Professor Dumbledore's office takes more than wood, plaster, nails and paint; it takes imagination
Tour Dumbledore's Office: welcome to the self-guided tour of Professor Dumbledore's office, one of the most fascinating rooms at Hogwarts
Interviews with students, professors and more
Students - What would you ask the cast, if you could? Put yourself in the interview chair as the stars answer questions about making the film.
Professors and More: enjoy personal moments with the professors and others as they discuss their characters: Prof. Gilderoy Lockhart, Lucius Malfoy, Prof. Pomona Sprout, Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Prof. Albus Dumbledore, Rubeus Hagrid, Prof. Severus Snape, Uncle Vernon Dursley, Aunt Petunia Dursley, Argus Filch, Prof. Minerva McGonagall.
Gallery of Production Sketches
Activities
The Chamber Challenge [Game]
Tour the Chamber of Secrets: what are you doing here? This place isn't safe. Begin your journey down the dark corridor for the self-guided tour of the Chamber of Secrets.
The Forbidden Forest Challenge [Game]
Colin's Darkroom
Tour Diagon Alley: welcome to the self-guided tour of Diagon Alley, where you can find all your supplies for the school year. Explore the many shops, such as Flourish & Blotts and the Magical Menagerie.
Spellcaster Knowledge Challenge [Game]
EA Game Preview
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Revealed: 2002 HBO First Look special
Trailers and TV Spots
BD-Live with access to worldwide events, special guest participants, community features and more (BD exclusive)
Here's the question, is the "In Movie Experience" and "Maximum Movie Mode" relegated to just the theatrical cut or does the theatrical cut get one and the extended cut get the other?
Otherwise, very happy with this announcement.
Still, a little voice in the back of my head is saying to wait because the contents of these two releases and whatever else WB has planned for the rest of the individual films in their ultimate editions on home video will ultimately find its way in a major boxset for the whole series.
Basically, a 24 Disc box set (if you include a digital copy of each of the eight films).
All we need now is a confirmation from Warner that the other 6 movies will be released in matching packages. Yes, the 8-part documentary being released in eight parts of one hour per film sounds very promising -- but we need to know for sure.
The packaging looks brilliant, and for once, the Potter movies deserve the royal treatment that Warner is becoming rightly famous for.
"These are the first two of eight total Harry Potter Ultimate Editions. Warner is expected to gradually release Ultimate Editions of the remaining Harry Potter films (yes, even 'Half-Blood Prince') to tie in with the theatrical or home video releases of parts I and II of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'."
Here's your answer. I'm almost certain they'll match.
I'm most likely getting Philosopher's/Sorcerer's stone. I never cared much for Chamber of Secrets, but the first one had a special charm, that one step into the magical world. It was the first Harry Potter movie I saw, I bought it unseen on DVD and I really loved it. The entire franchise is in fact very good, and I'm all grown up but still charmed by the wonders of Harry Potter.
Yet another double dip for Warner. Screw this; I'll stick with what I have; no need to lighten my wallet for all the extra crap just to fatten Warner's wallets.
I'll wait for the super ultra mega edition where they release this, and the rest of the harry potter movies. I've held off this long not buying ONE potter film. I'm sure I can wait a few more years to see what they have planned for complete ultra edition.
Ugh, and me who was happy to have all the current Potter films (minus the one in the theaters) on BR recently with my purchase of Goblet of Fire. 7 and 13 minutes is actually a lot in a film and considering the the books are extensive, I'm sure they add a lot from the books like LOTR (just not as hardcore). If this is going to happen to all Potter films, I think it's going to be a case by case purchase for me. One that will probably take advantage, I hope, of the extended edition is "Order or the Phoenix" whose book was so detailed that it was just impossible to put it all on film.
Still, I hate having to double dip..........make that triple dip as I gave my Potter DVD films away to a family member to buy the BR versions and here we go again.........
Thankfully I never bought these on BD, but I did buy the DVDs years ago and ended up selling them. I kept putting off buying the BD for some reason and now I know why.
These sound cool. Granted, I have the DVDs, but that hasn't stop me yet. Thankfully, I read this
before buying Half Blood Prince, so I won't get the version coming now. Might wait for a box set
anyway, but at least we know to expect a double dip in the near future. Hopefully, they won't try
and pull this for Deathly Hallows and just release the UEs.
Edit: Jumpman: Couldn't all the Digital copies fit on one or two disc? I always assumed that the
DC weren't that big. I don't know, I just thought just one disc for each DC sounded much.
I might get these for the later films but i was never a huge fan of the first 2 potter adventures so i'll most likely skip these two, nless the reviews wow me
on a side note, i really hate that it appears that WB has ballooned up the size of the cases, seriously DVD shelf space is a rare commodity for most of us, why are studios making these sets so big and bulky?
I already upgraded to blu uhh my bad, but I don't know if I would have been able to get these anyway they look pretty pricey....and I sort of don't think the first is worth it with only seven minutes added, Chamber of Secrets is slightly more worth it with 13 but overall the deleted material didn't add much from the books after #2 and #1 didn't add much either, maybe it's not worth it, I especially didn't like the deleted scenes for Goblet of Fire
Technically, you're correct. But, knowing these studios, they'd be too lazy to figure that out and still give digital copy a disc to itself, hence the steep price for that major boxset later.
If they did do that and just have one disc for eight copies of the theatrical cuts of the films, then the boxset would be down to just 17 discs. Either way, the boxset is going to be huge. But, I firmly believe that whatever WB puts on these Ultimate Editions in their individual releases, the contents from those releases will be identical to the boxset when the series is finished.
The only real possible difference when that boxset arrives is whether or not WB decides to make a special cut of Deathly Hallows with it as just one film, instead of splitting it into two. But, considering what I've read about Deathly Hallows so far, it won't really work. While one story, the two films will have very different tones and will feel like two different films; the first being a road movie while the second being a fantasy epic for the finale.
Again, these ultimate editions' contents will be in that boxset later. Really no reason to wait now with this news.
I wasn't a huge fan of the first two films either but they have their merits. Still, I have made it a point to not buy any of the films on DVD or Blu-ray yet. I simply Netflix the discs. When all 8 films are out in their extended cuts in a giant box set, then I'll buy it. That's been my plan for about 8 years
I'm happy with the single disc HP's that I got for 10 bones each brand new, I'm not gonna fatten Warner's and JK Rowlings bank accounts even more! I'll pass on these.
These editions looks completely awesome! Bring it on!!! I´m a huge fan of the Harry Potter series and I just can´t wait to have these editions as well as Half-Blood Prince in my hands
I´m so excited!!
Glad I waited without buying any of the earlier versions. Obviously they will release another edition when all the movies are out, but I like this one so its fine. I just hope they will do the sme for the last 2 movies.
Sucks for the true fans though, who have bought the earlier version the day they came out, in the end they always get ripped off.
I haven't gotten the movies on BR yet so I'll start with these. I've been waiting for them to release the extended cuts on home video; I've had to suffer watching them on ABC Family with commercials and all.
<sigh> I guess I'm in for the double dip on this one. Looks like I'm gonna be pitching my Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets BD's at a family member, unless the collector part of me takes a bite and keeps 'em. But short of how much these editions will cost, I'm looking forward to this.
No thanks. Already bought the first 5 films on HD DVD for $5.00 each, don't need to double dip. But I will buy Half Blood Prince on BD when it is released.
I like the extended edition but I am not into all the other stuff. I am not against it for those who want it, but I will pass until/unless the come with a regular BD release of the extended editions.
Dare I get these new ultimate Harry Potter editions just for the extended cuts of the film? That's
a big maybe for now. Otherwise, I'm happy with the current releases that I already have.
Those covers sure are ugly. I think I'll be fine with my years 1-5 suitcase edition, then just buy the other 3 seperately in the non-ultimate editions.
I have held off on buying the existing Blus waiting for these ultimate editions, but I really don't like how much room those sets would take up on my shelf. As cool as they look, shelf space is a commodity and I can't afford to give that much space to 2 (and eventually 8) films. Maybe I'll just go get the BDs that are out already.
Good news for fans but I wont be buying them. The Potter films keep getting better, but I find the Philosopher's Stone to be quite a bad film and I'm sure 7 more minutes wont help it much.
Great news! I'm very excited to have all 8 films in these ultimate editions on BD. I already own the first 5 and will be getting 6 in December, but I don't mind selling them off as the ultimate editions are released. I'm excited for both the extended cuts, the in-movie experience and the 8 hour documentary. Sounds incredible. I loved the documentaries on the Lord of the Rings Extended Editions.
was very skeptical about these when I heard the rumor a few months ago, but now seeing what will be coming with them, I'm on board. One of my guilty pleasurers anyways, so I will grab them. Has anyone heard a price for these yet?
Yeah Mr Canada, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" sounds really exciting. Give me a Sorcerer anyday. I will not buy these unless the added scenes are awesome. I'll wait for the reviews to see if they are just the deleted scenes added in.
Spectacularly Awesome news!!!!!!!! I will pick up both of these with my Christmas money and hopefully they announce the other 3 eventualy! I'll have to sell my other 5 Harry Potter blu-rays!
Umm, the title of the first book is "Philosopher's Stone". It doesn't matter if it's exciting or not, that was the original title. I'm not sure why the US gets the "Sorecer's" title????
I'll just wait for when they release all of them in a super de duper mega ultra maximum potterness edition, which means a few more years as Deathly Hollows will be split into two movies
"Umm, the title of the first book is "Philosopher's Stone". It doesn't matter if it's exciting or not, that was the original title. I'm not sure why the US gets the "Sorecer's" title????"
The book was published under the title "Sorcerer's Stone" in the US and not "Philosopher's Stone" as in the rest of the English-speaking world (hence the movie is similarly titled. This has nothing to do with American's not knowing what a philosopher is, but rather that the concept of the philosopher's stone (that may be able to turn things in to gold, or as referred to in the book, to produce the elixir of life) is not very familiar to most Americans, particularly children. I guess the publisher thought that sorcerer (i.e. wizardry) sounded better than philosopher out of the context of the specific reference that Rowling was making.
Tarted up to the max like the goofy schoolbox giftset I got, the sound could use bump, but with the real extras, fun it you don't have them, actually I hope the sound is the same...then I'll be happy with what I got
My only issue is the packaging. First off if you look closely, it seems like these are also as tall as a regular DVD case as well as being super wide! Being a little wide is one thing but it will look awful next to all other BDs with that size and shape. The book and case standing up on the far right are so long that the only way they would fit is if it is as tall as a DVD. Does anyone else think it looks like it is as tall as a regular DVD?
These do sound pretty darn cool with the max movie mode AND in-movie experience. As well as the 8 part documentary and other bonus video. The height and width worry me but I really want to get these!
lol wow! awesome! here what really shocked me.....$34.99!!! thats awesome!! i was guessing 50 or 60 a pop! i only own 2 of the potter movies on bluray anyway so these will be good to own! just wonder if its a new transfer or not......
Honestly, I am so tired of all of the stuff like this. It's almost scandalous how many different versions of the same movie that a company will release and expect someone to buy. Maybe it would be worth buying this..if you could get back most of what you paid for the first one that you bought, or something like that. But no, these studios expect us to pay full price for each of the 6 different versions of the same movies that they will inevitably release. It's absurd.
Looks like they've explored every audio format now. LPCM, Dolby TrueHD, and now the DTS-Master. I just wonder why the extended edition is getting one less channel. I mean, its just an extra 10 minutes or so of extra audio.
really, cyan? studios EXPECT you do buy all the versions? what backwards thinking...it's up to you to get what you want. studios can release whatever they want however many times they want it, it's not 'scandalous' in any way as you put it. they aren't forcing you to buy anything. some people like different options, and it's great that this opportunity will be available
Again - love the movies. Got them all on blu already so will not double-dip. Will just stick to bare bones editions to watch the movies. If I really want true in-depth storyline I will just read the books again. Not interested in the Ultimate Price Edition.
Ehh...since I'm going to get Half-Blood Prince (I won't mind buying some movies again), I'll probably wait till the Ultimate Editions come in a box set as well. Doesn't mean I'm going to avoid buying Half-Blood Prince anyway.
Looks like I'll be buying HP a little earlyer the expected. Can't wait! Could BD.com see if Warner
will be realesing a boxset of all the UCs, one there done with the enitial reales. It'll help me.
Figgure out what to do.
already own the special trunk edition or whatever, lame cus i want to see the extended cuts but no way am i double dipping especially for 50 bucks a pop
I really wish they would give the first movie it's original name back for the US release or at least add it as a viewing option. Is there any information on their release timeline? I would buy these sooner if I knew the others were coming out in 6 months instead of a year.
I hope WB can keep a consistency to these sets like they did with LOTR Extended when they offered a nice solid box for people who had bought them all along.
I think what they'll do is maybe release 2 every six moths maybe? 3 & 4 in spring/summer of 2010, 5 & 6 in fall 2010 and 7 part 1 & 2 fall 2011 since it cant be spring/summer since the last part is coming out July 2011. Can't wait and would love to get these for xmas!!
I also hate how everyone says "you americans" don't know what a philosopher is and that the name shouldn't of been changed. ITS NOT OUR FAULT THEY CHANGED THE STINKING NAME ITS THE PUBLISHER/EDITORS FAULT!!! Stop blaming us!!!! Jeez get a grip its just a title!!! Oh also with the people thinking the covers are ugly, SO WHAT!!! You can't judge a book by its cover and same goes for a movie!
Ultimate Editions? Great! How about keeping most of the extras OFF of the disc containing the film so 24-bit lossless audio *and* high video bitrates can be evenly applied throughout the film.
Who cares about digital copies ? No one uses them anyways. Why get a high definition movie only to shrink it down and watch it on a tiny ipod screen ? And if you're going to watch it on a computer, why not just watch it on a tv ? And if you're going to do that, why not just watch the real version on a tv ?
