The Digital Bits, quoting industry sources, is reporting that Paramount Home Entertainment, in cooperation with Universal Studios Home Entertainmment, will re-issue Gladiator on Blu-ray later this year, using a brand-new 1080p transfer that was just completed "a couple of months ago." Bill Hunt says this was done "after Paramount and Universal realized how bad the first one was, naturally."
Again according to the Bits' sources, the studio plans to schedule this Blu-ray rerelease for late summer or fall, to coincide with either the theatrical or (more probably) the home video release of Ridley Scott's Robin Hood, and possibly labeled as a 10th Anniversary Edition.
There is no information as to whether there will be an exchange program for the first edition of this title. There is no information either of a rerelease in other territories.
i got the first release on black friday for $10 .... i haven't even watched it yet haha. i'm sure it is still better than the old DVD. so i won't be in any rush to grab this upgrade unless they give you an even trade for it. LOL
If it isn't up to par to begin with DONT BUY IT...geez how hard is that to understand? Read a review now and then...they are out beofre the Blu-ray hits the shelves! Same with ANY Blu-ray coming out, wait to see how it looks/sounds...they will listen to us eventually. All they got out of this is a double dip from the nimrods running in with blinders on.
I've learned, no matter how much I like a certain title, I wait until I read the reviews on it.
There have been some very disappointing transfers to BD. You'd think, with years of experience in DVD transfers, the studios would learn by now how to do it right. Sadly, that's not the case.
Even now, there are a few titles that I'm holding off on because of bad reviews regarding the video and/or audio quality. I can and will wait...
Don't blame people for buying Gladiator. The mainstream audience doesn't read blu-ray.com on a daily basis. And they're the key on how successful this format is, not the members of this forum.
They've been told for years that Blu-ray offers 6x the resolution of DVD, so why would they question the video quality on this title? And that huge "Sapphire Series" label on the front probably makes them think this is a top notch release since they only see that label on a few other titles. So let's not bash those non-blu-ray.com members.
What I don't get is don't studios look at the final product before it hits the shelves? Surely they must've realized they had a subpar BD on their hands. If they start releasing big titles with crappy transfers only to re-release them 6 to 9 months later, what's the point? I know it's about making money, but seriously, stop taking consumers for idiots!!
While I'm not endorsing a release like the first Gladiator, it has happened before. Gangs of New York and The Fifth Element come to mind. I agree that it shouldn't happen in the first place, but it has happened before, so my point is that this kind of mistake can unfortunately happen. People are jumping to conclusions that they are taking consumers for idiots. While I did say this happened before, it hasn't happened so often that I would be worried about big titles going through the same process Gladiator has. Depending on how it is handled, this might not help people who already bought the first version, but at the very least they are releasing a new version. I'm glad I passed on Gladiator when it was $10 over the holidays. I'll get the new release for sure. I do hope they offer some sort of replacement plan though for people who bought this already though.
I bought the original release because I got it and Braveheart for $10 each. I may or may not pick up the re-release will wait for reviews to see if it really is that much better.
I bought the first one too! Should have known this would happen. At least they're getting it right. Must be taking lessons from Disney. Coupon would be nice...
All you people demanding exchange programs or reimbursement of some sort need to get over it. No one made you go out and buy the first one. They've been doing multiple editions of movie releases for years.
first gangs now gladiator. if this is gonna be a god damn trend and more studios think they can cash in on a new better transfer for every movie. i will go mad as hell. And it will be a blow to the sales of blu ray in general if this crap continues.
I rented the first version to see for myself how the transfer looked and I admit I was a little diappointed it didn't live up to demo material expectiations but thought it was enough of an improvement over the dvd that if I could find it for say $12 or less I'd bite. Low and behold Black Friday comes along and it's $10.
If they do an exchange I might go for it if not I'll chill with my first one. After all i haven't even watched it yet.
I only paid $4.99 for my copy, and I didn't think it was all THAT bad, though I could see where the complaints were stemming from. I'll definitely get the remastered edition when/if it comes out. You can never buy Gladiator enough times, anyways. =-)
They've been doing multiple editions for years, you are correct. However, not multiple editions that come out months after eachother. They clearly realise they made a mistake and patrons shouldn't have to research every single blu ray just to make sure they did their job and mastered it properly. On top of that, they touted their "Sapphire series" as the highest quality movies and they clearly half assed this one. I too purchased this without finding out that they botched it and I would appreciate some kind of exchange program.
I wonder where the pressure is coming from for them to release a remastered version of Gladiator.
Shame for releasing a disc with subpar quality? Criticism from those who bought it and complained about its quality?
No, these can't possibly be it.
There must be some financial reason for them to make this decision. And that must come from low purchase rates for this release and/or subsequent releases in the 'Sapphire Series' collection, at least when compared to the excellently-produced Braveheart: Sapphire Series Blu-ray. If that's the case, then all of those people (including me) who held off on the first release because of the initial reports of its poor picture quality and have since been wary of other releases in the Sapphire Series line are to thank for getting this movie remastered and put out in a package fitting of the Blu-ray label it will bear.
i will be buying this day 1, exchange program or not.. this is one of my favorite movies of all time and if it looks better then the one i own on blu now i will be upgrading!
For all of those saying that they should have waited, known better, etc. Uh, this was their "Sapphire Series" which would indicate that this was the studios "definitive" release, which would mean, that if you like this title (it's Gladiator!!!) this is the one you should get because we're not doing another one to milk the consumer more until the (insert anniversary edition date here) comes out. If anything, Paramount should ditch this Sapphire garbage and just release the discs. I mean, what's next? Saving Private Ryan and they remove all scenes that have Private Ryan in them?
Yes, there was no way I was going to buy GLADIATOR here in the UK after the terrible reviews, even though it is a must buy title for me, the movie itself is fantastic!....Cant wait for the studio to come out with a pristine Blu-Ray presentation, why didn`t they do this first time!!!
I got the first because with the rebate it was like $8. However releasing a new one so soon, I'd hope they'd allow an exchange program or rebate situation like they did with the DVD. Otherwise it's just rude.
I got the original blu ray for X-Mas so I'm not too upset that they are reissuing an improvement, glad I waited to buy it myself but I hope there is some exchange program
This is good news as I too held out buying the first release after reading reviews for it. Another movie that needs a new transfer is Kingdom of Heaven with its MPEG-2 transfer...yet another Ridley Scott film. Need a new VC-1 transfer for that film, plus special features in HD.
So you all say that the Braveheart release is actually pretty good?
I had read the reviews and refused to buy until Black Friday...doh! I will rebuy it if the transfer is corrected. No one made me buy it. I'll be ok...lol.
The studios know exactly when they release a putrid looking transfer like Gladiator. They simply did not want to pay up and get it remastered, hoping a gullible public will buy it anyway. Sales must have been very bad for the first edition, to force them to recapitulate and re-do the BD.
See this is exactly why I go here to read the video review of any blu-ray before I buy it. I was going to get Gladiator and the original Gangs of New York, but stopped in time. I'm patient enough to wait for a review of a good movie rather than "double-dip".
It would be wise of them to set up an exchange program for those of us who bought the first edition. Now i didnt think that the first edition was terrible it was a big improvement over dvd but it could have been better.
So they screwed up the transfer with no attention to quality control and they're now going to sell a better version to consumers; excellent business practices as of late. At least Sony had an exchange program for Fifth Element. Hopefully Paramount will do the same. However, the trend is it's safer to assume the worst from these companies. They already offered the cashback for the previous DVD owners so anyone who's already sent in that proof of purchase might be screwed. YAY! At least I picked it up on sale.
Thank you Paramount and Universal. I'm glad they're fixing the release. I hope they do an exchange for buyers of the first one, but at least they admit they needed to fix Gladiator.
I waited based upon the reviews of the poor PQ. I'm glad I did, although I didn't expect a remastery. I'm very sorry for those who purchased the first release, and curses to the producers who release all but the best quality Blu-ray disc sets.
Big thanks to Blu-ray.com for keeping me informed and giving great reviews, without you guys I would've already bought GoNY and Gladiator and been none-the-wiser. You've saved me time, money and aggravation which is why I buy 90% of my titles through your website(especially through your incredible deals webpage). Keep up the good work on keeping us informed:)
Lots of wailing and gnashing of teeth. Like you never double dipped before. It's just a ten buck BD. Lighten up sports fans. Wait till they re-master it in 3-D; or add more flaming arrows.
I'll re-buy it and don't call me a bozo; nimrod!
@42041:
Initially, I would agree with you... but...
That applies only when you assume that everybody who bought/buy this disc is aware of this f*ck up, what is simply not the reality.
I picked up Gladiator (and Braveheart) BRs via an Amazon one-day $10 sale. With the coupon inside for DVD owners, my net cost was 84 cents (sales tax) for each, delivered.
For that price I can live with the transfer, but if an exchange is offered I'm on it.
oh and do you think they can add the 6th rear channel of sound that was featured on the DTS-ES DVD - come on... here's a chance to rectify that other problem too
This is a joke, right?! And after I spent my hard-earned $19.99 on the current edition too! Please, Paramount, for the love of God, offer a disc exchange program ASAP!!
So they completed it a couple months ago. Get on the remater train and get it right the first time. Gladiator should have had the same love and attention that Blade Runner got....
Hope there's a replacement program for this. Although thankfully I don't own this yet. I did with Fifth Element and Sony messed up on that, they just sent me the exact same 2006 release instead of the 2007 remastered version. Brand new, stickers and a price tag of $24.99 from Best Buy on it. Sony's sending a replacement right away. UPC codes don't match what they told me it's supposed to be.
Asking if they are going to double dip the consumers??? Hell yes they are, especially on titles like "Gladiator" and "Gangs of NY". I read the review of Gladiator, I knew the transfer could be better, but this is a great movie, so I bought it. If I knew they would re-release it with a new transfer a year later, I wouldn't have bought it. But they will triple dip us with Goodfellas...watch.
You gotta be kidding me. How ridiculous! They won't be having an exchange program, I can guarantee that. I'm glad they're remastering it, but very disappointed they didn't realize how bad the first transfer was until now.
It's my hope that studios will get the hint that people are actually paying attention to quality, and when word gets out that the release looks like crap it's going to affect sales. SO DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME!!!!!
Glad I held off on the first editions of Gangs of New York and Gladiator. I knew there would be a re-release, surprised it was so soon after the first release though. Now give us Goodfellas with lossless audio!
Disney did an exchange for their improperly formatted copy of Pirates: Curse of the Black Pearl. I expect Paramount to do the same. It's not that Gladiator looks bad anyway, it could just look better. But IF (because this is just a rumor) the remaster this quickly I hope they do the right thing and offer an exchange.
Damn its about time that they are fixing this problem.Thanks to Blu-ray.com for the Review.
why don't the studios let the director's or producers be involved with getting the Transfers right the first time.I am also hoping that they will include now a DTS_HD Master Audio soundtrack.
PS all your Blu-Ray disc soundtrack should be Released with DTS-HD master audio
Paramount Home Entertainment start listening to your customers we will not put up with crappy
transfers on Blu-Ray Disc.
Those of you hoping for an exchange - this is why you shouldn't have bought the original release rewarding studios for their garbage - making deals with the devil like that. ;-). Seriously though, I rented this through Netflix and was very disappointed in the PQ which looked like the movie was filmed on a digital cam. I would not have paid $10 for this POS and look forward to the re-release which will probably look outstanding.
I agree that they should get it right the first time but, the person who posted... Paramount Home Entertainment start listening to your customers we will not put up with crappy
transfers on Blu-Ray Disc. I find hilarious. Go to the Reviews of Gladiator. Even with the well known negative reviews of this release most of these people still bought it. I agree that the average joe who doesn't research Blu ray reviews and expects to get a great product should be pissed but, for everyone who was forewarned and still bought Gladiator, stop your crying. The studio who released this is laughing all the way to the bank. Especially since most of the nerds that bought it the first time are sure to doubledip and get the new "remastered" version
I'm sure they will get it right this time but, I still have enough sence to wait for a few legit reviews before I go drop $20 on it.
This in unfair. I like this movie and already bought it. At least I bought it for $10 on black friday. I read reviews and saw that Gladiator got a bad rating on video. So I know! But wether its good or bad, there is no way of knowing if they are going to re-release the movie. So I went ahead and bought it. This kind of behavior is bad for blu-rays. Consumers like myself now will think four times before buying a blu-ray. Even if I waited (without knowing if it would be re-release) their is a chance they will make the same mistake, like it happened with Goodfellas. I waited for a long time to buy one of my favorite movies and still, no good transfer. Its not fair. At the minimum, they should give a $10 off to the owners of the current edition.
So - NOW are you entertained...?
Seeing the low price of Gladiator I was always being tempted to buy it, but had a feeling they'd release a better PQ version sometime. I guess at this point the sales are not what they expected (to say the least) so they are doing it now.
I really hope they'll be an exchange/rebate program for those who already bought the first time around.
I am so annoyed....I waited and waited because of all the mixed reviews and finally picked up the metal tin edition in the UK. I guess the point with Gangs of New York was that it was a few years before the remaster but this is literally months. They better do a disc replacement in the UK or a discount, cause we always miss out when the US does things like that.
It's not like the first transfer was awful, I got mine for $10 on Black Friday, I love the movie but if I'm double dipping I'll wait until the next Black Friday.
WOW, I have been debating on buying this BD for a while now, but was hesitant because even though I like the movie, I wasn't interested in having an inferior quality picture. Was actually thinking about ordering it this week. Glad I frequent this site.
Honestly, I think paramount will offer a replacement program for the old version. I think they realised that they screwed up with this one and will do everything possible to restore the faith of the consumer when the new edition is released. They are trying to create a quality image with the sapphire branding and I think they will do whatever to prevent any doubt in the series.
Man, did this make me laugh.
See, I rented it from Blockbuster for $2 and didn't like the transfer. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but I didn't think it good enough for a $20-$30 purchase (I enjoyed the rental, though). Now we get the possibility of a new better transfer. Hurray, that sounds great but I'll just wait for the next reviews about it and either rent it again or maybe trust the reviews here. They've been right by me so far. (Love you guys)
Mr. Cinema mentioned earlier that we shouldn't knock the masses for being suckers and just trust the advertising about the quality of Blu (or words to that effect).
Are you kidding me? I remember when DVD came out and there was a flood of junk that was released with the idea that just because it was on DVD that it was far superior than VHS. A blind man could see it clearly wasn't. People need to wise up and do a little research for crying out loud. Ignorance is just no excuse. With this kind of logic, next time I buy a TV I WONT do any research and then I'll whine like crazy why it looks like garbage. The internet makes it very easy to check up on things like this these days (Or might their fingers get hurt in the process?).
I get really tired when people defend being ignorant or just plain stupid, especially from the mainstream consumer. These sound like the same people that had a hard time dealing with those black bars at the top and bottom of their screens years ago. Heaven forbid they play an old 4:3 film on a new 16:9 TV. Then they'll complain that the screen isn't totally used up and something must be broken. Again, ignorance is just no excuse, people. Learn something once in a while, okay? Stop making it almost impossible to enjoy this format without catering to these morons (like passing off all these bad transfers or those goofy flipper discs from Universal)
Are the studios just trying to kill off this format or what?
Wow, we almost made it to 10 pages before the anti-Bits crew cralled out of the woodwork this time. There was a whole flap over this the last time a bunch of rumor mill titles were discussed and we have seen those predicted titles announced one after the other since that post. You know little titles like Saving Private Ryan, Minority Report and so on. I wish some people would take their leftover format war angst and vent it somewhere else. We can't seem to have a single post where the bits is mentioned without some person hiding behind a screen name putting out this kind of drek about the Bits and Mr. Hunt. Anyone who wishes can look up the posts of the past decade or more and see the track record of accurate news, percentage of Rumor Mill titles confirmed in or close to the time frame mentioned and clearly stated as rumor unlike with some other sites and the accuracy of data they post. You can continue your little vendettas all you want. But take the anti rants somewhere else. Nobody is making you believe anything. You can believe the world is flat if you wish. But, as I said, the same blather was posted during the last round of discussion about rumor mill posts and those have been popping up as correct one after another as announcements are made, so I wonder whose information really needs to be taken with a grain of salt? An online journalist and established insider on this site with a documented track record of accuracy that can be checked out by anyone who cares to or a group of anonymous posters with an obvious axe to grind who are batting zero so far?
"after Paramount and Universal realized how bad the first one was, naturally."
What a coincidence. They didn't watch it and realize it was in poor quality until months after the first dip released. How convenient.
I call bull****. They seriously didn't notice until now?
What a terrible lie. Can't believe anyone actually buys this story. The new transfer was just completed a couple of months ago? That leaves two scenarios. The double-dip was already in the works when the first dip was released, or the above story is true. Which means this is either a group of really smart people being greedy, or a group of really dumb people being greedy. Neither satisfies me as a consumer.
News like this is why I haven't bought a BD in the longest span since I took up the format. My Amazon cart has all been moved to "save for later". I don't even want to buy one any more, due to the imminent bad news I'll be getting six weeks after I pull the trigger. Rental and streaming technology are sounding better every day.
In the end, I can't be too upset about this. I bought it for $10, got $10 back for my DVD UPC... so it's a wash. And I'd welcome an improved disc (who wouldn't?)
But, yeah... I'm not loving this trend of double-dipping to fix obviously flawed discs. I'm not a beta tester for the studios and until they decide to pay me as such, they should probably double-check the quality themselves. We've seen this on titles by Martin Scorcese and Ridley Scott. These aren't obscure B-movies.
I'm not upset I purchased Gladiator the first go around... I was able to pick it up for $7.99 brand new and the PQ is not nearly as bad as some on here say it is. Sure the PQ could be better but it's better than the DVD, at least on my TV. But, still no doubt about it... I'll pick up a 'remastered' copy!
lol. That's classic. So.....they realized how bad it was MONTHS AFTER it hit the retail stores. I feel sorry for those of you who believe stories like this.
They should just fess up and say "After reading thousands of posts on the net about the shoddy transfer and watching sales decline as a result of our inability to properly master a not even decade-old film.....'cuz we rushed to get it out just before the 2009 holiday shopping season." ;-)
But the kicker is: Those of you who are crying foul now will end-up double-dipping anyway. Mwahahahaha!
I'm hearing such bad things about the initial Blu release but I can't seem to see anything bad about it. I bought it for $10 on Amazon so I couldn't resist, then I watched it and the picture was SUPERB!!!! It was so clear and smooth and till this day I still don't understand what people are complaining about. Oh the sound rocks too.
Anyone who thinks the first one wasn't a huge upgrade over the DVD, I don't know what to say.
The audio is a massive improvement, worth the $10 alone I paid for it.
I'll gladly double dip to get a better picture, but hopefully they don't alter the audio at all because it couldn't possibly be any better.
The good things that will come out of things like this and Gangs will be that studios pay closer attention to their Blu-ray products knowing how in this information age sub-par products aren't tolerated and word spreads quickly, very quickly.
It will be most appreciated if they do some sort of voucher inside for $10 off a future Sapphire title or something like that - hard to say what they'll do given it's a collaboration.
am i the only one who really thinks this kinda stuff hurts blu ray a lot. i mean why dont they just make good transfers from the start? do they think we wont notice? how many times is a movie going to be re-done on blu ray. total BS you should be able to send their "bad" disc to them and get a good one back.
I'm glad they are redoing it and it doesn't bother me at all that I bought the first time around. It's just money people, quit crying about being gouged, have some patience and don't day one everything if you are so concerned about re-releases. Honestly after going through the DVD ringer and triple dipping several times why is anyone even remotely surprised they are going the same rout eon Blu, at least they realized they needed to redo it.
Why are they doing a Remastered Reissue when the first release was much better that the dvd version, I watched it, the picture looked better to me, it had both the treatrical cut and extended cuts included, it had a ton of special features, I did not see anything wrong with this release, so why should I double dip, I bought this release at the same time as braveheart BD, So I saved money. I bought at Best Buy.
Dang...I just bought gladiator too....I will double dip though as I did not watch the movie all the way through since I fell asleep watching it on blu. I noticed a big discrepancy in the video. Some sharp close-ups mixed with some crappy looking medium to far off shots that looked like an upscaled dvd. I'd love a remastered version..
I held out on this one after reading on here about the PQ issues hoping they (Paramount) would get wind of this and listen to consumer feedback and release a remastered version. This will be a day 1 buy for me as well.
To any who complain about having to double-dip, if you're lucky they will provide a replacement program and if not, well...all I have to say is buyer beware, nobody forced you to buy the first one and there was plenty of information out there indicating the PQ was not up to par for everyone to make informed decisions.
Glad i heldoff buying the first release, i knew a second one would come within a year (it's the films 10th anniversary, and Robin hood looks like gladiator 2. I knew they wouldn't pass that opportunity up)
Hopefully Paramount gives us other saphire relases this year...untouchables would be very much appreciated
I brought it the Sapphire blu and it looks good on my Kuro...I have no problem double dipping....we all need to drive the economy....No but seriously...with the 10 dollars off coupon..i paid about 7 dollars for it...not a big deal....i am sure they will have a coupon to help defray some of the costs...hang in there guys....step back from the ledge
I had actually bought the first Gladiator BD but, after seeing the many awful reviews about its picture & sound quality, quickly returned it unopened. This time around I'll probably wait a few days to see what the reviews are like, then buy. I'm not at all surprised that the studios involved are planning to reissue it with (I hope) improved quality; the first BD release was a disaster in terms of consumer sentiment and its reputation.
I'm not really sure I get the anger here. They're doing a re-release most of us wanted. This is not a calculated double-dip.
Look, most of you here who bough the first one were warned, in post after post in the forum. Then you all justified your purchase by telling the rest of us that the disc looked "fine" and that as long as it was "better than DVD" you were happy.
Now you're all pitching a fit about "having to re-buy it"? Why did you buy it the first time? Wasn't it "good enough", and if it was, why do you feel like you're being forced to re-buy?
I'm one of the ones that brought the Gladiator Blu-ray... I wish they would exchange the old one for the new one but I guess that's not going to happen, guess I'll be double dipping then. Although I don't think the first one looks all that bad, a little digitally in the visuals but I figure that was for effect, ala the movie 300. And yes I read the reviews, but I don't own the DVD of Gladiator and I'm not unhappy with it as is, but if the new one looks much better than I'm definitely going for it, Gladiator is too awesome a movie to get thrifty about...
i already bought this edition and its fine that they are redoing it again i just hope its has a 7.1 DTS-HD digital transfer as weell i am a true fan of this film
I'm glad I passed this and the original Gangs of NY. After getting the 1st Stargate, I quickly had that replaced with the better looking 15th anniversy ed. This better look better than the 1st issue.
I have always been from the school of thought that a movie should look pristine when released on Blu-ray. The BDA touts 6x the resolution of standard DVD and all Blu-ray releases should live up to that claim.
I am looking for High Definition--not an upgraded version on DVD. If the studios can't get the quality up to where it should be, then the movie shouldn't be on Blu-ray in the first place. I also feel that the BDA should have a committee to certify the quality to be a certain level on every Blu-ray movie released. I know it would take some time but at least the integrity of the format would be preserved.
If people start settling for sub-standard quality on Blu-ray discs, then we, the consumers, will be at a greater risk that said sub-standard quality will eventually become the status quo for all Blu-ray titles. I feel we need to stand our ground on this one...
Glad I passed the first time around. Hunt saved me some money.
Shame on Paramount for releasing it anyway knowing how bad the transfer was, under their "Sapphire Series" banner, no less.
At the very least they should do what was done with The Fifth Element when that crappy transfer was replaced--straight trade. Put your old one in a mailer, get the new one back.
