Universal France will release 60 titles (Gladiator, Scarface ...) in 2007:

Alors qu’Universal a d’ores et déjà annoncé plus de 100 titres disponibles d’ici la fin de l’année aux Etats-Unis, une récente interview du directeur marketing d’Universal France vient de confirmer la sortie dans notre beau pays de plus de 60 titres d’ici la fin de l’année 2007.

Parmi les titres phares du catalogue du studio, on retrouvera cette année en HD-DVD des films tels que Gladiator, Scarface, ou bien encore Ray, l’un des meilleurs « biopic » sortis au cinéma ces dernières années. On retrouvera également, à l’occasion de l’arrivée prochaine de La vengeance dans la peau (The Bourne Ultimatum) sur nos écrans, une réédition encore plus poussée techniquement de La mort dans la peau et La mémoire dans la peau (comme quoi, même pour un support aussi récent, on nous propose déjà des rééditions). Pour les nouveautés, des films comme The Holiday, Les fils de l’homme ou The Kingdom sont également annoncés, et seront en sortie simultanées avec le DVD.
http://www.dvdrama.com/news.php?19969

Potentially very cool news, but we need a lot more info.

Here's a really rough translation:

Since the birth of the support HD-DVD, Universal forms part of the rare editors to be supported fully and only the HD-DVD, where other majors American prefer to remain neutral and leave their innovations and films catalogue in the two existing formats.

Whereas Universal right now announced more than 100 titles available by the end of the year to the United States, a recent interview of the director marketing of Universal France has just confirmed the exit in our beautiful country of more than 60 titles by the end of the year 2007. Without giving precise calendar on the dates and films concerned, the few evoked titles have what to give the tournis.

Among the titles headlights of the catalogue of the studio, one will find this year in HD-DVD of the films such as Gladiator, Scarface, or even Ray, one of best "the biopic" left to the cinema these last years. One will also find, at the time of the nearest arrival of revenge in the skin (The Bourne Ultimatum) on our screens, a republication even more thorough technically of died in the skin and the memory in the skin (like what, even for such a recent support, one proposes already republications to us). For the innovations, films like The Holiday, the sons of man or The Kingdom are also announced, and will be at exit simultaneous with the DVD.

Side interactivity, Universal will continue to offer products using the possibilities of advanced interactivity of the support (known under the name of "iHD" or "In Movie Experiment" at Warner), with in particular the function of safeguard, in the internal storage of your reader HD-DVD of living room, of your scenes and no-claims bonus preferred of each disc proposing this function.

Another information of size, Universal will continue the exit of products directly resulting from the French catalogue of the American studio, with the image of documentary Zidane, portrait of the 21st century. Are concerned titles like the fencing master with Jet Li (whose Universal ensures the edition for France), and especially a certain number of comic French, like the last spectacle of Dany Boon or that of Laurent Gerra... Even if the exit of spectacles of humorists can seem incongruous for the moment, greet the initiative of Universal all the same to want to make discover the High definition with general public by this skew.

Tres bien! Je veux 'Gladiator' AUJOURD'HUI!

If Gladiator is released on HD DVD in France before the U.S. then they better be ready for thousands of exports. Because everyone on this forum who lives in the states will probably import it.

If Gladiator is released on HD DVD in France before the U.S. then they better be ready for thousands of exports. Because everyone on this forum who lives in the states will probably import it.

I know I will. :D

I will purchase Gladiator as a HD DVD import :)

btw, anaother translation... <sigh> , at least it is in french , less room for missinterpretation :p

For Honor...... For Rome..... for Maximus..... this hd-dvd willl be mine.....

Isn''t Gladiator a joint venture of Universal and Dreamworks? In that case, doesn't Dreamworks have to agree too?

Isn''t Gladiator a joint venture of Universal and Dreamworks? In that case, doesn't Dreamworks have to agree too?

It only matters who the Distributor is. In the United States it is Dreamworks, so they have the final say of when it is available in the States. Universal distributes foreignly, so Universal has the say in France.

GREAT news, bring it on HD-DVD !!!!
Between the lines, i believe that an announcement from Universal USA will not be far away. It is really possible that Gladiator and a lot of other titles will be anounced in the upcoming days.

let's keep our fingers crossed

Nicolas

Moving into import mode. All ready for Gladiator. Card set.

Yikes, each day lately seems to have a nice juicy piece of HD DVD news, and this one is a killer, kewl!! =)

I'd import Gladiator in a heartbeat.

If Gladiator is released on HD DVD in France before the U.S. then they better be ready for thousands of exports. Because everyone on this forum who lives in the states will probably import it.

Someone will have to import two to make up for me. I found it to be a mediocre revenge flick, like a costumed "Death Wish." But that's just me. :rolleyes:

Gladiator. This is GREAT news for the HD DVD format. I would take this one movie over all the of the BD tittles I own combined.

I know I will. :D

I guess it goes without saying that I (see my username) will :)

I hope we get the extended cut of the movie!

Looking forward to this one. It's not my absolute favourite film, but I enjoy it a lot, and it should look impressive in HD.

I hope we get the extended cut of the movie!
I hope not (or at least I hope we get the option of watching the theatrical version)! The extended cut is not the director's cut, and is in my opinion an inferior version of the film. Check out the introduction by Ridley Scott on the extended edition DVD - he looks and sounds completely pissed off. "This is NOT the director's cut, but it has some extra scenes that you, um, might find interesting." :D

The big question is - will they play on US players?

I've imported three HD-DVDs from Amazon France and none are
recognised by the player.

Mark

The big question is - will they play on US players?

I've imported three HD-DVDs from Amazon France and none are
recognised by the player.

Mark
There is no region coding or PAL/NTSC confusion, so they should play. I would imagine that the problem lies with either the discs or the player.

The big question is - will they play on US players?

I've imported three HD-DVDs from Amazon France and none are
recognised by the player.

Mark


Huh, that sounds very strange, any idea why that is so?

The best part is that they'll probably almost all be combo discs! Yeehaw, $30+ a disc! Awesome work Universal, simply awesome.

You may not have to export it... if the Uni version comes out after Fall.

The best part is that they'll probably almost all be combo discs! Yeehaw, $30+ a disc! Awesome work Universal, simply awesome.
There have been virtually no combo discs in Europe so far.

Just wait until they hit the US. They screw us hard.

Just wait until they hit the US. They screw us hard.
WTF??

Unless you're saying that you think these disks will magically transform into combo disks somewhere over the Atlantic as they make their way to the states, the question of whether potential future US HD-DVD releases will be combo disks has NOTHING to do with this thread. Try very hard to stay on topic.

kthxbye. :rolleyes:

GLADIATOR ON HD-DVD! Link, I need a pre order link! Oh wait, they only just announced this title...... :D

Anybody noticed this part?
On retrouvera également, à l’occasion de l’arrivée prochaine de La vengeance dans la peau (The Bourne Ultimatum) sur nos écrans, une réédition encore plus poussée techniquement de La mort dans la peau et La mémoire dans la peau (comme quoi, même pour un support aussi récent, on nous propose déjà des rééditions).
It indicates that, when the new Bourne Ultimatum movie is released in the cinemas, newly-done and "technically better" transfers of the first two Bourne movies will be released. An additional comment is made that "despite it being such a recently brought-to-market format, we're already going to see re-releases".

Is Gladiator 2.35:1 or 1.85:1? I don't own the DVD, and there are plenty of versions at Amazon with some saying 1.85:1 and others saying 2.35:1. It would really surprise me if it was 1.85:1

If Gladiator is released on HD DVD in France before the U.S. then they better be ready for thousands of exports. Because everyone on this forum who lives in the states will probably import it.

You got that right!

(But not if it has audio speedup.)

Maybe this title will make some people think about being format neutral.

Mark player and disks did you import? I got the Rambo series and Total recall from France and all played on both my XA1 and XA2.

I have imported from Japan, UK, France and Germany....no issues at all. TR had the high pitch issue though. But my wife didn't notice at all.

I'll take Scarface over Gladiator :)

I have imports of First Blood, Harry Potter, Elephant Man, Total Recall - no problems

BUT -

Stalingrad
Two Brothers
Les Choristes

will not play on any of the 1st or 2nd generation US models.
This is widely reported in another thread.

No one seems to know why?

Mark

Question: What did Hannibal Lecter's reply when he was asked how he felt about devouring a female reporter?

Answer: GLADIATOR :D

Question: What did Hannibal Lecter's reply when he was asked how he felt about devouring a female reporter?

Answer: GLADIATOR :D
Very funny. :D

Speaking of Hannibal Lecter, I wonder if Universal will release another magnificent Ridley Scott film from the same era: Hannibal. MGM owns the distribution rights in North America, but Universal has them just about everywhere else. With the Blu-ray release currently a no-show (part of Fox's wave of "indefinite delays"), now would be the ideal time for Universal to beat them at their own game outside America.

I have imports of First Blood, Harry Potter, Elephant Man, Total Recall - no problems

BUT -

Stalingrad
Two Brothers
Les Choristes

will not play on any of the 1st or 2nd generation US models.
This is widely reported in another thread.

No one seems to know why?

Mark


Did they implement somekind of (secret) region coding? :D

I wonder if Drealworks will prevent merchants to ship to the USA, like Sony did on some of it's SD DVD's from Asia. But as others said there is no region coding so they may not have a legal authority to do so. We shall see.