Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World gets Blu-ray release date

Scott Pilgrim looks set to take on the world on Blu-ray Disc in time for Christmas. Universal has announced that the Blu-ray release of the critically acclaimed comic-book adaptation is scheduled for November in the US, with Europe following soon after.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, starring Michael Cera and directed by Edgar Wright, tells the story of an unlikely hero who meets the girl of his dreams but, in order to win her heart, must first do battle with her seven evil ex-boyfriends.

In addition to the DVD special features (commentary, bloopers and photo galleries), the Blu-ray edition has a huge collection of exclusive content, including two behind-the-scenes documentaries, features on the film’s music, and in-depth looks at alternative edits to the film and its extensive pre-production process.

For the full story and list of Blu-ray content, visit Den of Geek.

US sales indicate Blu-ray 3D success

If the US sales figures of 3D TVs and 3D Blu-ray Disc players are anything to go by, the future of 3D home entertainment looks promising.

According to The NPD Group, sales have topped $55 million dollars since the first 3D-enabled products were launched in February.

“3D TV and Blu-ray players are seeing steady growth even as major product line launches are slated for the coming months,” said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis at NPD. As more consumers adopt 3D, the industry can help foster a 3D ecosystem similar to that of HD.”

To see the full press release on this story, click here.

Blu-ray Disc is Where The Wild Things Are

Blu-ray.com and BigPictureBigSound have both this week reviewed the much-anticipated Blu-ray Disc release of Spike Jonze’s Where The Wild Things Are.

The critically acclaimed film, based on the book by Maurice Sendak, is due to hit European shelves from May, but the early reviews give us a taste of what to expect on the BD.

In addition to the 1080p picture and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio that you’d expect, Where The Wild Things Are also includes 10 featurettes, all presented in high definition. The pick of the extra features is a BD exclusive short film called Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life featuring Meryl Streep and Forest Whitaker. Also exclusive to the BD is the HBO First Look feature which delves into the production of the film and the transition from page to screen.

Look out for Where The Wild Things Are in Europe from May.

Q4 sales boost for Blu-ray

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that US sales of Blu-ray Discs increased by 35% in the fourth quarter of 2009, compared to the same period in 2008.

Stats from the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) show that 38.6 million Blu-ray Discs were shipped, with revenue from sales increasing by 70% and revenue from rentals rising by 48%.

Over the year as a whole, DEG found that total spending on Blu-ray Discs (sales and rentals) reached $1.5 billion.

Thanksgiving brings US BD boost

Although this is the BDA’s European blog, recent sales figures from the US warrant some attention.

The Friday following Thanksgiving, known as ‘Black Friday’ in the US, is traditionally one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Retailers across the country open early and often offer great value deals to mark the start of the Christmas shopping season.

This year, Blu-ray has been one of the Black Friday success stories, with media outlets including The Washington Post and PC World reporting a massive surge in sales. According to Home Media Research, revenue from sales of Blu-ray Discs for the week ending November 29 was $69.06 million – a huge increase of 224 percent over the same period in 2008.

With more and more BD players entering the US market priced around the $100 mark, and prices of discs also falling, the future looks bright for the format.