Today, July 11th is the biggest day of the month for Ultra HD Blu-ray releases with five new combined titles from Sony Pictures and Universal Studios. Don’t forget to check out all new Blu-ray releases this week.
New 4k Blu-ray Releases July 11, 2017
King Kong: Ultimate Edition
From Universal Studios comes the 4k edition of King Kong: Ultimate Edition released back in February to standard Blu-ray with two cuts of the film, except the video is presented in 2160p resolution with High Dynamic Range color utilizing the REC 2020/HDR10 specs. Audio also gets an upgrade with immersive DTS:X and DTS:X Headphone, backwards compatible with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The three disc set includes plenty of bonus materials totaling over 13 hours of content such as deleted scenes, production featurettes, and historical footage, along with a digital copy that can be redeemed with either UltraViolet or iTunes.
Léon: The Professional
Best Buy has an exclusive 4k Ultra HD Blu-ray edition of Léon: The Professional (1994) that includes both the theatrical version and extended version of the movie with an extra 26 minutes. Both versions of the film are newly presented in Ultra HD 2160p resolution at 2.39:1 widescreen aspect ratio. And, audio upgrades include an English Dolby Atmos soundtrack backed up by Dolby TrueHD 7.1. Extras include a digital copy that can be redeemed with UltraViolet partners. The Sony Pictures’ film, directed and written by Luc Besson, features an all-star cast with Jean Reno, Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello, and Gary Oldman. (Note: Package artwork is not final.)
Smurfs: The Lost Village
Sony Pictures’ animated hit Smurfs: The Lost Village is now available in 4k Blu-ray day-and-date with the standard Blu-ray and DVD releases. The 2-disc combo includes both the Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray copies as well as a Digital HD copy redeemable with UltraViolet partners. Video is presented in 4K (2160p) at 1.85:1 aspect ratio with HDR expanded color range on 4k HDR TVs the support format. Audio is provided in English Dolby Atmos with multiple languages provided Dolby Digital 5.1. Smurfs: The Lost Village stars pop sensation Demi Lovato along with Rainn Wilson, Joe Manganiello, Michelle Rodriguez, Meghan Trainor, and Julia Roberts.
The Fate of the Furious
At the top of the most popular movie releases this week is The Fate of the Furious starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Dwayne Johnson, and Oscar winner Charlize Theron, now available in a 2-disc Ultra HD Blu-ray combo from Universal Studios day-and-date with Blu-ray and DVD. The 4k HDR video is presented in 2160p resolution at 2.40:1 aspect ratio. The soundtrack is presented in English DTS:X and DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. Extras include extended fight scenes, feature commentary with Director F. Gary Gray, and several featurettes, along with a digital copy redeemable with UltraViolet or iTunes. There’s also a special code that unlocks and Extended Director’s Cut only on digital.
The Fifth Element
Finally, The Fifth Element (1997) from director Luc Besson (yet another Besson 4k release today) can be watched at home in 2160p resolution on Ultra HD TVs. The Sony Pictures’ release, one of many re-issues of this signature sci-fi film, at last presents The Fifth Element in 4k resolution with HDR for increased color depth. The Fifth Element stars Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, and Gary Oldman with story written by and screenplay co- written by Besson. The soundtrack is provided in English Dolby Atmos and English Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Master Audio, with French in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Spanish in Dolby Digital 5.1. The film is also available in an exclusive 4k SteelBook edition from Best Buy.
Read about other upcoming 4k Blu-ray releases in July, 2017.
