Deadlands 2 cancellation puts an unnecessary nail in HD DVD's coffin
By Richard Lawler 
posted February 24th 2010 10:14PM
posted February 24th 2010 10:14PM
We're sure there's a few people out there still waving the Red flag, unfortunately for them a planned last hurrah for HD DVD won't go off, as the release of Deadlands 2: Trapped on the format has been cancelled. Director Gary Ugarek had attempted a limited edition pressing of the flick to raise dormant HD-A1s and the like from the dead but ran into "one too many roadblocks" including U.S. printers backing out and has been forced to end the project. Those already on the preorder list can email Anthem Pictures at info@anthemdvd.com for a refund, while others can check the trailer after the break and wonder what might have been.. 
Id say the nails been crushed by now.. Whats hitting an already driven nail going to do at this point?
Toshiba gave up two years ago this month, it's no surprise if replicators weren't interested.
If it's any consolation, there were a few hundred titles released on HD DVD, most can be had pretty cheaply now. I bought a batch of sealed copies of movies a year ago. I don't think I would buy a new release for a platform which players haven't been made in a couple years and whose operable players can only dwindle.
The odd thing is that apparently every one of the replicators originally agreed to do the pressing and then mysteriously backed out.
It just might be possible that they were paid off to do so.
@JDM: There are far more than just a few hundred titles on HD DVD. I have over 600 and there are at least three to four hundred that I don't have. There are still over 150 that are not available on Blu-ray.
@Popeye9000
By paid off you mean they already unloaded their useless, expensive equipment which is a liability to the continued success of their business?
@Popeye9000 Paid off to not print a one off for a dead format? That's somewhat paranoid speculation.
More likely their HD DVD replication facilities can't get AACS keys, or the right media, or HD DVD licensing has been wound up, or their machines have been repurposed for DVD or CBHD production, or the machines were on lease and have been returned or the guy wouldn't pay the money they're asking or raft of other mundane technical / financial / licensing / legal reasons.
Do you think the BDA really gives a rat's ass? The format has been dead for 2 years and some limited run of a straight to video movie that nobody has ever heard of is not going to change anything.
Doesn't HD DVD support a 3xDVD format. Why doesn't he just stick it out in that? 9Gb is probably more than adequate for a movie of this calibre and would still allow him to justify calling it a HD DVD.
What could have been?
Is it not getting released in any other format?
@EM1 It's getting a DVD release. I wonder if they're avoiding Blu-Ray because the licensing is a little expensive for small runs.
I didn't realize there were so many releases for HD DVD.
There had been some hopes that a successful run of this disc could prompt other indie directors to release HD DVD versions of other movies. But like so much in the HD DVD realm, this ended up being a farce.
Well, Truth Teller hasn't barged in to convince us HD DVD is not dead. So we're lucky for that, at least. ;-)
@HowardLive i think he died when hddvd officially was laid to rest. wel he prob did claim the chinese format was the 2nd coming of christ aka hdvd. but even that wont go far globally
Too bad, because I miss the thrill of getting brand new HD DVDs in the mail. Getting one in 2010 would be simultaneously surreal and cool.
Just watched Zodiac for the first time on this fomat last night. Great acting from Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey to go along with a pristine transfer. Yup, my catalog is dead and loving it, just like Leslie Nielsen.