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Netflix adds more Fox content to streaming including Glee S1, Ally McBeal
In a nice rebound from last week, Netflix is expanding its non-exclusive agreement with Fox for content, bringing older shows Ally McBeal and The Wonder Years to Watch Instantly for the first time. Also arriving are the first season of Glee and the first two seasons of Sons of Anarchy from FX with additional seasons to be added annually, as well as "a number of library movies" after their premium pay-tv windows subside. It's not exactly the cable TV competing type of deal that it just locked up with Paramount in Canada, but fans of those shows have a few more reasons to hang on to the service. Beyond the announcement a slew of new content popped up on the service today including the just-aired premiere episode of Body of Proof, BBC stuff like Top Gear and Luther, a few James Bond flicks and anime like Inuyasha and Bleach, so even if you're not a gleek (and disappointed because if Netflix and Fox are talking, the only topics of discussion should be commissioning new seasons of Firefly and Terriers) there's plenty of reasons to update that queue today.
Angry Birds doing a movie tie-in as well
Hot on the heels of the announcement that Doodle Jump will be working with Universal to promote the upcoming Hop movie, Angry Birds developer Rovio Mobile confirmed it will be producing a new version of Angry Birds set in Rio. This new version will be used to promote the upcoming movie Rio, which is being produced by 20th Century Fox and developed by the folks behind the popular Ice Age series of animated children's movies. The movie will follow the adventures of two blue macaws, Blu and Jewel, who will also star in the new Angry Birds game. The amusing trailer for the game is included after the break and is worth a look for Angry Birds fans. The game will debut in March and will feature 45 new levels with additional levels available via app updates. This move by Rovio is yet another example of Hollywood eyeing the iOS platform for promotion and profits. This trend was kicked off in a big way when Disney acquired Tapulous, the developer of the popular Tap Tap series of games, and this is probably far from the last we'll see of it. You can check out the movie trailer after the jump. [Via touchArcade]
Oliver Stone, Michael Mann and Baz Luhrmann extoll the virtues of Blu-ray, Stone suggests stocking up (video)
Panasonic took a break from its usual CES business this afternoon to host the inaugural directors' panel at the show (in conjunction with 20th Century Fox), where the unexpected trio of Oliver Stone, Michael Mann and Baz Luhrmann showed up to talk about technology in Hollywood, and Blu-ray in particular. As you might expect, the general theme was that Blu-ray is great, but the directors certainly weren't shy to make their opinions known. While Mann said that Blu-ray would be the "premier format for six, seven or eight years," for instance, he also took a moment to reminisce about the photochemical process used on Last of the Mohicans, which he notes still can't be fully replicated on Blu-ray. Luhrmann also talked at length about the great colors Blu-ray allows, and stated simply that "it's better," before picking a fight with a noisy booth next door. Oliver Stone was unsurprisingly the most opinionated, however, and lamented the fact that Blu-ray will be "last hardware" in the face of digital distribution. He even suggested that people should "be different, go against the grain" and collect Blu-rays, which he says will be very valuable by 2050 or so in much the way comics and baseball cards are today. On a more general note, Stone also said that watching kids try to watch a movie on a computer screen and multitask so much these days is "very depressing to me" and that, in a way, "we are the last of the Mohicans." Richard Lawler contributed to this report. Update: Now with video! Check it out after the break to hear their words directly. %Gallery-113321%
BlockBuster Express to distribute Warner Bros DVD rentals 28 days after release
It was only a couple of weeks ago that BlockBuster Express and Warner Bros were trialling the release of DVD titles into the former company's rental kiosks on their day of commercial release, but it seems like that's a future we're not going to see any more of. The pair have now announced a partnership whereby NCR's Blockbuster Express will offer WB's new DVD titles for rent 28 days after launch, matching Redbox and Netflix who are also subject to a four-week delay. This follows similar deals being concluded by NCR with Universal Studios and 20th Century Fox, with the major benefits being lower acquisition costs and a direct relationship with the studio. Update: We initially conflated Blockbuster with Blockbuster Express-branded DVD kiosks operated by NCR. The post has now been updated to rectify this unforgivable misguidance.
George Lucas officially announces Star Wars on Blu-ray in 2011
As rumored, all six Star Wars movies will be released together on Blu-ray in 2011 for the 35th anniversary of the release of A New Hope. George Lucas personally announced the set on stage at the Celebration V event, and showed off a deleted scene from Return of the Jedi that will be included (embedded after the break.) While the "highest picture and audio quality" and extensive special features are promised, what won't make it to Blu-ray are the original versions of the movies; Lucas told the New York Times that only the special editions will be included, since restoring the original versions in high enough quality would cost too much. No word on price, release date or any plans to release the films individually, but if you can stand living in a world where Greedo shot first then this will certainly be on next year's shopping list. [Thanks, @thunsaker]
Sony signs up all six major studios for HD movies on PlayStation Network
Well, it looks like Sony has a little treat for PS3 users now that they're able to turn their consoles back on -- it's just announced that it has signed up all six major studios to deliver HD movies on the PlayStation Network (the first company to do so, as Sony is happy to point out). That includes 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. and, of course, Sony Pictures Entertainment, which combined have an initial slate of 19 HD movies available to buy or rent -- including "Fantastic Mr. Fox," "Star Trek," "District 9," "Inglourious Basterds," and "The Wizard of Oz," to name a few. Those are only available in the US at the moment, but Sony says it plans to also roll them out to the U.K., France, Germany, and Spain "soon."
Avatar available to watch in 4D, but only in Korea
Yo Carl Sagan, we found the fourth dimension! It was hiding in a South Korean movie theater all this time, and you can go try it out for the eminently affordable $15.80 a pop. CJ-CGV, an enterprising Korean cinema operator, has been offering its 4D experience for a year now, but Avatar's sellout success has led it to open three more "4D plexes." The way the company finally cornered that elusive fourth dimension is by engaging all five senses: moving seats, wind, water sprinkling, lasers, and synthetic smells are all used in time with the movie. Sure, it's a gimmick and takes a loose interpretation of what the word dimension means, but at least it's unlikely you'll fall asleep during the movie, as some of us may or may not have done while watching the 3D screening.
Paramount licenses BD+ DRM from Macrovision
Looks like Fox won't be the only one using BD+ soon, now that Paramount has licensed it, along with a few other DRM tools like RipGuard and ACP from Macrovision. There's no indication when, or even if Paramount will use the technology on its titles and the press release from Macrovision focuses on its ability to protect video over Internet, cable and satellite. As it is, we're sure Slysoft appreciates all the effort, but it's the people who legally buy their movies that might need a firmware update just to play Transformers 2.[Via Video Business]
Buyers warming up to digital copy, especially on Blu-ray
Studios are reporting the number of digital copy activations has risen even more over the last few months. Numbers are skying highest on Blu-ray discs, with The Dark Knight reaching a 20% transfer rate, compared to 10%-12% on the DVD release. That's no real surprise if you figure anyone buying high definition editions of their favorite movies is more likely to have a portable device or additional PC they'd like to copy the movie to, and studios are picking up on digital copy as a feature that customers might actually value, as opposed to free movie tickets and rebates that typically go unredeemed. Video Business mentions Sony and Fox are moving towards digital copy only on the Blu-ray releases of upcoming movies, and including more flicks the additional copy embedded on disc as opposed to requiring a download. All that's well and good, but really we're still wondering what happened to the managed copy dream that was supposed to take care of all this.
Rumor: Hitman film trailer premiering with Die Hard
A trailer for the film adaptation of Hitman will be shown in the previews preceding Live Free or Die Hard, opening this Wednesday, according to reputable film site ComingSoon.net. The movie, starring Timothy Olyphant as Agent 47, began filming on March 27.No official confirmation has been made from distributor Twentieth Century Fox, but the action-packed Bruce Willis vehicle would be a perfect fit for the trailer and is also distributed by Fox. If true, look for the teaser to find its way on the internet likely by Wednesday afternoon.
Alien games to burst out of Sega's chest
A despicable creature gnawing at your insides, slowly growing in size and voracity until it shoves its hideous head right through your rib cage and causes splintery bone to pierce your flesh. So, a lot like playing the new Sonic the Hedgehog, then. Indeed, a more appropriate company than Sega could not be found for a recent deal struck by Fox Licensing with regards to their lucrative Alien film franchise. The new agreement, as detailed by The Hollywood Reporter, allows Sega to develop multiple games for new generation consoles and PCs. With a first-person shooter and a role-playing game already under development, an elaborate and somewhat sinister music-and-rhythm title can't be far behind. Mike Gallo, senior producer of the Alien series at Sega, promises that the developers will go out of their way to "tie the games into the films in unique ways." He also says they'll look at source materials and the films for inspiration, which is nice. The first title is due in 2008 -- that's when Sega will be "taking licensing to the next level," it says here. [Via Pro-G | Image credit: "That's saying a mouthful" -- VG Cats] See also: Firefly returns as MMORPG
Apple, Hollywood go toe-to-toe on movie downloads
Not surprisingly, Apple is facing heat from Hollywood companies that want to sell their movies on iTunes, but don't want to play by all of Apple's rules. The big issue is whether or not Apple will restrict the number of devices that can play a film bought from iTunes; Universal, 20th Century Fox, Paramount and Warner Bros. are rightfully concerned with rampant digital piracy and how iTunes might help inadvertently contribute to that. Of course, Hollywood could go the Wal-Mart or Amazon Unbox route if Apple won't back down, but then those studios would miss out on some of that big Apple halo action. Still, if Disney and the soon-to-be-added Lions Gate are already at the iTunes party, it seems unlikely that the rest of Hollywood could stay away much longer. [Via Apple Insider]
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PS3 to put bigger focus on Blu-ray
We've all debated the HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray topic to death, so we'll try our best to keep this post, this blog as it were, this entry, journal, whatever you want to call it, away from any sort of comparisons or snide comments. No promises, but we'll try. We'll just present the material as presented by one of the top execs at News Corp, Peter Chernin. He believes that the PS3 will provide the market with a nice push towards the Blu-ray format, but at the same time, admits that "I don't think there's likely to be a quick resolution, I think the resolution, if it comes, is likely to be driven by the marketplace." Which makes incredibly intuitive, logical sense. If the PS3 sells, Blu-ray will probably sell. And the PS3 will sell. They just need the damn supply.But you've also got to keep in mind, News Corp. is 20th Century Fox -- a company that has only been releasing on the Blu-ray format anyway. There aren't many players for either the HD-DVD or Blu-ray format and "most of the HD-DVD players are at the US$1,000 range and you're going to see a huge number of Blu-ray players entering the marketplace through PlayStation 3." So what we've got to look out for, at long last, is the market's move towards or away from Blu-ray. If market demands the PS3, it will give incentive for companies to demand Blu-ray support. I think that was fairly unbiased... just presenting the info. Leave your thoughts, predictions, etc. Cookies for the best argument!
More networks suing Cablevision over networked DVR
Trouble is brewing in TV land, and the stakes couldn't be higher for consumers, as a lawsuit filed by many of your favorite content providers against industry giant Cablevision could determine the future of networked DVR services. Two Time Warner networks (disclaimer: Engadget's parent company's parent company's parent company is Time Warner), CNN and Cartoon Network, have joined Disney, Universal, Paramount, and 20th Century Fox in fighting Cablevision's plan to offer subscribers the option of recording their programming to the company's servers, arguing that allowing at-will remote access to stored content constitutes a re-transmission, and therefore violates copyright agreements. What makes Time Warner's entry into the fray particularly interesting is the fact that another one of its divisions, Time Warner Cable, has publicly expressed interest in the concept of networked DVR, meaning that either outcome of the lawsuit would be potentially beneficial to the company. Way to go guys, you can never go wrong playing both sides of the fence.
