After all the hoopla a couple months ago about the unannounced plans for a quick turnaround for Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland” to home video, the studio today confirmed in an announcement today that the movie that has grossed more than $320 million and nearly $800 million wworldwide since opening the first weekend in March will indeed be coming to Blu-ray June 1.
That gets it out just before the start of the 2010 World Cup Soccer this summer, which will dominate the home viewing time in most countries outside the U.S.
“Alice” is Disney’s fourth biggest film of all time, thanks in large part to the premium ticket prices for the 3D versions of the movie in traditional and especially IMAX theaters. (The opening weekend for “Alice” was the highest-grossing non-sequel opening weekend in history, the biggest March opening of all time, the biggest 3D opening of all time and the biggest IMAX opening of all time.)
But, like the first Blu-ray of “Avatar” next week, the home version of “Alice” will not be in 3D yet.
The movie will be released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment in the studio’s now-standard 3-disc set ($44.99) that includes the Blu-ray disc as well as a DVD copy and a disc with a digital copy for downloading to computers and portable devices. (A single-disc Blu-ray is priced at $39.99)
The Blu-ray version includes nine bonus features such as the making of the Futterwacken Dance, a look inside the world of the Mad Hatter and Johnny Depp’s transformation, Tim Burton’s vision for the movie and its characters, the visual effects of growing and shrinking of Alice, costume designs, music, stunts and more.
— By Scott Hettrick
Here are the specific details of bonus features spelled out in today’s media release:
• Finding Alice – It’s all things Alice. This featurette includes Tim Burton’s vision for the
characters, differences from the book and Disney’s version of Alice and how she evolves
as both a character and actor as she takes an adventure through Wonderland.
• The Mad Hatter – Audiences are provided with a deeper look into the world of the Mad
Hatter. Check out Johnny Depp’s early sketches, make-up, costumes and how they
digitally enhanced his eyes.
• Effecting Wonderland – A behind-the-scenes piece on the different technologies used
to create some of the most beloved characters in the film – Stayne, Tweedledee,
Tweedledum, Bandersnatch and the Red Queen.
• The Futterwacken Dance – Futterwhat? Check out the making of the timeless dance
called the Futterwacken.
• The Red Queen – The creation of the Red Queen from start to finish, including early Tim
Burton sketches showcasing costume designs, make-up and digital effects.
• Time-Lapse: Sculpting the Red Queen – A short time-lapse piece showing Helena
Bonham Carter as she gets her make-up done. A three-hour process can be watched in
just a few short minutes.
• The White Queen – An interview with Anne Hathaway, who plays Wonderland’s good
queen, about her character’s journey throughout the process of the film.
• Scoring Wonderland – Composer Danny Elfman and Tim Burton discuss the music for
the movie.
• Stunts of Wonderland – A featurette highlighting some of the biggest stunts in the film.
• Making the Proper Size – An inside look at the visual effects process of growing and
shrinking Alice. See how filmmakers used different techniques to stay true to the
storyline.
• Cakes of Wonderland – Take a trip to “Cake Divas” where the creators of the EAT ME
cakes provide viewers with details about how they made the smallest crumb to the
largest cake in scale.
• Tea Party Props – Tea cups, saucers, cakes and more. Prop master Doug Harlocker
gives an overview of all the props used to bring the famous tea party scene together
visually.
Aspect Ratio
1080p High Definition
Widescreen (1:78:1)
Widescreen (1:78:1); Enhanced
for 16×9 Televisions
Sound
Digital Dolby 5.1 DTS-HD
Master Audio 48kHz/24-hit
Digital Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound
Languages
Primary Language: English
Tracks: French and Spanish
Primary Language: English
Tracks: French and Spanish
Subtitles Spanish, French Spanish, French