Warner Bros. isn't content with just loosing The Polar Express on 3D Blu-ray -- oh no, it's got another pair of titles set for a holiday launch. Famed classic Casablanca will finally be getting the Blu-ray treatment it deserves this December 2nd when it arrives in Ultimate Collector's Edition form. The $64.99 package ($59.98 on DVD) is reportedly "elegantly boxed in an intricate laser-cut Moroccan design and will include such collectibles as replicas of actual props (Victor Laszlo's "Letter of Transit") as well as a number of Warner studio documents. Going from one of the greatest love stories of all time to one of the raunchiest comedies of the past, oh, score, Austin Powers Collection: Shagadelic Edition, Loaded With Extra Mojo will be uncomfortably landing alongside the aforementioned gem on the same day. The collection-only package will include the entire trilogy in Blu-ray high-def for $74.98.

[Image courtesy of ValleyArts]

Read - Casablanca release
Read - Austin Powers release

We all know "that guy / gal" who secretly (or publicly) loves a movie more if there is oodles upon oodles of bonus content on the home release, don't we? If someone just popped into your head, forward this one on as quickly as possible. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has just unveiled details of its forthcoming $159.98 Planet of the Apes: 40-Year Evolution Blu-ray box set, and it seriously sets a new standard for bonus material. The November 4-bound five-disc package is expectedly gigantic, as it houses each Apes film on a BD-50 -- which will be presented in 2.35:1 alongside a remastered 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track -- and the unrated version of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. Best of all, every single supplement is also presented in high-definition, and there are far too many to list in this space. Just hit the read link to see what we mean -- get ready to give that scroll wheel a workout.

We know you're hungry for every last morsel of information on Warner's hotly-anticipated Ultimate Matrix Collection on Blu-ray, so here goes. Warner Home Video just released information confirming that the data we already had was true, and that a seven-disc BD box set would be landing on (and shortly departing from) store shelves on October 14th. Aside from housing the complete trilogy with lossless 5.1 Dolby TrueHD audio, the package will also include an hour of special features on each film. More specifically, you'll see the studio's In-Movie Experience alongside The Animatrix (which is debuting in high-definition here), 35 more hours of undisclosed bonus material and a digital copy of The Matrix. Yeah, $129.95 is still the asking price, but you know it'll be going for a bit less on launch day.

Peep the first picture of the Band of Brothers 6-disc Blu-ray set, recently confirmed as due this fall. The sleeve promises DTS sound (which we'll conveniently take to mean DTS-HD MA), picture-in-picture commentary from the real men of Easy Company and an "interactive field guide" among other features. Fans of the miniseries can rest easy, this set definitely seems to be getting the proper treatment before it hits shelves, we'll keep an eye out for the official list of features that should be unveiled pretty soon.

[Via TheHDRoom]

Generally speaking, we wouldn't make special note of a television series hitting the big BD, but we have a sneaking suspicion that Pushing Daisies will be a sure bet when looking to show off your setup. The complete first season -- which is only nine episodes long -- will make its HDM debut on September 16th, and for those still spinnin' DVDs, it'll also be available on that format. Best of all, the MSRP for the complete set is just $39.99 (Blu-ray) / $29.98 (DVD), and you can probably count on street prices being substantially lower at launch. Eye-candy lovers, mark this one down.

[Image courtesy of Yahoo]

If you were one of the many who received an HD DVD version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in your limited edition Blu-ray box set, take heart. Apparently, Warner Bros. has established a hotline for affected customers to call up, and when they're connected, they will be issued a single-disc BD edition of the aforementioned film. Reportedly, the studio will eventually mail out replacements that match the artwork on the other discs in the collection, but as of now, Warner has yet to release a statement on this either way. Ready to get yours? Phone up 1-800-553-6937 -- oh, and be kind to the uninvolved CSRs, will ya?

[Thanks, domerdel]

Although we just heard that the five-disc Complete Collector's Edition of Blade Runner was a solid buy for HD DVD aficionados, things aren't going so well for those hoping to enjoy the same experience on Blu-ray. Granted, we're sure the actual image / audio quality is up to snuff on the BD version, but in a mishap similar to that seen with the latest Harry Potter box set, some BD packages are apparently arriving with duplicated discs. More speficially, a growing number of individuals are claiming that their Disc 5 (correctly labeled as the rare Workprint edition) is actually a copy of Disc 1 (the Final Cut iteration). A surefire way to check is to see if your Disc 5 has a Dolby TrueHD track on it -- if so, you've received a mislabeled disc. Of course, considering the general unavailability of the Blu-ray set, simply exchanging these may prove difficult. We'll keep you posted if an official announcement is divulged.

[Via Blu-ray]

Blade Runner fanatics have been waiting for this five-disc collector's edition for a long, long time, and thankfully, the wait is finally over. 'Course, we're fairly confident the BR faithful will be snapping this one up regardless, but for those sitting squarely on the fence, BlogCritics has went ahead and given the HD DVD set a once over. Irrespective of your opinion on the actual storyline, the scenery throughout the film was said to be "stunning," and moreover, it reportedly exhibits "one of the greatest restoration jobs you'll ever see." Granted, only the latest cut of the movie was so "lovingly redone," so we're warned to prepare for subpar quality when viewing the theatrical cut and workprint version. On the audio side, the Dolby TrueHD mix managed to impress, and while the package is chock-full of extras, it should be noted that two of the five discs (holding the three-hour documentary and an array of featurettes) are actually standard DVDs. All in all, this one sounds like a surefire winner for fans of the original, but make sure you give the full review a glance before deciding either way.

We surely hope you didn't expect Warner Bros. to extinguish any of those tempestuous format war fires. Au contraire, the studio is apparently on a mission to fan those very flames, as it has inadvertently included an HD DVD within a five-disc Blu-ray box set. You read right -- a bevy of users across the 'net have received their limited edition package only to find the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire disc to be of the HD DVD variety. 'Course, we did hear that Warner was gunning for 2008 to unleash Total HD, but we definitely didn't see this coming. All joshing aside, users are apparently being asked to send the entire package back and await a totally Blu replacement, but we've all ideas that solution won't make diehard BD fans happy at all.

[Via Blu-ray.com Forums, thanks Kiwi616]

More news from the Home Media Expo, as Warner Home Video made it a point to show off its upcoming deluxe box sets, few more widely anticipated than the high definition releases of Harry Potter and Blade Runner. Fans of the Harry Potter series can get all five films, on Blu-ray or HD DVD along with "exclusive memorabilia", at a price of $149.99, a $30 premium over the standard DVD set. Blade Runner is getting a five disc DVD re-release that will also hit Blu-ray and HD DVD, but no word on prices for the HD editions or special features. According to VideoBusiness both should debut sometime in the fourth quarter, it appears that Total HD or not Warner is taking advantage of its support for both formats by releasing its heavy hitters sooner, rather than later.

Typically speaking, artists wait a good while before releasing a greatest hits record, but Warner Home Video isn't waiting around for either format to start falling off the map before unleashing a few "Best Of" box sets. Apparently targeting newcomers to the high-definition film realm, the Best of HD DVD and Best of Blu-ray volumes will consist of four movies apiece, and will include a wide variety of titles from relatively new releases to classics like Goodfellas. Reportedly, three different volumes will be available in each format, and all of the box sets are slated to hit shelves on September 18th (just before holiday shoppers crank up the abuse on those credit cards, no less) for $84.99 each.