Shout! Factory Comic-Con Panel Teases 'Transformers,' Ambitious Slate

29 Jul, 2016 By: John Latchem

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Shout! Factory’s annual panel at San Diego Comic-Con International treated fans to a glimpse at the specialty label’s upcoming line-up of Blu-ray releases, including a peak at bonus materials for The Transformers: The Movie.

DVD/Blu-ray producer Brian Ward said the North American Blu-ray debut of 1986’s animated The Transformers: The Movie, due Sept. 13, would include a 4K remastering of the film from “almost pristine” 35mm elements. The movie will be presented in both 1.85:1 and 1.33:1 aspect ratios.

Ward said they were lucky to find a lossless 2.0 stereo audio track to include, as well as 5.1 audio.

He said the commentary from earlier DVDs would be ported over, and that the Blu-ray would include a new documentary, cast interviews and featurettes about the restoration and the new box art for the steelbook edition.

Also included will be an extended version of the fight between Megatron and Optimus Prime, with storyboards of excised sequences added back in.

Ward said an alternate opening title sequence, used overseas and included on previous DVDs, would not be included since sufficient masters of it couldn’t be found in HD quality.

Another upcoming project for Shout! Factory include an animated movie called Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom, which tells the story of a young H.P. Lovecraft falling through a portal and finding the monsters that would inspire him later in life.

The company’s new Shout Select line, offering Blu-rays of fan-favorite titles, kicks off Aug. 16 with The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. Ward has happy the disc includes a new documentary about the movie and said the company strives to unite as much as the cast and crew of a movie as possible when producing such extras.

Such is the case for the Sept. 20 release of Bill & Ted’s Most Excellent Collection, which includes a new interview with stars Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter.

Upcoming Shout Select titles announced at Comic-Con include To Live and Die in L.A., Raising Cain (Sept. 13), Carrie (Oct. 11) and The Thing (Sept. 20).

Senior marketing director Jeff Nelson announced 13 upcoming titles for Scream Factory: Dead of Winter, The House That Screamed, Slumber Party Massacre 2 and 3, Dead Ringers, Rabid, Dreamscape, Poltergeist 2 and 3, the original Black Christmas, Bubba Ho-Tep, Willard and Ben.

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