After having been rumoured for many years, James Cameron’s Aliens is finally coming to 4K Blu-Ray! Lightstorm Entertainment have announced that Aliens Ultimate Collector’s Edition will be released digitally on December 12th while the physical releases will be out next year on March 12, 2024.
Aliens is just one of a few James Cameron classics that will be released around the same time. The Abyss, True Lies, Titanic, Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water will be getting special editions on the same dates.
On the new releases, James Cameron said “There’s a world of emotions in revisiting these films and I hope we’ve captured some of that in the new bonus materials we created for our fans.” While producing partner Jon Landau added, “We really wanted to deliver the best possible experience at home so viewers could immerse themselves both in the films and the journeys we went through to make them.”
Here’s the cover art for the Aliens Collector’s Edition which includes Ripley holding on to Newt.
Each release will be getting a Dolby Vision HDR presentation with an immersive Atmos audio mix. The Aliens set will include both the theatrical and special edition versions of the film. A lot of the sets will be getting new bonus features though it looks like Aliens just incorporates all previously released bonus features.
Here’s the actual specifications:
ALIENS: ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITION
THEATRICAL VERSION AND SPECIAL EDITION VERSION
Street Date
- Digital: December 12, 2023
- Physical: March 12, 2024
Product SKUs
- Digital: 4K UHD, HD, SD
- Physical: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital Code)
Theatrical Version Run Time: Approx. 137 minutes
Special Edition Run Time: Approx. 154 minutes
Rating: U.S. Rated R
Aspect Ratio
- Digital: 1.85:1
- Physical: 1.85:1
Disc Size
- 4K UHD: 100GB
- Blu-ray: 50GB
U.S. Audio
- Digital: English Dolby Atmos (UHD only, some platforms), English 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio (some platforms)
- 4K UHD Theatrical Version and Special Edition: English Dolby Atmos, English 2.0 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, French 5.1 DTS-HDHR, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
- Blu-ray Theatrical Version and Special Edition: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, French 5.1 DTS-HDHR, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
U.S. Subtitles
- Digital: English SDH, Spanish
- Physical: English SDH, Spanish, French
BONUS FEATURES
- James Cameron Introduction – A message from writer/director James Cameron introducing the Special Edition version of the film.
- 2003 Audio Commentary by James Cameron and the Cast and Crew-Special Edition – 1990 Special Edition Commentary by James Cameron and the cast and crew.
- The Inspiration and Design of Aliens – For the 30th anniversary, writer/director James Cameron reveals new insight into his own inspiration and the design elements for Aliens.
- 2003 Audio Commentary by James Cameron and the Cast and Crew – 1986 Theatrical Version Commentary by James Cameron and the cast and crew.
- Isolated Scores
- Final Theatrical Isolated Score – This isolated track presents, as accurately as possible, James Horner’s music score in its final form following extensive reworking during the post-production process.
- Composer’s Original Isolated Score – Although there are a few instances where the length of individual sequences was changed slightly after the music was recorded, this isolated score track presents, as accurately as possible, James Horner’s original intentions.
- Superior Firepower: Making Aliens – Immerse yourself in the world of Aliens with 11 fully-loaded featurettes that deconstruct all that went into making this sci-fi thriller, from casting to creature design to post-production and everything in between.
- 57 Years Later: Continuing the Story
- Building Better Worlds: From Concept to Construction
- Preparing for Battle: Casting and Characterization
- This Time It’s War: Pinewood Studios, 1985
- The Risk Always Lives: Weapons and Action
- Bug Hunt: Creature Design
- Two Orphans: Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Henn
- Beauty and the Bitch: Power Loader vs. Queen Alien
- The Final Countdown: Music, Editing and Sound
- The Power of Real Tech: Visual Effects
- Aliens Unleashed: Reaction to the Film
- Superior Firepower: Making Aliens Enhancement Pods – Supplemental video pieces to complement Superior Firepower: Making Aliens.
- Without Sigourney Weaver
- Origins of Acheron
- Building Hadley’s Hope
- Cameron’s Design Philosophy
- Finding an Unused Power Plant
- Cameron’s Military Interests
- Working with Sigourney Weaver
- The Importance of Being Bishop
- Paul Reiser on Carter Burke
- The Paxton/Cameron Connection
- Becoming Vasquez
- On Set: Infiltrating the Colony
- Props: Personal Light Unit
- Simon Atherton Talks Weapons
- Praising Stan Winston
- Test Footage: Chestburster
- Fighting the Facehugger
- Test Footage: Facehugger
- Stan Winston’s Challenge
- Test Footage: Queen Alien
- Stan Winston’s Legacy
- Cameron’s Cutting Edge
- Sigourney Weaver’s Triumph
- Re-Enlisting with Cameron
- From Producer to Stunt Double
- Pre-Visualizations: Multi-Angle Videomatics
- Angle 1: Videomatic
- Angle 2: Videomatic/Final Shot Comparison
- Audio Commentary by Miniature Effects Supervisor Pat McClung
- Direct Access to New/Additional Scenes From Special Edition
- Ripley’s Daughter – Burke informs Ripley that her daughter died two years ago.
- Van Leuwen’s Verdict – Van Leuwen reads the findings of the court of inquiry.
- The Colony/The Jordens’ Discovery – The colony is bustling with life and activity. Newt, along with her brother and parents, come upon the Derelict ship.
- Burke’s Answer – At Ripley’s apartment, Burke explains why he’s making the trip to LV-426.
- INT. Sulaco – Establishing shots of the interior of the Sulaco before the crew awakens from hyper-sleep.
- Hudson’s Hubris – As they descend in the drop ship to LV-426, Hudson boasts about their advanced weaponry.
- False Alarm – Hudson and Vasquez detect motion in the colony, only to find it is pet hamsters.
- Ripley Pauses – As she enters the colony, Ripley hesitates for a moment.
- The Sentry Guns – Hicks reveals they have robot sentry systems. While examining the colony blueprints, Ripley and Hicks discuss where to place the robot sentries.
- Fire in the Hole – Hudson and Vasquez set up the UA 571-C remote sentry weapons and following a quick test, seal the tunnel.
- Last Line of Defense – The Sentry Guns dutifully scan the tunnel for incoming targets.
- Newt’s Questions – Newt quizzes Ripley about the fate of her parents.
- Hudson’s “Ant” Theory – Hudson speculates on how the Aliens are organized and reproduce.
- The Aliens Attack – The Sentry Guns unload on multiple targets.
- The Aliens Retreat – Under withering fire from the sentries, the Aliens are temporarily repulsed.
- First Name Basis – As Ripley departs the drop ship to try and rescue Newt, she and Hicks share their first names with each other.
- Deleted Scene: Burke Cocooned – Long one of the most sought-after lost moments from the entire Alien Anthology, this scene depicting Carter Burke’s fate is now revealed.
- Deleted Scene Montage – This collection of scene extensions and omitted moments represents the remainder of deleted scenes not appearing in either the Theatrical Version or the Special Edition.
- Still Galleries and More
- Original Treatment by James Cameron
- Storyboard Archive
- The Art of Aliens
- Cast Portrait Gallery
- Production Image Galleries
- Continuity Polaroids
- Weapons and Vehicles
- Stan Winston’s Workshop
- Colonial Marine Helmet Cameras
- Video Graphics Gallery
- Weyland-Yutani Inquest: Nostromo Dossiers
- Post-Production Aftermath
- Image Galleries
- Laserdisc Archives
- Main Title Exploration
- Teaser Trailer
- Theatrical Trailer
- Domestic Trailer
- International Trailer
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