The highest-grossing installment of the phenomenally popular adventure franchise, with more than $770 million at the global box office, Paramount Pictures and Lucasfilm Ltd.'s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will make its highly anticipated debut on DVD and Blu-ray October 14.

Released by Lucasfilm Ltd. and Paramount Home Entertainment, the film will be available as a two-disc Special Edition DVD and Blu-ray loaded with spectacular bonus features that allow viewers to accompany the filmmakers and cast on a fascinating journey behind-the-scenes of this modern classic.

Directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Frank Marshall, with George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy as executive producers, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the newest adventure in the phenomenally successful INDIANA JONES series, which has earned six Academy Awards® and over $2 billion worldwide.

Set in 1957, the film stars Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Shia LaBeouf, Ray Winstone and John Hurt, following Indy on a perilous adventure to find the coveted Crystal Skull of Akator. From the ivy-covered halls of Marshall College to the verdant jungles of South America, Indy is relentlessly pursued by sinister Soviet agents who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the eerie object of fascination.

The two-disc Special Edition DVD and Blu-ray presentations feature hours of new content that opens up the world of Indiana Jones as never before through in-depth footage of Steven Spielberg and his cast and crew at work. From Shia LaBeouf's training to become a master swordsman to Harrison Ford's reunion with his fedora, whip... and Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, viewers will play witness to the magic of cinema's greatest action-adventure hero's triumphant return to the big screen, as well as the of the extraordinary work of legendary artists who brought Indy's latest thrilling adventure to life.

In addition, all four INDIANA JONES films will be showcased in the quintessential Indiana Jones collection entitled The Complete Adventure Collection, which will include the first three films plus the two-disc Special Edition DVD of the latest installment.

Two-disc Special Edition DVD

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull two-disc Special Edition DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with THX Certified Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround and English, French and Spanish subtitles. The two-disc set includes the following special features:

Disc 1:

• The Return of a Legend - The evolution of the new film and a tribute to the legendary hero and his creators.
• Pre-Production - Follows Steven Spielberg as he creates animatic sequences, Shia LaBeouf as he learns to swordfight and captures the reunion of filmmakers and cast on the soundstage.

DVD Disc 2:

• Production Diary: Making Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Join filmmakers, cast and crew for a complete look at the making of the film:
  • Shooting Begins: New Mexico
  • Back To School: New Haven, Connecticut
  • Welcome to the Jungle: Hilo, Hawaii
  • On-Set Action
  • Exploring Akator
  • Wrapping Up!
• Warrior Makeup
• The Crystal Skulls
• Iconic Props
• The Effects of Indy
• Adventures in Post Production
• Closing: Team Indy
• Pre-Visualization Sequences:
  • Area 51 Escape
  • Jungle Chase
  • Ants Attack
• Galleries
  • The Art Department
    • The Adventure Begins
    • Cemetery and Jungle
    • Akator
  • Stan Winston Studio
    • Corpses, Skeletons & Mummies
    • Aliens & Crystal Skulls
  • Production Photographs
  • Portraits
  • Behind-the-Scenes Photographs

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull also will be available as a single disc DVD presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with THX Certified Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround and English, French and Spanish subtitles.

Special Edition Blu-ray

The Special Edition Blu-ray is presented in 1080p High Definition with THX Certified English 5.1 Dolby True HD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese subtitles. The two-disc set includes the following special features:

Blu-ray Disc 1:

• Indiana Jones Timelines - Explore the movie through interactive timelines that include video featurettes, in-depth information and unique imagery. Your adventure begins with one of these three timelines:
  • Story Timeline: Showcases the key events of the "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" storyline.
  • Production Timeline: A Making-of chronology for "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull".
  • Historical Timeline: Dives into the real-world historical influences that are referenced in the film.
• The Return of a Legend - The evolution of the new film and a tribute to the legendary hero and his creators. (HD)
• Pre-Production - Follows Steven Spielberg as he creates animatic sequences, Shia LaBeouf as he learns to swordfight and captures the reunion of filmmakers and cast on the soundstage. (HD)

Disc 2:

• Production Diary: Making Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Join filmmakers, cast and crew for a complete look at the making of the film:
  • Shooting Begins: New Mexico (HD)
  • Back To School: New Haven, Connecticut (HD)
  • Welcome to the Jungle: Hilo, Hawaii (HD)
  • On-Set Action (HD)
  • Exploring Akator (HD)
  • Wrapping Up! (HD)
• Warrior Makeup (HD)
• The Crystal Skulls (HD)
• Iconic Props (HD)
• The Effects of Indy (HD)
• Adventures in Post Production (HD)
• Closing: Team Indy (HD)
• Pre-Visualization Sequences:
  • Area 51 Escape (HD)
  • Jungle Chase (HD)
  • Ants Attack (HD)
• Galleries
  • The Art Department
    • The Adventure Begins
    • Cemetery and Jungle
    • Akator
  • Stan Winston Studio
    • Corpses, Skeletons & Mummies
    • Aliens & Crystal Skulls
  • Production Photographs
  • Portraits
  • Behind-the-Scenes Photographs

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has a running time of 122 minutes and an MPAA rating of PG-13 for adventure violence and scary images and is rated PG in Canada for violence and frightening scenes.

Sources: Paramount Home Entertainment, The Digital Bits, DVD Times and DVDActive

Thanks to Jayson Crittenden, Mitchell Hallock, Brian Husek, Matthew Hall and Aaron Aguiar for the news links.

Posted by Gilles V