Loaded with explosive DVD bonus programming, The Ultimate Two-Disc Special Edition of Paramount's War Of The Worlds delivers a movie experience unlike any other...

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THE MOTION PICTURE EVENT OF THE YEAR HITS DVD NOVEMBER 17
 

SEPTEMBER 13th, 2005 – One of the top five movies of the year, three-time Oscar® winner
Steven Spielberg’s*  $582 million** pulse-pounding movie event War Of The Worlds smashes its way onto DVD and VHS November 17 from Paramount Home Entertainment.  In his biggest box office opening ever, $2 billion box office superstar and three-time Oscar® nominee Tom Cruise*** leads an all-star cast on an emotionally riveting and unrelenting thrill ride as a father who fights to save his family from a deadly alien invasion while engaging in an extraordinary battle to preserve the future of humankind.  This contemporary retelling of
H.G. Wells’ seminal sci-fi classic, War Of The Worlds also stars Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto, Justin Chatwin and Academy Award® winner Tim Robbins****. 

Debuting just in time for the Christmas holidays, Paramount will release War of the Worlds as a two-disc Special Edition DVD with bonus programming that will blow viewers away including exclusive interviews with Spielberg and Cruise recounting their on-set experiences and revealing their approach to telling the personal story at the heart of this epic odyssey.  Showcasing the film’s gripping action sequences and ground-breaking special effects, the captivating DVD features also include a never-before-seen look at the cutting edge creation of the virtual army of Tripods, an homage to the enduring legacy of H.G. Wells’ novel, plus a behind-the-scenes look at the film’s breakneck production, which spanned two dozen locations on both American coasts and several thousand extras over the course of 72 days.  This is a must own classic!

*1999 - Best Director, Saving Private Ryan; 1994 – Best Picture/Best Director, Schindler’s List

** - Worldwide

***1990 - Best Actor, Born On The Fourth Of July, 1997 - Best Actor, Jerry Maguire, 2000 Best Supporting Actor, Magnolia

****2004 - Best Supporting Actor, Mystic River

THE TWO-DISC WAR OF THE WORLDS SPECIAL EDITION DVD BONUS MATERIALS

Presented with the film on one disc, the War of the Worlds Limited Edition DVD includes a second disc offering an arsenal of bonus materials including:

·         REVISITING THE INVASION

Marking their second film collaboration, Spielberg and Cruise recount their on-set experiences and reveal their approach to telling the personal story at the heart of this epic odyssey.

·         THE H.G. WELLS LEGACY

A portrait of the acclaimed author with accounts from his family, Spielberg and War of the Worlds screenwriter David Koepp exploring the legacy of H.G. Wells’ classic novel from its initial conception through its various adaptations.

·         STEVEN SPIELBERG AND THE ORIGINAL WAR OF THE WORLDS

Paying homage to the original film in his own adaptation of the H.G. Wells book, Spielberg invited Gene Barry and Ann Robinson, the stars of the original 1953 film, to make a cameo appearance in War of the Worlds.  
In this program, Barry and Robinson share their experiences -- past and present -- of filming H.G. Wells’ epic story of alien invasions.

·         CHARACTERS: THE FAMILY UNIT

Spielberg and Cruise discuss the emotional core of the film: the Ferrier family portrayed by Cruise
(Ray Ferrier), Fanning (Rachel Ferrier), Chatwin (Robbie Ferrier) and Otto (Mary Ann, Ray’s ex-wife).

·         PRE-VISUALIZATION

A rare look at Spielberg in pre-production as he designs the film’s action sequences on computer through a process called “pre-visualization,” in which traditional storyboards are animated into 3D digital sequences that depict not only what a scene will look like, but reveal every aspect of a given location, including sets, actors, cameras and crew.  

·         PRODUCTION DIARIES: EAST COAST

Viewers join the cast and crew on a whirlwind shooting tour of the Eastern Seaboard from Newark and Bayonne to Brooklyn, up the Hudson to Naugatuck, Connecticut, and onto Athens, New York, and ending in eastern Virginia. The diary is in two parts, one highlighting the beginning of the invasion and the second following the Ferrier family into exile.

·         PRODUCTION DIARIES: WEST COAST

After a Christmas break, the cast and crew are back on the West Coast for more action filming on dozens of practical locations, as well as six stages spread over three studio lots.  This production diary focuses first on the alien destruction and second on the ensuing all-out war between humans and aliens.

THE TWO-DISC WAR OF THE WORLDS SPECIAL EDITION DVD BONUS MATERIALS (CONT’D)

·         DESIGNING THE ENEMY: TRIPODS AND ALIENS

Spielberg and his collaborators discuss the ground-breaking design of his aliens, their machines, and the challenges in bringing H.G. Wells’ vision to life.

·         SCORING WAR OF THE WORLDS

Spielberg and John Williams discuss the score to the film, their 21st collaboration.

·         WE ARE NOT ALONE

Spielberg and his stellar cast and crew offer their closing thoughts about the experience of making
War of the Worlds.

·         Photo Gallery

WAR OF THE WORLDS SYNOPSIS

A contemporary retelling of H.G. Wells’ classic, the sci-fi thriller reveals the extraordinary battle for the future of humankind through the eyes of one American family. Fleeing from an extraterrestrial army of killer Tripods that annihilate everything in their path, Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) races to keep his family safe.

WAR OF THE WORLDS SPECIAL EDITION – ORGINAL 1953 VERSION

Laden with Academy Award ® -winning special effect, this 1953 chilling adaptation of HG Wells’ frightening novel will be released as a Special Edition on November 3rd, 2005. The special edition version features…

•  This is Only A Story (audio feature): Orson Welles’ infamous opening line that began the “War of the Worlds” radio play, originally broadcast by WABC & CBS on Halloween night 1938.

•  HG Wells: The Father of Science Fiction: Examines his life works & his lasting impact in literature & film.

•  The Sky is Falling: The making of…. 

•  Commentary by Ann Robinson and Gene Barry & Commentary by Joe Dante, Bob Burns, Bill Warren

•  Original Trailer & Trailer for new War of the Worlds

DVD RELEASE INFORMATION

WAR OF THE WORLDS
Street Date:  November 17, 2005
Running Time:    116 minutes
MPAA Rating:  M
Audio:   Widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TV’s
Dolby Digital:  DTS Surround

WAR OF THE WORLDS – SPECIAL EDITION (1953)

Street Date:                  November 3, 2005

Running Time:  82 Minutes

MPAA Rating:              PG-13

Technical Specs Audio:  Full Frame

Dolby Digital:  English Stereo