UltraViolet, the technology that enables consumers to buy a movie once and play it anywhere, is about to become a reality. Warner Home Entertainment Group confirmed Green Lantern will be the first movie released on DVD and Blu-ray to include the long-awaited UltraViolet when it hits retail on Oct. 14.
It’s not startling news, since Time Warner’s chairman and chief executive Jeffrey Bewkes had said in August that Green Lantern and Horrible Bosses would be the first two UltraViolet DVD releases.
“We believe that this could fundamentally change how people manage and watch their movie collections and it could significantly improve the value proposition of digital ownership,” Bewkes said at the time. “Remember, with UltraViolet, what will happen is, if you go and buy a physical DVD, you will have it in the cloud as you walk out of the store.”
But this will be the first time UltraViolet has been sent out into the real world, where it will be judged by the movie-buying public. The release will mark a second chance for Green Lantern as well, since the Martin Campbell-directed superhero film starring Ryan Reynolds didn’t meet the studio’s expectations at the box office.
All of the Green Lantern DVD and Blu-ray discs packages include UltraViolet, including a combo package containing the 3D edition, the regular Blu-ray edition and a regular DVD copy. The UltraViolet copy is of the 2D theatrical version of the film, without any of the special features, and includes streaming and up to three downloads that will be accessible for a three-year period. Each DVD and Blu-ray package comes with a redemption code that does not expire until October 14, 2013.
The discs come with some standard-type extras, and the Blu-ray packs offer Sony’s PlayStation 3 users an access code to unlock the “Sinestro Corp. Batman Skin” for the game Batman: Arkham City, giving players the ability to fight crime “with the help of the yellow power of fear, giving Batman a unique yellow costume in the story campaign and in the challenge maps,” according to the release notes. PS3 consoles are often used to play Blu-ray discs, making that bonus a logical fit.
Related Links:
http://greenlanternmovie.warnerbros.com
Photo of Ryan Reynolds in Green Lantern courtesy of Warner Bros.
