Home Entertainment News October 3, 2013: ELYSIUM, BYZANTIUM, WOLVERINE

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced it will release South African director Neil Blomkamp’s Elysium (2013) on DVD and Blu-ray on December 17, 2013, just in time for the holidays. The sci-fi action film stars Jodi Foster, Matt Damon, Sharlto Copley, and Diego Luna. Set in 2159, Elysium is named for the utopian space station for the rich that hovers above a destroyed Earth overpopulated by criminals and those too poor to avoid life-saving bio-engineering and medicine. Bonus features include a look at designing the Elysium space station and a featurette introducing cast and crew and examining how they prepared for their roles in the film. Exclusive Blu-ray extras include extended scenes, an interactive exploration of the art and design of the space station, a visual effects featurette, a featurette examining advanced future technology, and a three-part featurette on pre-production, production in Vancouver, and post-production.

Neil Jordan’s latest film, Byzantium (2012), will receive a release this month from MPI Home Video and IFC Films. The film follows two mysterious women who arrive in a small coastal town and take up residence in a loner’s guest house. They eventually befriend a local man and reveal their secret: they are 200-year-old vampires. Their secret spreads through the small town with disastrous consequences. The film stars Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Arterton, Caleb Landry Jones, and Thure Lindhardt; Byzantium releases October 29, 2013, just in time for Halloween.

Hugh Jackman’s latest turn as Wolverine will be released by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on December 3, 2013.  James Mangold‘s The Wolverine (2013) ports the Marvel fan favorite to Japan to encounter ninjas, mutants—but not Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—and other villains in this huge blockbuster film. The film will be available as a DVD, Blu-ray, and a special extended, uncut, unrated Blu-ray edition in 3D, a first for an X-men movie. The extended Blu-ray edition comes with many extras including exclusive director’s commentary. The regular Blu-ray (as well as the extended edition) comes with an app for a second screen experience; it also has an alternate ending among other extras.

Lionsgate Films will bring the comedy Girl Most Likely (2012) to home video November 5, 2013. A young girl (Kristen Wiig) is forced to move back in with her mother (Annette Bening) and her mother’s odd boyfriend (Matt Dillon) when her career and romance both unexpectedly crash. Finding her childhood room is now being rented by a celebrity impersonator (Darren Criss), she is shocked to realize how life has moved on without her. She is slowly forced to accept her offbeat family and her lot in life as she gathers the strength to piece her life back together and move on.

Tribeca Films and Magnolia Pictures will bring Edward Burns’ The Fitzgerald Family Christmas (2012) to home screens November 5, 2013. Burns deftly explores family dynamics with an added holiday burden in this story of how siblings cope with the request for their estranged father to return home for the holidays 20 years after walking out on their family. Disc special features include the theatrical trailer, a making-of featurette, and audio commentary with writer/director/producer/actor Edward Burns.

 Well Go USA has announced it will release Paul Hyett’s directoral debut The Seasoning (2012) on DVD and Blu-ray December 10, 2013. A deaf-mute girl is abducted and left in a dingy Balkan brothel. She manages to make friends with one of the other residents, then things become violent. Only one extra has been announced: a making-of featurette.

Leave your thoughts on this week’s Home Entertainment news below in the comments section. For more DVD / Blu-ray news, videos, and information, visit our Blu-ray News Page and our DVD News Page. Become notified when a new news column is published by subscribing to us by Email, “follow” us on Twitter, Tumblr, or “like” on Facebook.