While most movie studios have decided to back Blu-ray or take a
more neutral stance, Universal Studios has been a staunch supporter of HD DVD. The company recently announced that they plan to release
more than 100 HD DVD titles this year. Along with classic movies like Scarface, Universal plans to release new titles including Children
of Men and Smokin' Aces.
Bringing further heat to the burgeoning HD DVD format, Universal Studios Home Entertainment (USHE)
will release more than 100 new film and television titles in 2007. Perennial favorites such Scarface and instant classics like
40-Year-Old Virgin, Battlestar Galactica S1 and Oscar-winning Brokeback Mountain will be joined by dozens of new titles released day and
date with the DVD.
Since the format's inception in April 2006, USHE has released 60 titles on HD DVD, and currently boasts four
of the top 10 best-selling HD DVDs year-to-date, including Casino, Serenity, Fearless and Miami Vice.
Tapping into the studio's
vast library, the 2007 slate kicked off on January 18th with the release of The Mummy Returns, followed by Brokeback Mountain starring
Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal on January 23, 2007. Following shortly thereafter will be such day-and-date new releases as Golden
Globe-nominee Hollywoodland on February 6. More than 90 percent of the planned 2007 Universal titles will be released as combo discs --
which feature an HD DVD version and a standard DVD version of the movie on the same disc.
If you'd like to read more,
Universal's entire press release can be found here.