gci media releases

The Exhilarating World of Pandora Comes Home With AVATAR In High Definition Blu-ray

March 23, 2010 | Toronto | gci clients

James Cameron and Jon Landau Unveil Blu-ray and DVD Launch And Initiative To Plant One Million Trees Globally
Launch Begins Stateside April 22 On The 40th Anniversary Of Earth Day

James Cameron and producer Jon Landau presented scenes from the film’s upcoming Blu-ray release, outlined the ongoing fan engagement program, and announced the global partnership between Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Earth Day Network, the international non-profit organization that coordinates Earth Day programs annually.

The ultimate high definition experience for home viewing audiences, AVATAR will be available on Blu-ray and DVD everywhere in the United States and Canada on Earth Day, April 22. Internationally, the roll out begins April 21 ending May 6. An ultimate edition release with immersive bonus materials is slated for November. Connecting the two releases in April and November is “The Avatar Program,” an interactive consumer experience that offers an online hub for exclusive content, discounts and more.

An action-adventure journey of self-discovery, AVATAR dramatically demonstrates how human invasion almost destroys the balance of life on the planet of Pandora. The audience passionately roots for Pandora’s survival, everyone learns that all living beings are connected and that those who seek to exploit nature rather than respect it will only destroy themselves. Taking that message of conservation and ecological harmony, the studio and Earth Day Network, together with various organizations worldwide, will pledge to plant one million trees across the globe by the end of 2010.

April Means AVATAR
Determined to achieve the very best home entertainment presentation, the April AVATAR Blu-ray and DVD release features the film and corresponding menu, utilizing the disc’s entire storage space in order to provide the highest quality optimal picture and sound.

"We wanted the best presentation of any film in the history of the Blu-ray and DVD formats," said AVATAR producer Jon Landau. "Our launch into the home in April will allow fans to return to Pandora again and again."

The AVATAR Program
Through a unique code found inside the AVATAR Blu-ray/DVD, consumers can register at www.avatarmovie.com into “The AVATAR Program” and gain exclusive access to first-look bonus materials, special content, money saving offers and much more. Additionally, only those fans will be able to adopt one of the one million trees being planted on behalf of Earth Day and receive a virtual hometree they can locate on a map to see where it’s actually planted.

Other AVATAR digital initiatives include:

• “Pandorama” – Via a computer’s webcam users can immerse themselves into the world of Pandora, inserting themselves into different locations from the movie and interacting with the elements in each; users can snap postcards and share amongst friends only at www.pandorama.avatarmovie.com
  
• “Pandorapedia” – The official guide to the world of Pandora and James Cameron’s AVATAR, fans enter a world beyond imagination with hundreds of facts on Pandora that can be accessed online at www.pandorapedia.com
  
• “Immersive Trailer” – The first-ever interactive trailer allows fans to click on any part of the video to explore detail frame-by-frame and in-context “hot spots” that will offer meticulous information on characters, locations and more
  
• “Interactive Desktop Wallpaper” – Instant access to all things AVATAR including newsfeeds, videos, social network updates and exclusive content that is updated automatically right on your desktop

Blue Goes Green
Earth Day Network will spearhead the initiative and collaborate with its international partners to plant one million trees, indigenous to each region in 15 different countries, by the end of 2010. The organization is committed to caring for and nurturing the trees to maturity, as well as considering natural disasters such as fires and landslides during the planting process.
"I am pleased to have the opportunity to share the environmental messages from AVATAR through the efforts during the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day and with Earth Day Network,” said James Cameron. " Earth Day Network's commitment and actions to promote a healthy, sustainable planet go hand-in-hand with the themes of AVATAR."

“AVATAR sends a universal message about the danger of exploiting our natural resources and brings to the forefront of the global consciousness the need to protect our planet and humanity, said Kathleen Rogers, President, Earth Day Network. “We hope this commitment from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment to plant one million trees, will inspire others to stand up against climate change for Earth Day.”

AVATAR Impact
Since its global theatrical release last December, AVATAR has continued to make motion picture history. Written by James Cameron and produced with his long-time collaborator Jon Landau, AVATAR stars Sam Worthington, Zoë Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Wes Studi and Laz Alonso.

Oscar® and Golden Globe® winning epic is the highest grossing film of all time, taking in over $2.6 billion in worldwide box office. Director James Cameron takes audiences to a spectacular world beyond imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption and discovery as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization. AVATAR delivers a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind, where the revolutionary technology invented to make the film disappears into the emotion of the characters and the epic nature of the story.

About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
A recognized global industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC (TCFHE) is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming on DVD, Blu-ray Disc (BD) and Digital Copy as well as acquisitions and original productions. The company also releases all products around the globe for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets -- from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce - throughout the world. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC is a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company.

About Earth Day Network
Earth Day Network was founded on the premise that all people, regardless of race, gender, income, or geography, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment. Their mission is to broaden and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable environment. We pursue our mission through a combination of education, public policy, and consumer activism campaigns.

Earth Day Network campaign and programs are predicated on the belief that an educated, energized population will take action to secure a healthy future for itself and its children. The organization has a global reach with a network of more than 20,000 partners and organizations in 190 countries. Earth Day Network is a 501(c)3 organization located in Washington, D.C.