Classic ’80s Sci-Fi Action Movie Is Finally Getting The Love It Needs
1986’s Aliens is often regarded as one of the best sequels to a franchise ever made, and now, the iconic movie is getting a much-deserved and highly-awaited 4K treatment. But not any 4K treatment; according to Gizmodo, Aliens will feature an immersive Dolby Atmos soundtrack and Dolby Vision HDR remaster instead of the usual HDR10 remaster treatment.
The Collector’s Edition
Apparently, James Cameron managed to work his magic to the content of AV fans everywhere by persuading Disney to go beyond its usual 4K Blu-Ray specifications by using high-capacity 100GB 4K discs, which would enable Aliens to receive the aforementioned audio and video remasters. The movie, titled Aliens Collector’s Edition, will run for 137 minutes, in a 1.85:1 ratio, with English Dolby Atmos audio and a ton of different material, including deleted scenes montage, James Cameron’s commentary, and plenty of other stuff.
Additional Content All In One Place
Now, it’s important to note that the 4K Aliens release won’t actually introduce any new content. Instead, it’s an aggregation of everything that has been previously revealed or added to the movie, all bundled up into one release. This is a fantastic opportunity for the fans of the franchise to get their hands on all the extra material that has been associated with the movie James Cameron was warned not to direct—which ultimately proved the nay-sayers wrong.
The Sequel That Was Nearly Passed On
Namely, Cameron was warned against making a sequel to an already classic movie directed by the legendary Ridley Scott, as there was seemingly nothing to gain from it. Aliens spent several years in development hell before it landed in James Cameron’s lap, after which he was advised to pass the opportunity up, with arguments that if the movie is successful, Ridley would get the credits, but if it flops, Cameron will take all the blame. The movie, in Cameron’s own words, was a career-ender. Now, nearly 40 years later, Aliens 4K is readying for release on Blu-Ray.
This only goes to show Cameron’s genius when it comes to movie-making. He admitted that the advice he received was sound, but his “fanboy” side got the better of him, and the fans of the franchise are eternally grateful for his inability to accept sound advice at a given time. In the now-famous pitch, Cameron drew the “$” sign instead of “S” in Aliens, predicting the massive success of his movie, which made an astonishing $183 million on a mere $18.5 million budget.
More James Cameron Masterpieces Getting The 4K Makeover
Aliens 4K isn’t the only James Cameron movie receiving a 4K treatment. Other films, including 1989’s The Abyss, 1994’s True Lies, 1997’s Titanic, 2009’s Avatar, and 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water, are all receiving 4K treatments and special editions with tons of new content. The latter two are receiving an additional 8 minutes and 8 hours (yes, you read that right) of extra content, respectively. Additionally, the Avatar movies will be released somewhat earlier, with a physical release date of December 19.
When To Purchase The Collector’s Editions
The Abyss, True Lies, Titanic, and Aliens 4K physical releases will hit the retail shelves on March 12, 2024, for the first time in Ultra-HD Blu-Ray in brand new collector’s editions.
