Release date and details on Halo Legends

by: Nathan - posted: 1/7/2010 11:52:00 AM

A Halo movie was finally made and is ready for release, on DVD and Blu-Ray. Halo Legends may not be the live action Halo movie fans were hoping for but that doesn't mean it isn't 100% halo-y. Warner home video has released the date, February 9th, and details on the three different physical forms the motion picture will take. Broken down for your convenience:

Single Disc DVD: has the movie and is priced at $19.98 (SRP)
2-Disc DVD special edition: full movie, widescreen, audio commentary, and two documentaries at the price of $29.98 (SRP)
Single Disc Blu-Ray: Everything that the 2-disc DVD edition has with a bonus documentary at $34.99 (SRP)

The official movie website promises digital copies for those 360 owners who dare not speak of the console who's name ends in 3 and does not own a Blu-Ray player. There are no details on price or features included with the digital copy but I'm assuming it will come out on the same day as the physical discs.

HALO LEGENDS TAKES POPULAR UNIVERSE INTO NEW REALM WITH ANIMATED SHORT FILMS

all-new cG & TRADITIONAL ANime SHORTS add NEW CHAPTERS to renowned video game franchise;

seven NEW STORIES AVAILABLE ON blu-ray & dvd

FROM warner home video on FEB. 9, 2010



BURBANK, CA (November 9, 2009) – Go deeper into the Halo universe than ever before with Halo Legends, an all-new, CG and traditional anime PG-13 experience that presents enthralling new stories from one of the world’s most popular video game franchises. Produced by 343 Industries, a part of Microsoft Game Studios, the exciting tales-beyond-the-games will be distributed February 9, 2010 by Warner Home Video as a Special Edition 2-disc version on DVD and Blu-Ray™ for $29.98 (SRP) and $34.99 (SRP), respectively, as well as single disc DVD for $19.98 (SRP).  The chapters will also be available On Demand and Digital Download.



Halo Legends is a seven-story anthology – told across eight spectacular episodes – that explores the origin and historical events of the Halo universe and its intriguing characters. Halo Legends has been created in the same breakthrough format as The Animatrix and Batman Gotham Knight with each individual episode imagined by a cutting-edge, renowned Japanese anime director/animator, including Shinji Aramaki, Mamoru Oshii, Hideki Futamura, Tomoki Kyoda and Yasushi Muraki. The stories are inspired and produced by the creative minds of 343 Industries, including Halo franchise development director Frank O’Connor and managing editor Kevin Grace.



The individual episodes fall within Halo’s 26th Century mythology as the battle between humanity and aliens rages on in an attempt to protect Earth and mankind’s expansive number of space colonies. The dramatic, action-packed stories feature characters and locales familiar to Halo fans, and episodes range in length between 10 and 17 minutes – resulting in nearly two hours of animated adventures.



The episodes are animated by some of the world’s most respected studios and directors in anime today. The studios range from Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell, Batman Gotham Knight), Bones (Cowboy Bebop, Fell Metal Alchemist) and Toei Animation (Dragonball Z, Digimon) to Studio 4oC (The Animatrix, Batman Gotham Knight) and Casio Entertainment. The stellar roster of animation talent on Halo Legends is highlighted by creative supervisors Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed) and Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell); directors Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed), Hideki Futamura (The Animatrix), Daisuke Nishio (Dragonball Z), Hiroshi Yamazaki (Karas), Toshiyuki Kanno (Black Lagoon), Koichi Mashimo (Blade of the Immortal) and Koji Sawai (Patlabor); directors/action designers Tomoki Kyoda (Eureka Seven, Evangelion 1.0) and Yasushi Muraki (Macross Plus, Vampire Hunter D); and writer Dai Sato (Cowboy Bebop).



Halo is a centerpiece in the world of video games, selling more than 27 million units to a devoted legion of fans – including the latest hit Halo 3:ODST. The Halo franchise has driven more than $1 billion in revenue from its award winning Xbox games, New York Times best-selling novels and comics and a wide variety of other merchandise.



Halo Legends - 2 Disc Special Edition version will have several hours of incredible bonus features, including:

    * The Making of Halo Legends – An introduction to Halo Legends followed by a making-of segment for each episode.

 

    * Halo:  Gaming Evolved – Explaining the Halo phenomenon from its inception as an Xbox video game to a present day entertainment franchise.

 

    * Audio Commentary with directors Frank O’Connor and Joseph Chou

 

    * Widescreen (1.78:1)


Halo Legends Blu-Ray versions will be loaded with bonus materials, including all the great extras from the 2-disc Special Edition as well as Halo: The Story so Far, an overview of the Halo universe up until the end of Halo 3


“Halo Legends offers fans stunning, new creative visions of the popular video game’s expansive universe, providing added depth and perspective to these beloved characters and thrilling environments,” said Halo franchise development director Frank O’Connor. “Halo Legends is a perfect complement to the game’s growing canon of ancillary entertainment options.”



“Warner Home Video is proud to partner with Microsoft to bring this video game phenomenon to fans in an altogether different entertainment medium,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Partner Brands Marketing. “The great storytelling, memorable characters and truly astounding CG/Anime make Halo Legends a must-have for the fans.”



About Warner Home Video:

With operations in 90 international territories Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace.  Warner Home Video's film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment.