HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. – Director Steven Spielberg’s critically-lauded WWII epic SAVING PRIVATE RYAN will make its long-awaited high definition debut when it arrives on two-disc Blu-ray May 4, 2010 as the latest addition to Paramount Home Entertainment’s exclusive “Sapphire Series.” One of the top 10 most anticipated releases on Blu-ray according to Amazon.com, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, a DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures co-production, won five Academy Awards®, including Best Director (Steven Spielberg), and two Golden Globes®, including Best Director and Best Motion Picture—Drama, and was named by the AFI as one of its 100 Greatest American Movies. Boasting a stellar cast headed by Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Ted Danson, Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Paul Giamatti and Barry Pepper, the film is widely considered one of the greatest war films ever made and was hailed by critics and audiences alike throughout the world.
The SAVING PRIVATE RYAN two-disc Blu-ray includes over three hours of bonus features that take viewers into the past for a look at the real-life events that inspired the film and behind-the-scenes to explore the challenges of bringing that past to life. The film is presented in 1080p High Definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital along with English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. Special features are presented in standard definition except where noted HD:
• An Introduction—Director Steven Spielberg discusses his interest in WWII and how it led him to make the film.
• Looking Into the Past—Steven Spielberg explains the research done for the film, the evolution of the screenplay and his intentions.
• Miller and his Platoon—Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and other cast members introduce the different characters and how the actors worked together.
• Boot Camp—Memories from the cast about the intense boot camp they went through with Captain Dale Dye.
• Making Saving Private Ryan—Steven Spielberg and his collaborators discuss the look of the film, the production design, the costumes and the photography.
• Re-creating Omaha Beach—A look at how the filmmakers re-created this historical event.
• Music and Sound—Discussion with the team that edited, scored and brought sound to the film.
• Parting Thoughts—Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks share their final thoughts on the experience of making the film.
• Into the Breach: Saving Private Ryan—A 25-minute documentary with the cast and crew.
• Shooting War—Tom Hanks hosts and narrates this documentary on WWII combat photographers in Europe and the Pacific theater of war.
• Theatrical Trailer (HD)
• Re-Release Trailer (HD)
About Paramount Home Entertainment
Paramount Home Entertainment (PHE) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. PHE is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment products on behalf of various parties including: Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Paramount Famous Productions, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, CBS and PBS and for providing home entertainment fulfillment services for DreamWorks Animation Home Entertainment.
