Culver City, Calif. (June 19, 2012) – It’s going to feel like a ‘plunderful life’ when Sony Pictures Home Entertainment debuts THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS on Blu-ray 3D™/DVD Combo Pack, Blu-ray™/DVD Combo Pack and DVD — all with UltraViolet™ — on August 28th. From the Academy Award-winning Aardman (Chicken Run) and Sony Pictures Animation (The Smurfs), comes the all-new, swashbuckling stop-motion animated film that’s sure to entertain families from beginning to end. This critically acclaimed action-packed comedy adventure follows the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain, voiced by Hugh Grant (About A Boy), in his first animated role, and his band of misfits (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Al Roker, Anton Yelchin and Ashley Jensen) as they frolic on the high seas in an amusing quest to win the coveted “Pirates of the Year” award. Along the way they battle a diabolical queen (Imelda Staunton) and team up with a haplessly smitten young scientist (David Tennant), but never lose sight of what a pirate loves best: adventure! The film also stars Jeremy Piven (TV’s “Entourage”) as Black Bellamy.
THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS, Aardman’s most ambitious stop-motion film to date, is directed by Peter Lord, a founding partner of Aardman, director of Chicken Run (with Nick Park), and a two-time Academy Award® nominee for his short films made with the company. The film is co-directed by Jeff Newitt. The screenplay is by Gideon Defoe, based upon his books. Production Designer is Norman Garwood. Producers are Peter Lord, David Sproxton, and Julie Lockhart. Executive Producer is Carla Shelley.
The Blu-ray™/DVD Combo Packs and DVD boast hours of kid-friendly extras, including Filmmakers’ Commentary, the exclusive “Mr. Bobo’s Flash Card Challenge” game, and the all-new “So You Want To Be A Pirate!” mini-movie. Exclusive to the Blu-ray™ is the “Pirate Disguise Dress-Up” game, in which fans can help our swashbuckling pals get past Queen Victoria by disguising them in various silly get-ups. The Blu-ray™ also exclusively includes two behind-the-scenes featurettes: “From Stop to Motion,” taking fans on a journey through the making of the film, and “Creating the Bath Chase Sequence,” a look at the various stages involved with shooting the bath tub scene. Additionally, two short films with optional commentary from Director Peter Lord are exclusive to the Blu-ray™. Viewers can experience The Pirates in 3D with the 3-disc 3D Blu-ray™/DVD Combo Pack.
Synopsis:
Set sail for a fun-filled voyage and hilarious pirate antics with the biggest Band of Misfits on the seven seas! When the infamous Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) is shunned once again by his rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz, he sets his sights to win the coveted Pirate of the Year Award. With his trusted dodo, Polly and rag-tag crew at his side, the Pirate Captain will need to battle a diabolical queen, save a young scientist and never lose sight of what a pirate loves best: Adventure!
DVD Bonus Features Include:
• Filmmakers’ Commentary
• So You Want To Be A Pirate! Mini-Movie
• Exclusive to DVD: MR. BOBO’S FLASH CARD CHALLENGE
• DVD-ROM link to more fun online
Blu-ray™/DVD Combo Pack Exclusives Include:
• Pirate Disguise Dress-Up Blu-Ray™ game
• From Stop to Motion featurette
• Creating the Bath Chase Sequence featurette
• Peter Lord Short Films:
– Wats Pig with optional commentary intro
– War Story with optional commentary intro
3D Blu-ray™/DVD Combo Pack Exclusives Include:
• Includes a 3rd disc with the 3D version of the film
THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS has a running time of 88 minutes and is rated PG for mild action, rude humor and some language.
