20th Century Fox & MGM Home Entertainment has officially announced the Steven McQueen starring classic The Great Escape will make it's debut on Blu-ray on May 7,2013. He was joined by a superb supporting cast that included James Garner and Richard Attenborough. The WWII film has been given a new life with a 4k restoration. Below are details from the press release:
LOS ANGELES, CA (March 25, 2013) – In celebration of the birthday of iconic Hollywood legend Steve McQueen who would have turned 83-years-old yesterday, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment are proud to announce that THE GREAT ESCAPE will arrive on Blu-ray for the first time on May 7, 2013. Directed by Academy Award® nominee John Sturges,* catch one of AFI’s “100 Most Thrilling American Films” in an all-new masterful 4K transfer.
In honor of its 50th anniversary, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will host events around the world to showcase the remastered Blu-ray. THE GREAT ESCAPE restoration will be screened at the TCM Classic Film Festival in Los Angeles April 25-28 and the film will receive a limited theatrical re-release in cities across the globe, with additional initiatives coming throughout the year.
Based on a true story, THE GREAT ESCAPE is “a motion picture that entertains, captivates, thrills and stirs” (Variety). In 1943, the Germans opened a maximum security prison-of-war camp, designed to hold even the craftiest escape artists. By doing so, they unwittingly assembled the finest escape team in military history - brilliantly portrayed by Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson, and James Coburn- who worked on what became the largest prison breakout ever attempted. The Blu-ray comes fully loaded with over three hours of special features including commentary with Director Sturges and crew, multiple making of featurettes, the original theatrical trailer and more.
**Special Features**
* Audio Commentary by Director John Sturges, Cast & Crew
* The Great Escape: Bringing Fact to Fiction
* The Great Escape: Preparations for Freedom
* The Great Escape: The Flight to Freedom
* The Great Escape: A Standing Ovation
* The Great Escape: The Untold Story
* The Great Escape: The Untold Story – Additional Interviews
* A Real Virgil Hilts: A Man Called Jones
* Return to The Great Escape
* Original Theatrical Trailer
THE GREAT ESCAPE BLU-RAY:
Screen Format: (2.35:1)
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD-MA
Spanish 2.0 Mono DD
French & Other Language Audio Feature 5.1 DTS
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
U.S. Rating: NR