Facebook This: The Social Network Due in March

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release Oscar favourite The Social Network in two Blu-ray editions on March 2 – nearly two months after the controversial dramatisation of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s rise went on sale in the US.

The single disc will have two audio commentaries: one by director David Fincher, the other by screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and the cast.

The two-disc release will have these as well as a 93-minute making-of documentary; five shorts, ranging in length from three to 19 minutes, on technical aspects of the production; and a 19-minute multi-angle scene breakdown of the Ruby Sky VIP Room sequence.

All of the extras will be in HD.

The Blu-ray was released this week in the US to reviews that acclaimed it as much for the movie as its HD specs and extras: “A visual marvel through and through” (Blu-ray.com); “The Blu-ray upholds the filmmakers’ intentions accurately. The transfer really has no flaws” (DVD Beaver); “A strong, natural-looking transfer that benefits from excellent clarity and contrast” (High-Def Digest).

The seven-week gap between the US and local release seems unduly long given barely a month separated the theatrical releases in these territories.

No doubt it’s due to the distributor hoping to cash in on the movie’s Oscar kudos on February 27 (Sky Movies will air the 83^rd Academy Awards live in HD from 2.30pm on February 28).

Even more galling is it’s one of the few releases Sony has locked to Region A, so you’ll need a region-free Blu-ray player like Oppo’s BDP-83 to view it here or import the Region B version from the UK, where it goes on sale a month earlier.