Hot Off the Press Release Machine: Avatar Extended Collector’s Edition

Roadshow Entertainment has just officially confirmed the Extended Collector’s Edition of Avatar that will be released here on Blu-ray on November 24 will include three versions of James Cameron’s 3D phenomenon.

Pricing has still to be confirmed but the specs have been revealed in a press release that reads as follows:

Auckland, New Zealand. (6 October, 2010) — Director James Cameron is unlocking the secrets of Pandora and taking fans on a guided tour of his vision with the highly anticipated release of Avatar Extended Collector’s Edition on Blu-ray and DVD out November 24, 2010.

With three versions of the film, Avatar fans will get an all-new extended cut of the film, in addition to hours of never-before-seen material, including over 45 minutes of amazing deleted scenes.

“I told our team — let’s do the ultimate box set of Avatar, with everything in it the fans could possibly want. There’s an extended length cut that’s sixteen minutes longer, plus documentaries, behind the scenes featurettes, artwork and over 45 minutes of deleted scenes. Everything worth putting into a special edition is in this set,” said James Cameron.

The three-disc Blu-ray and DVD editions will both feature the original theatrical release, a special edition re-release, and new collector’s extended cut with 16 more minutes, including an exclusive alternate opening earth scene.

Viewers will have the ability to journey to the far-reaches of Pandora with Capturing Avatar, an in-depth feature-length documentary covering the 16-year filmmaker journey that includes new interviews with James Cameron, Jon Landau and cast and crew exploring Cameron’s unique vision for the film now seen by more than 310 million people worldwide.

The Oscar and Golden Globe winning epic is the highest grossing film of all time, taking in over $2.7 billion in worldwide box office.

The Blu-ray edition will contain even more bonus material and will provide a compelling interactive viewing experience.

Leveraging the unparalleled interactive technology of Blu-ray, fans can dive further into the world of the Na’vi and experience the international sensation from behind-the-scenes with a “master class” on the production of the film.

Viewers can experience the full film in three stages of production: Performance Capture, Template and Final as well as a composite of all stages in Pandora’s Box. This mode is complemented by interviews with James Cameron and the crew and ultimately serves as a complete and enlightening tutorial on the making of Avatar.

Avatar Extended Collection’s Edition: 3-Disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray:

• Original Theatrical Version
• Special Edition Re-Release
• Collector’s Extended Cut (16 more minutes and exclusive alternate opening)
• Capturing Avatar (movie-length documentary)
• Deleted scenes (over 45 minutes of new never-before-seen deleted scenes)
• Production Materials
• Open Pandora’s Box and go deeper into the filmmaker process
• Interactive Scene Deconstruction (explore the various stages of production through three different viewing modes)
• Production Shorts (17 featurettes covering performance capture, scoring, 3D fusion camera, stunts …)
• Avatar Archives (includes original script, 30- page screenplay and the extensive Pandorapedia)
• BD-live Portal with additional bonus materials.