New to Blu: Cinderella UPDATED*

The Blu-ray of Cinderella goes on sale today 2-3 months ahead of the US, UK and Europe. The Blu-ray exclusives are underwhelming but include: A Fairy Tale Comes to Life, in which the filmmakers and cast reflect on Cinderella’s enduring power and the challenges of bringing this iconic tale to life (8:58); Costume Test Fun, which showcases the work of Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell (The Aviator) (2:29); Staging the Ball, a behind the scenes look at the making of the palace ball sequence, including its spectacular set and costumes (10:57); and Alternate Opening: Ella’s Childhood, with an introduction by director Kenneth Branagh and moments from Ella’s idyllic childhood that do not appear in the movie (2:54). There’s also the animated short Frozen Fever and 7.1 audio but missing are the September US release’s five deleted scenes. *I have just received my copy of Cinderella and, alas, Frozen Fever, is not on the disc. Inexplicably, it has been omitted, along with the deleted scenes. This is the price NZ/Oz often pays as a territory when it gets releases so far ahead of the US, with not all the elements being in place in time to meet the early production deadline.