Region 1 `James Bond Collection` DVD box set release dates confirmed by MGM Home Entertainment

28-Jul-2003 • Collecting

MGM Home Entertainment have today confirmed the release dates for the two remaining "James Bond Collection" DVD box sets in region 1.

The Hollywood Reporter announced that all 20 of the James Bond films together in three special-edition gift sets will be released on November 18th 2003.

Volume 1, which includes seven titles, was released in October 2002 and will be repromoted and released together with Volumes 2 and 3 this November.

The gift sets are priced at $124.96 each, and each title gets the full features treatment, including commentaries, documentaries and various featurettes, music videos, theatrical trailers, storyboards and other material.

MGM said all Bond titles, except "Die Another Day," are scheduled to go into moratorium from January 19th 2004 for an indefinite period.

MI6 revealed last month that the classic Bond films are currently being remastered with 5.1 surround-sound audio tracks. These DVDs will be released in 2005.

Click here for the "Classic Bond DVD 5.1 Surround Sound Remastering" article.

Originally, MGM had planned to come out with only Volume 2 this year, but they claim the response to Volume 1 prompted the creation of a major Bond package for this holiday season.

"Volume 1 was timed around the release of "Die Another Day," and it had huge awareness and was a tremendous success," said Amy Zwagerman, director of library marketing at MGM Home Entertainment, so MGM decided to go with all three volumes "and capitalize on the holiday shopping season."

It obviously has nothing to do with the plans for new DVDs in 2005...

The three sets will be supported by a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign that includes national TV advertising across prime-time programming and major sporting events as well as a national print campaign in general-interest and lifestyle publications and radio promotion in the top 20 markets, MGM said.

As MI6 revealed last month, the region 1 "James Bond Collection" DVD box-sets will contain the following titles:

Included in Volume 1 are "Dr. No," "GoldenEye," "Goldfinger," "License to Kill," "The Man With the Golden Gun," "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Tomorrow Never Dies."

Volume 2 includes "From Russia With Love," "You Only Live Twice," "Diamonds Are Forever," "Moonraker," "For Your Eyes Only," "The Living Daylights" and "The World Is Not Enough."

Volume 3 includes "Thunderball," "Octopussy," "On Her Majesty`s Secret Service," "Die Another Day," "Live and Let Die" and "A View to a Kill."