As part of the year-long centennial celebration for the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Studio, the films starring Christopher Reeve as Superman will be available for purchase on 4K Ultra HD through digital retailers April 18, and in a 4K Blu-ray boxed set May 9 from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment.
The Superman 1978-1987 5-Film Collection includes all four adventures as Reeve as the iconic DC superhero — 1978’s Superman: The Movie, 1980’s Superman II, 1983’s Superman III and 1987’s Superman IV, plus Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, the re-edited director’s cut released in 2006.
The boxed set will include the films on a 4K Ultra HD disc with HDR, a regular Blu-ray disc and special features in HD, and a redeemable code for a digital version of each film.
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The legendary “Man of Steel” was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and debuted in Action Comics #1 in 1938.
In Superman: The Movie, from the doomed planet of Krypton, two parents launch a spaceship carrying their infant son to earth. Here he grows up to become Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for the Metropolis Daily Planet. But with powers and abilities far beyond those of ordinary men, he battles for truth and justice as Superman. Directed by Richard Donner (The Goonies, Lethal Weapon, The Lost Boys), the film stars Academy Award winner Marlon Brando (On the Waterfront, The Godfather) as Jor-El, Academy Award winner Gene Hackman (The French Connection, Unforgiven) as Lex Luthor, Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, and Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent/Superman. The film also features Ned Beatty as Otis, Jackie Cooper as Perry White, Glen Ford as Jonathan Kent, Valerie Perrine as Eve Teschmacher and Terrance Stamp as General Zod. Superman was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Film Editing, Best Music (Original Score) and Best Sound. The film also received a Special Achievement Academy Award for Visual Effects. In 2017, Superman was inducted into the Library of Congress National Film Registry.
Superman comes with the following previously released special features on Blu-ray Disc:
- Commentary by Ilya Salkind and Pierre Spangler
- The Making of Superman – vintage featurette
- Superman and the Mole-Men – vintage featurette
- Super-Rabbit – 1943 WB cartoon
- Snafuperman – 1944 WB cartoon
- Stupor Duck – 1956 WB cartoon
- TV Spot
- Teaser Trailer
- Theatrical Trailer
In Superman II, directed by Richard Lester, unwittingly released from Phantom Zone imprisonment, three superpowered Planet Krypton criminals (Terence Stamp, Sarah Douglas and Jack O’Halloran) plan to enslave Earth — just when Superman (Christopher Reeve) decides to show a more romantic side to Lois Lane (Margot Kidder). Gene Hackman also returns as Lex Luthor in the sequel. The film also features Ned Beatty as Otis, Jackie Cooper as Perry White, Valerie Perrine as Eve Teschmacher and Susannah York as Lara.
Superman II comes with the following previously released special features on Blu-ray Disc:
- Commentary by Ilya Salkind and Pierre Spengler
- The Making of Superman II – 1980 TV Special
- Superman’s Soufflé – Deleted scene
- Fleischer Studios’ Superman vintage cartoons: First Flight, The Mechanical Monster, Billion Dollar Limited, The Arctic Giant, The Bulleteers, The Magnetic Telescope, Electric Earthquake, Volcano and Terror on the Midway
- Theatrical trailer
Director Richard Donner began shooting Superman II while concurrently filming Superman: The Movie, though the theatrical version of the film was ultimately credited to Richard Lester, who re-shot most of it. In 2006, an approximation of Donner’s original vision was released for the first time. Jor-El (Marlon Brando in footage cut from the theatrical version) appears in key scenes that amplify Superman lore and deepen the relationship between father and son. Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) plots more schemes to unmask Clark Kent as Superman (Christopher Reeve). With so many changes, large and small, including a different beginning and resolution, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut is an alternate experience.
The Donner Cut comes with the following previously released special features on Blu-ray Disc:
- Commentary by Richard Donner and Tom Mankiewicz
- Introduction by Richard Donner – featurette
- Superman II: Restoring the Vision – featurette
- Deleted scenes: Lex and Ms. Teschmacher head north, Lex and Ms. Teschmacher head south, The villains enter the fortress, He’s all yours boys, Clarke and Jimmy, and Lex’s gateway
- Famous Studios vintage cartoons: Japoteurs, Showdown, Eleventh Hour, Destruction Inc., The Mummy Strikes, Jungle Drums, The Underground World and Secret Agent
Superman III, directed by Lester and starring Reeve as Superman and Kidder as Lois Lane, features Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor), a naive computer-programming natural. For him, a keyboard is a weapon — and, as a result, Superman faces the microelectronic menace of his life. Reeve deepens his character’s human side as Clark Kent and sees Lana Lang (Annette O’Toole) at a Smallville High class reunion. And when the Man of Steel becomes his own worst enemy after exposure to Kryptonite, Reeve pulls off both roles.
Superman III comes with the following previously released special features on Blu-ray Disc:
- Commentary by Ilya Salkind and Pierre Spengler
- The Making of Superman III – 1983 TV special
- Deleted scenes: Save my baby, To the rescue, Making up, Going to see the boss, Hatching the plan, The con, Rooftop ski, Boss wants this to go, Superman honored, Gus’ speech and Hanging up on Brad
- Theatrical trailer
In Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Reeve not only donned the title hero’s cape for the fourth time but also helped develop the movie’s provocative theme: nuclear disarmament. To make the world safe for nuclear arms merchants, Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) creates a new being to challenge the Man of Steel: the radiation-charged Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow). The two foes clash in an explosive extravaganza that sees Superman save the Statue of Liberty, plug the volcanic eruption of Mount Etna and rebuild the demolished Great Wall of China. The film also features Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, Jackie Cooper as Perry White, Marc McClure as Jimmy Olsen, Jon Cryer as Lenny, Sam Wanamaker as David Warfield, and Mariel Hemingway as Lacy Warfield.
Superman IV comes with the following previously released special features on Blu-ray Disc:
- Commentary by Mark Rosenthal
- Superman 50th anniversary special — 1988 TV special
- Deleted scenes: Clark’s morning, Jeremy’s letter, Superman’s visit, Nuclear Man’s prototype, Metropolis after hours, Lex ponders, Flying sequence (extended scene), Battle in Smallville, Battle in the U.S.S.R., Nuclear arms race, Superman’s sickness, Red alert, By my side, Lark and Lacy say goodbye, and No borders
- Theatrical trailer
Update (3/21/23): Disc street date changed from April 18 to May 9.
On April 4, The Maltese Falcon and Cool Hand Luke will be available to purchase on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc and digitally. Rebel Without a Cause will be available to purchase on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc April 4 and digitally April 18.
Academy Award winner Humphrey Bogart stars in the classic film noir The Maltese Falcon (1941) as tough San Francisco private detective Sam Spade. The famously convoluted story follows Spade’s involvement with a deadly band of international thieves who will lie, double cross and murder to obtain a small, jewel-encrusted statue known as The Maltese Falcon. Spade’s partner, Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan), accepts a job protecting a young woman (Mary Astor). Neither Spade nor Archer believe the woman or the story she tells them, but they do believe her money. Then, when Archer is murdered, Spade’s search for the killer drags him into the web of lies and death spun by the desperate people seeking The Maltese Falcon. The film is directed by John Huston in his directorial debut. The screenplay is by Huston and is based on the 1930 novel by Dashiell Hammett. In addition to Bogart, Cowan and Astor, the film stars Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane, Lee Patrick and Sydney Greenstreet. The Maltese Falcon was nominated for three Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Greenstreet) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Huston). Previously released special features include commentary by Eric Lax; “Warner Night at the Movies,” featuring the Sergeant York trailer, the newsreel “New Highlights of the Roosevelt Churchill Parley,” the 1941 Warner short “The Gay Parisian” and the 1941 Warner cartoon “Meet John Doughboy”; “The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Brid”; “Becoming Attractions: The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart”; the Warner short “Breakdowns of 1941”; makeup tests; a Feb. 8, 1943, Lux Radio Theater broadcast; a Sept. 20, 1943, Screen Guild Theater broadcast; a July 3, 1946, Academy Award Theater broadcast; and the trailers “Satan Met a Lady” (1936) and “The Maltese Falcon” (1941).
Academy Award winner Paul Newman stars with George Kennedy in Cool Hand Luke (1967), the story of a man who will not surrender to authority — even at the cost of his life. In the film, when Luke Jackson (Newman) is sentenced to a Southern prison for a minor infraction, his intelligence, calm under pressure and inability to accept defeat soon gain him the respect of his fellow inmates on the chain gang — and the nickname Cool Hand Luke. But they also earn Luke the enmity of the warden, who cannot allow any inmate to challenge his authority. When Luke’s mother dies, he decides to escape, and he will not allow anyone to stop him. The film is directed by Stuart Rosenberg. The screenplay is by Donn Pearse and Frank R. Pierson and is based on the Pearce’s 1965 novel of the same name. In addition to Newman, Cool Hand Luke stars George Kennedy, J.D. Canon, Robert Drivas, Lou Antonio, Strother Martin and Jo Van Fleet. Cool Hand Luke was nominated for four Academy Awards, Best Actor (Newman), Best Supporting Actor (Kennedy), Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Pearce and Pierson) and Best Original Music Score (Lalo Schifrin), and won for Best Support Supporting Actor. Previously released special features include commentary by Eric Lax;
James Dean stars in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), a movie that shocked the United States with a performance that still electrifies the screen 25 years after his untimely death prior to the film’s release. In this archetypal drama of teenage angst and rebellion, three high school students who should lead idyllic lives in their stable, comfortable suburban families explode with a violence and sexuality that their parents cannot understand. This coming-of-age sfilm ripped the façade from the post-war American dream to expose the rage of the country’s youth. The film is directed by Nicholas Ray from a story by Ray, a screenplay by Stewart Stern and an adaptation by Irving Shulman. In addition to Dean, the film stars Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Jim Backus, Ann Doran, Corey Allen and William Hopper. In 1990, Rebel Without a Cause was added to the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry as being deemed “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant.” Previously released special features include commentary by Douglas L. Rathgeb; the 1974 TV special “James Dean Remembered”; the featurette “Rebel Without a Cause: Defiant Innocents”; the featurette “Dennis Hopper: Memories from the Warner Lot”; screen tests; wardrobe tests; and deleted scenes.
The comedy House Party will be available for premium digital rental ($19.99) and purchase ($24.99) Jan. 31, and on Blu-ray Disc and DVD beginning Feb. 14 from New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment.
Denzel Washington won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Detective Alonzo Harris and Ethan Hawke was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Office Jake Hoyt in the gritty drama set in the morally ambiguous world of undercover police work. In the film, every day a war rages between drug dealers and cops on the streets of America’s inner cities. With every war come casualties, none greater than 13-year veteran Los Angeles narcotics officer Alonzo Harris, whose questionable methods blur the line between legal and corrupt. Alonzo gets a new partner, idealistic rookie Jake Hoyt, and Jake has one day — and one day only — to prove his mettle to his fiercely charismatic superior. Over 24 hours, Jake will be dragged into the ethical mire of Alonzo’s logic as both men risk their careers and their lives to serve conflicting notions of justice.
A Christmas Story Christmas follows Ralphie from the classic A Christmas Story, who is all grown up. In this sequel to the annual holiday favorite, he must deal with Christmas and all that comes with it, this time as a dad. Peter Billingsley returns to the role he played as a child. The film also stars Erinn Hayes, Scott Schwartz, R.D. Robb, Zack Ward and Julie Hagerty.
In Holiday Harmony, singer/songwriter Gail lands an opportunity to compete for a once-in-a-lifetime shot at the big time, and heads cross country — getting only as far as Harmony Springs, Okla., when her ride, her budget and all her hopes are stalled. With just two weeks to get to the iHeartRadio Christmas Eve performance of her dreams, she takes the advice of local Jack-of-all-trades Jeremy and takes on a group of misfit kids hoping to perform in a Christmas Eve Gala of their own. Gail and Jeremy grow close, but if she’s going to fulfill her lifelong dream, she may have to leave him and the town she’s grown to love behind. The film stars Annelise Cepero, Jeremy Sumpter and Brooke Shields.
In A Christmas Mystery, 100 years ago, a strip of Santa’s magical jingle bells was discovered by a young boy in Shelter Bay, Ore., bringing about a century of prosperity and peace for the small town. Now, just days before Christmas, the bells — the lifeblood of the town — are missing, and it’s up to a group of intrepid kids to solve the case, find the bells and restore the Christmas magic to Shelter Bay and its citizens. The film stars Violet McGraw, Santino Bernard, Lauren Lindsay Donzis, Leonardo Cecchi, Eddie Cibrian, Oscar Nuñez, Christoph Sanders, Drew Powell and Beau Bridges.
A Hollywood Christmas follows Jessica, a young up-and-coming filmmaker in Hollywood who has made a name for herself directing Christmas movies. But when handsome network executive Christopher shows up threatening to halt production on her latest movie, Jessica’s assistant Reena points out the irony: Jessica isn’t just trying to save her Christmas movie, she’s actually living in one. Jessica must now juggle all the classic tropes — her actors falling in and out of love, a wayward elf dog, and her own stirring romantic feelings for her perceived nemesis — in order to get her movie and her life to their happy endings. The film stars Jessica Van, Josh Swickard, Anissa Borrego, Riley Dandy, Zak Steiner, Tom Williamson and Missi Pyle.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Nov. 22 releases Peacemaker: The Complete First Season. The HBO Max original series produced by James Gunn is a spinoff of The Suicide Squad and stars John Cena as the title character, a violent enforcer who will do whatever it takes to achieve peace, as he is recruited into a covert team to take on alien parasites that reside within human bodies and take over the identities of those they possess. A second season of “Peacemaker” and additional spinoffs are already in development.
The gay rom-com Bros will be available to own digitally and on Blu-ray and DVD Nov. 22 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Four-time Emmy nominee Billy Eichner (“Billy on the Street”) stars in the feature from filmmakers Nick Stroller (“Neighbors” franchise, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Judd Apatow (The King of Staten Island, Trainwreck). The comedy follows two gay men and explores how hard it is to find another tolerable human being with whom to go through life.
The romantic drama The Good House arrives Blu-ray (plus digital), DVD and digital purchase Nov. 22 from Lionsgate. Based on the novel by Ann Leary, the film stars Sigourney Weaver (Alien, Avatar, Gorillas in the Mist), Kevin Kline (Wild Wild West, Dave, A Fish Called Wanda) and Morena Baccarin (Deadpool, TV’s “Firefly,” “V”). Weaver stars as Hildy Good, a realtor in an idyllic New England town, whose wickedly funny tongue and seeming success mask her life’s one dark truth — that she enjoys her wine a bit too much. But Hildy’s good at keeping it together — until, that is, a rekindled romance with high school flame Frank Getchell (Kline) sets in motion a chain of events that forces a decades-in-the-making confrontation with Hildy’s buried past.
The French woman-in-crisis drama Hold Me Tight, from director Mathieu Amalric, will be released on DVD, Blu-ray Disc and all major digital platforms on Nov. 22 by Kino Lorber. The film is in French and German, with English subtitles. In Hold Me Tight, Vicky Krieps stars as Clarisse, a woman on the run from her family for reasons that aren’t immediately clear. Widely renowned as one of France’s great contemporary actors but less well-known in North America for his equally impressive work behind the camera, Amalric’s sixth feature as director is considered his most ambitious to date. The film alternates between Clarisse’s adventures on the road and scenes of her abandoned husband Marc (Arieh Worthalter) as he struggles to take care of their children at home. 
The comedy 5-25-77 is being released on Blu-ray and DVD from MVD Visual. Set during the spring of 1977, the film follows sci-fi obsessed teenager Pat Johnson (John Francis Daley, Game Night, “Freaks and Geeks”), who finds himself torn between making 8mm sequels to his favorite movies and pursuing the girl of his dreams Linda (Emmi Chen, Normal). Desperate to help her son escape his likely future in Wadsworth, Ill., (population 750), his mother Janet (Colleen Camp, Wayne’s World) cold-calls the editor of American Cinematographer magazine and Pat soon finds himself on “the ultimate trip” to Hollywood, becoming the very first outsider to see the film that would change him (and movies) forever — Star Wars. But when Pat returns to his hometown existence, he struggles to choose between chasing a seemingly impossible dream and accepting the comforting familiarity of home. Produced by Gary Kurtz (Star Wars: A New Hope, American Graffiti), Fred Roos (The Godfather Part II, St. Vincent) and Leigh Jones (Here Alone) and written and directed by Patrick Read Johnson (Dragonheart, Angus), the heartfelt true story-based film features a supporting cast that includes Austin Pendleton (My Cousin Vinny) and Neil Flynn (Mean Girls) along with an original score by David E. Russo (“Gotham”, Sin City) with additional themes and songs by rock musician Alan Parsons (“The Alan Parsons Project”). Special features on Blu-ray include audio commentary with writer/director Patrick Read Johnson, moderated by Seth Gaven, founder of the A.V. Squad and editor of the film Spaced Invaders; a Q&A from the 2013 Fantasia Film Festival with director Patrick Read Johnson; three theatrical trailers; and three photo galleries.
The comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles, written and directed by John Hughes, will land on 4K Ultra HD for the first time Nov. 22 from Paramount Home Entertainment. Originally released on Nov. 25, 1987, Planes, Trains and Automobiles celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. Steve Martin and John Candy star in the tale of travel gone awry. In the film, Neal Page (Martin) is an uptight ad exec trying to get home to Chicago for Thanksgiving with his family. When rerouted to Wichita, Neal reluctantly partners with Del Griffith (Candy), an obnoxious yet loveable salesman. Together, they embark on a cross-country adventure filled with outrageously funny situations and a generous helping of warmth. Newly remastered on 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision and HDR-10, Planes, Trains and Automobiles includes a bonus “Lost Luggage” Blu-ray Disc containing more than an hour of never-before-seen deleted and extended scenes that were recently discovered in the archives of writer, producer and director Hughes. The newly uncovered footage offers a unique glimpse into the filmmaking and editing process and features funny moments between Martin and Candy. In addition to the newly discovered footage, the bonus Blu-ray Disc also includes Dylan Baker’s original audition for the character of Owen.
The 1995 drama Panther is being released on Blu-ray in the MVD Marquee Collection. Set in Oakland, Calif., in 1968, the film follows the Black Panthers, led by Huey Newton (Marcus Chong, The Matrix) and Bobby Seale (Courtney B. Vance, The Preacher’s Wife), who have armed themselves and are ready to fight for freedom. To the people, they’re heroes, but to the FBI they’re Public Enemy No. 1. The Feds will do everything they can — on the right or wrong side of the law — to bring them down. Written by filmmaker and author Melvin Van Peebles (Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song) based on his own novel and directed by Mario Van Peebles (New Jack City, Posse), Panther stars include Kadeem Hardison (Drive), Bokeem Woodbine (Queen & Slim), Joe Don Baker (GoldenEye), Angela Bassett (Black Panther), Chris Tucker (Rush Hour), Chris Rock (The Longest Yard), James Le Gros (Guncrazy), M. Emmet Walsh (Blood Simple), Robert Culp (“I Spy”), James Russo (Django Unchained), Bobby Brown (Ghostbusters II) and Tyrin Turner (Menace II Society).
The 1990 comedy Ski Patrol is being released on Blu-ray in the MVD Rewind Collection. In the film, the lease on the Snowy Peaks Lodge, a popular ski resort, is up for renewal and its owner Pops (Ray Walston, Fast Times at Ridgemont High) has no worries about signing a new lease. Despite his Ski Patrol, an out-of-control group of skiers led by Jerry (Roger Rose, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives) and Iceman (T.K. Carter, John Carpenter’s The Thing), the resort has an impeccable safety record. However, a devious land developer (Martin Mull, Clue) has other plans in mind for the resort and hires the talents of a young blonde named Lance (Corby Timbrook, The Glass Shield) to undermine the Ski Patrol’s efforts to keep the slopes safe. Extraordinary aerial stunts, impressive snowboarding, and an incredible downhill showdown all add to the excitement as the Ski Patrol does their best to save Pop’s Mountain. The supporting case includes Leslie Jordan (“Will & Grace”), Paul Feig (Bridesmaids), Stephen Hytner (“Seinfeld”) and comedian George Lopez (“George Lopez”).
The 1980 sci-fi film The Final Countdown will be re-released on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray disc Nov. 22 from MVD Entertainment Group and Blue Underground. In the film, a freak electrical storm engulfs the U.S.S. Nimitz, America’s mightiest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier on maneuvers in the Pacific Ocean, hurtling it back in time to Dec. 6, 1941, mere hours before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. As the enemy fleet speeds towards Hawaii, the warship’s captain (Kirk Douglas), a Defense Department expert (Martin Sheen), a maverick Air Wing Commander (James Farentino) and a desperate senator in the Roosevelt administration (Charles Durning) must choose between the unthinkable. Do they allow the Japanese to complete their murderous invasion, or launch a massive counterstrike that will forever change the course of history? Katharine Ross and Ron O’Neal co-star in the sci-fi actioner filmed on location aboard the U.S.S. Nimitz with the full participation of the U.S. Navy and the ship’s crew. Blue Underground is presenting the film in a new restoration, scanned in 4K 16-bit from the original 35mm camera negative, with Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio. The 4K disc is compatible with D-Box home theater systems. The film was 
The 1980 Italian crime story Contraband is directed by Lucio Fulci (The Beyond, City of the Living Dead) and set in Naples, Italy. It follows idealistic cigarette smuggler Luca, who runs into problems with a sadistic drug dealing gangster from France and decides to muscle his way into operations. As he tries to wipe out the competition, all hell breaks loose and the bodies start piling up. Luca joins forces with rival smugglers and the local mafia to counteract the power play, which only increases the body count until the explosive gun powder and gut bursting conclusion. The film stars Fabio Testi (The Big Racket), Marcel Bozzuffi (The French Connection), Ivana Monti (Five Days in Milan), and Saverio Marconi (Padre Padrone). Featuring gruesome practical special effects by Germano Natali (Deep Red) and Roberto Pace (Body Count), with music by legendary composer Fabio Frizzi, Contraband is a hard hitting mafia story filmed through the eye of an unrelenting horror master. Making its Blu-ray debut via Cauldron Films, Contraband is restored from a 4K scan of the negative with English language audio, optional English SDH subtitles, and Italian language audio with English subtitles.
The 1973 thriller Murder in a Blue World is a Spanish spin on Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange. In the film set in a violent, dystopian consumer-fed future, David (Chris Mitchum, Summertime Killer) blackmails nurse Ana (Sue Lyon, Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita) after witnessing her commit a murder. When Ana and Victor (Jean Sorel, Perversion Story) discover David is a known gang member with an extensive criminal past, they make a plan to turn the tables and use him for their own clandestine purposes. Two years after Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, transgressive Spanish genre director Eloy de la Iglesia unleashed his thought-provoking and beautifully shot future-world film that was also known as A Clockwork Terror. Available for the first time on Blu-ray, Cauldron Films presents the film from a new 2K restoration of the Spanish producer’s cut from the negative, with English audio with optional English SDH subtitles and Spanish audio with optional English subtitles.