Warner Brothers Archive Collection Blu-rays

[therewillbeblus]

Too bad they didn't include Tag Gallagher's visual essay on Mogambo, maybe my favorite of all his work

[FrauBlucher]

SanCarolina59 over at bluray.com...

Here's some of the major highlights of the podcast I've heard so far:

George gives a somewhat detailed overview of what you can expect from WAC in 2026. There will be a lot of titles coming out with the same "marquee value" of Mogambo and Tarzan And His Mate, well known classics. Why weren't these released on Blu-ray 15, 17 years ago? At that time, unfortunately, most of the early adopters for Blu-ray were not interested in classics, and when the moment finally came where that could have happened, there were people there at the time that were more interested in taking that money and pouring it into "sleazy made for video slasher movies". That really put a crimp in their ability then to do catalog releases and these more interesting projects.

WAC has now since taken the lead on catalog releases at WB, with new masters and highest quality being the goal. George has mentioned the "100 releases currently in development" before, now he gives an overview of sorts of what these releases will entail. Feature films spanning from the 1930s to "a little bit" in the 2000s, with the majority of the films from WAC in 2026 being considered "core classics". People who said "finally!" to Mogambo and Tarzan And His Mate can expect a lot more where that came from in 2026. It was hard to get approval, especially for some films where they had previously said the existing older master was good enough, to get approval to do a new master, but those approvals have been made and "many exciting projects have been approved". If you're a serious film collector, 2026 will be a very satisfying year.

Outside of feature films, expect more live action television releases as well, and more animated releases - both theatrical and television animation releases.

How many releases can you expect a month after February? Expect 6-8 releases a month in 2026, potentially even more than that depending on the circumstances. WAC has skipped February in the past multiple times due to the usual clog after the holidays, but George released a lighter slate this February, as he wanted to make sure they did something this year for February.

February was lighter than normal due to two big TV related projects going on at MPI, which have pushed everything out a bit so these could get done. George will not say what the big project is, but he can say it will be a WAC Blu-ray release when it's done.

Thankfully, the whole "things not being out on street date curse" seems to be lifting, and things will hopefully now be out on time.

Tarzan And His Mate contains a minute more of extra footage that has never been on any previous release before - nothing significant but a minute more of what the censors had snipped out after the code came into effect. Thank M-G-M's thorough preservation program in the 1960s for preserving both the original pre-code and the altered post-code version of Tarzan And His Mate. This is the first time work has been done on the film since 1994 for an SD master, with this new work being from a 4K scan of the best preservation elements.

Red Dust and Mogambo were not intended to be released so close together. George had intended there to be a few months in between the releases, but right after Red Dust was completed, Mogambo ended up being ready to go, and George doesn't want to hold any completed projects back - when it's done, it'll be released to the public that wants it.

[Matt]

I'd like to see them get to Random Harvest at some point. Odd that we got less notable films like Madame Curie (which I do love) and Sunrise at Campobello before this.

[domino harvey]

One of my most wanted upgrades!

[Finch]

Still hoping for Prisoner of Zenda with Colman, Stage Door and I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang!

[FrauBlucher]

I also think when Feltenstein mentions this he is also referring to titles that may get released by Criterion. Much like when he said more Errol Flynn will be coming then Criterion announces Captain Blood

There will be a lot of titles coming out with the same "marquee value" of Mogambo and Tarzan And His Mate, well known classics.

[onedimension]

Where are all the musicals? American In Paris, Band Wagon… Where’s Robin Hood? These are all low-hanging fruit, like The Searchers was..

[soundchaser]

^ Those all have regular Blu-Ray releases already? Unless you're asking where their Criterion editions are, in which case I'd say "pretty unnecessary."

[domino harvey]

I think they mean UHDs given the Searchers?

[soundchaser]

Ah, makes sense - although it feels like a non-sequitur in the above discussion. I wonder how well WAC's UHD discs have sold thus far, and how much of that's a factor in their release schedule.

[Lowry_Sam]

I'm not much of a musical fan, but after The Wizard Of Oz and Singin' In The Rain, my biggest Warner musical want would be a comprehensive collection (done right) of the Busby Berkeley musicals. Individual blu-ray upgrades have trickled out, but a comprehensive presentation of them all with bonus material (commentaries, documentaries, etc.) placing them in film history is sorely needed (Criterion?) and judging by the popularity of individual Busby Berkeley numbers on Warner's Youtube channel, there's definitely a market for such an (upgrade over the dvd) box.

[JSC]

I'd prefer to get some of the Astaire/Rogers musicals (floor scuff marks and all).

[Matt]

I'm surprised that WAC hasn't done Elia Kazan's America America on Blu-ray yet. And for that matter, I'm surprised there hasn't been a UHD of A Streetcar Named Desire yet.

[andyli]

Is Advise and Consent still with Warner? Been waiting for that one to hit blu-ray for ages…

[domino harvey]

Yes, and it’d be high on my wishlist for WA treatment

[Never Cursed]

Is Advise and Consent still with Warner? Been waiting for that one to hit blu-ray for ages…

Especially irritating because at some point an HD master for it was in fact made

[ianthemovie]

Throwing in my support for Advise and Consent and Stage Door, along with Adam's Rib and Tea and Sympathy, and of course Greed and The Crowd, unless these are with Criterion now. It's obscure but I'd also like to be able to upgrade my MOD disc of The Next Voice You Hear.

Do we happen to know whether George and the other folks at WA read this forum by any chance? If they crowd-source on Facebook and tailor their releases to what their fans there are clamoring for, maybe they could take some suggestions from us. We've only been asking for Stage Door for the past 3 years

[domino harvey]

It's obscure but I'd also like to be able to upgrade my MOD disc of The Next Voice You Hear.

Great movie. I was delighted when Foster Hirsch devoted some space to it in his book on 50s Hollywood Cinema

[FrauBlucher]

Do we happen to know whether George and the other folks at WA read this forum by any chance?

George said he does read forums. He didn’t specify which ones. I suspect his reads are HTF and Blu-ray.com

Btw… HTF started a WAC wishlist thread in response to Feltenstein saying he reads the forum

[domino harvey]

Bogart 4-Pack:
Chain Lightning
Conflict
Passage to Marseille
They Drive By Night

Conflict must have sold amazingly well since it only just came out

[domino harvey]

And a Tennessee Williams 4-Pack:

A Streetcar Named Desire
Baby Doll
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Sweet Bird of Youth

[FrauBlucher]

Nice! 4 films 2 directors

[onedimension]

Ah, makes sense - although it feels like a non-sequitur in the above discussion. I wonder how well WAC's UHD discs have sold thus far, and how much of that's a factor in their release schedule.

Yeah, sorry. I took for granted you would all know what I meant, since Warner Archive is now the place for 4K editions of major titles.

I repeat - where are the musicals? I understand sitting on the black and white Astaire-Rogers movies that have sawdust and peanut shells on the floor, but An American In Paris? Meet Me In St. Louis?

[beamish14]

And a Tennessee Williams 4-Pack:

A Streetcar Named Desire
Baby Doll
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Sweet Bird of Youth

Would’ve been nice to throw in Period of Adjustment and Last of the Mobile Hot-Shots, too

[captveg]

Ah, makes sense - although it feels like a non-sequitur in the above discussion. I wonder how well WAC's UHD discs have sold thus far, and how much of that's a factor in their release schedule.

Yeah, sorry. I took for granted you would all know what I meant, since Warner Archive is now the place for 4K editions of major titles.

I repeat - where are the musicals? I understand sitting on the black and white Astaire-Rogers movies that have sawdust and peanut shells on the floor, but An American In Paris? Meet Me In St. Louis?

I wouldn't say Warner Archive is the primary source for 4K UHD releases of their major titles. They've only committed to 5-6 tops per year at this point. Warner Home Video (see the upcoming Ben-Hur and All the President's Men) and the 3rd party labels they license to (Criterion, Arrow, Shout) have released more per year.

I do expect a 4K UHD of The Adventures of Robin Hood to come from WAC this year considering the prior hint of more Flynn in 2026; I would love to get The Sea Hawk on UHD, too.

By comparison, something like Adam's Rib seems just as likely to come from Criterion. There's a decent crop of BD-only Criterion licensed titles they could upgrade to UHD, too.