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UPDATE 8-11-10: This list is for all intents and purposes dead, as Warner seems to have dramatically shifted the direction of their home video department. It can be assumed that anything from the list that hasn't been released yet will come via Warner Archive, if at all. If anyone would care to take over the list and update it, let me know via PM.
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Thanks to peerpee, from whom this format has been shamelessly lifted.

Much of the information shown here comes from chats Warner held with HTF in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007.

This thread focuses on Warner Brothers films released prior to 1980.
Films released from 1980 on may be included here, provided that the director of the film is a significant artist (with a history of critical study), and that said director developed a substantial body of work prior to 1980.

HERE ARE THREE SECTIONS:

1.) Certainties (Officially announced titles that are still *on*)

2.) Distinct Possibilities (Titles that haven't been announced by Warner but have been alluded to by other serious collaborators/companies)

3.) Remasters (Titles that have been released, but are being reissued because new, better materials have come to light in the years since release.)

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1.) Certainties: (Titles that Warner have indicated are under way for DVD issue)

SPENCER TRACY COLLECTION - Includes NORTHWEST PASSAGE. Coming in 2009.

JEAN HARLOW COLLECTION - Coming in 2009.

ELEANOR POWELL COLLECTION - Coming in 2009.

FRED ASTAIRE COLLECTION - Coming in 2009.

GLENN FORD COLLECTION - Includes FOUR HORSEMEN. Coming in 2009.

GOLD (1974) - Coming in 2009.

GREED - Includes 1923 theatrical release and reconstruction. Coming in 2009.

HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS/NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS - Coming in 2009.

TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING - Coming in 2009.

ANDY HARDY COLLECTIONS - Multiple sets beginning in 2009.

MOONFLEET - Coming in 2009.

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO COLLECTION - Includes JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, ...MEET CAPTAIN KIDD, RIO RITA. Coming in 2009.

MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS - Coming in 2009.

JOURNEY INTO FEAR - Coming in 2009.

JAMES STEWART COLLECTION: VOL. 2 - Includes CARBINE WILLIAMS. Coming in 2009.

B-MOVIE DETECTIVE SERIALS PHILO VANCE, PERRY MASON, THE SAINT, and THE FALCON. Sets beginning in 2009.

THE PRIZE - Coming in 2009.

JOHN GARFIELD COLLECTION - Includes six films. Coming in 2009.

LON CHANEY COLLECTION: VOL. 2 - Includes HE WHO GETS SLAPPED, THE UNHOLY THREE, TELL IT TO THE MARINES, plus two more films and a Tod Browning doc. Coming in 2009.

RAINTREE COUNTY - Restored roadshow version. Coming in 2009.

LANA TURNER COLLECTION - Coming in 2009.

LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA - Coming in 2009.

THE COMPLETE SHOW BOAT - Boxed set including the '29, '36, and '51 (Ultra-Resolution restoration)versions. Coming in 2009.

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2.) Distinct Possibilities: (Titles that haven't been fully confirmed yet, but have either been mentioned by Warner or linked to Warner by other events/companies)

BOWERY BOYS COLLECTIONS - All 48 films in multiple boxes were scheduled to begin releasing in 2006. Warner is now looking for better elements. There is no new release date.

CHARLIE CHAN COLLECTION - Will include the Monogram titles. Warner is looking for better elements.

THE DEVILS - Plans under discussion. No release date set.

ZABRISKIE POINT - Mentioned for May 2005 release at Roger Waters Online. Obviously, that didn't happen, but Warner says that "it is under consideration (for release) at some point."

THE MERRY WIDOW - Plans under discussion. No release date set.

I DIED A THOUSAND TIMES - Plans under discussion. No release date set.

ABE LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS - Plans under discussion. No release date set.

THE EMIGRANTS - Plans under discussion. No release date set.

THE NEW LAND - Plans under discussion. No release date set.

THE THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER - Plans under discussion. No release date set.

FREEBIE AND THE BEAN - Plans under discussion. No release date set.

UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD - Plans under discussion. No release date set.

SILENT FILMS - Many are under discussion, but need extensive restoration. Titles discussed have included THE WIND, SCARLET LETTER, THE BIG PARADE, SHOW PEOPLE, and THE CROWD.

BREWSTER McCLOUD - Plans under discussion. No release date set.

CAPTAIN NEMO AND THE UNDERWATER CITY - Plans under discussion. No release date set.

WHEELER AND WOOLSEY FILMS - Elements in bad shape and need extensive restoration. No release date set.

THE LEGEND OF LYLAH CLARE - Plans under discussion. No release date set.

ALEX IN WONDERLAND - Plans under discussion with Paul Mazursky. No release date set.

MAN OF THE WILDERNESS - Plans under discussion. No release date set.

DARK OF THE SUN (aka THE MERCENARIES) - Plans under discussion. No release date set.

THE COOL ONES - Plans under discussion. No release date set.

NO TIME FOR SERGEANTS - Plans under discussion with Andy Griffith. No release date set.

Additional LOONEY TUNES sets - According to Jerry Beck, there are plans for more toons, but they won't come in the Golden Collection format.

Additional POPEYE THE SAILOR MAN sets - More to come, according to Jerry Beck.

TEX AVERY COLLECTION - Jerry Beck said at one time that he would be working as a consultant on these as well. He has, however deleted the post in which he mentioned this. As of June 2006, Warner was saying, "the tex avery cartoons all require a full restoration which will be VERY VERY expensive. For us to release them, in any substandard form would obviously not make you folks happy. We are trying to find the financing within the various divisions of the company to justify this undertaking."

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3.) Remasters: (Titles that have been released, but are being reissued because new, better materials have come to light in the years since release.)

THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING - Special edition coming in 2009.

THE CANDIDATE - Special edition coming in 2009.

NORTH BY NORTHWEST - 50th Anniversary Edition and Blu-ray coming in 2009.

GONE WITH THE WIND - 70th Anniversary Edition and Blu-ray coming in 2009.

THE WIZARD OF OZ - 70th Anniversary Edition and Blu-ray coming in 2009.

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LATEST AMENDMENTS - 2/8/09 -- Removed lots of stuff, as the list was way out of date. Changed all the 2008 dates to 2009 -- wishful thinking I'm sure.

Hi. I saw that 2 of the "certainties" were the Jean Harlow & Jimmy Stewart Volume 2 DVD collections. They have a release date of 2009. Since it is November 2009, the year is winding down and I am unable to find those products anywhere online. I have searched everywhere! Where can I find them so that I can order them? Thank you!

Those are hardly the only "certainties" that became uncertain.
Neither GREED nor AMBERSONS has appeared either ... amongst others.

ok thanks. let me know if you ever hear about anything about those two. thanks.

The list is mostly things that Warner announced in HTF chats (and never released). Since Warner has given up on releasing DVDs, I have pretty much given up on updating the list. I'll probably do some clean-up at the end of the year, which will consist of deleting everything we thought was coming.

I believe that the last HTF chat revealed that the Jean Harlow box-set had been re-scheduled for her centenary in 2011. And I've little doubt - no, make that no doubt - the only reason these titles (BEAST OF THE CITY notwithstanding) have not been dumped into that shitty WB Archive line is that too much money has been already spent on restoration, since the box has been in the pipeline for years. Otherwise Harlow would have got the bum's rush given Shearer and Crawford. And Dressler and Jolson and Lupino (those motherfuckers!) And Robert Taylor and Elizabeth Taylor. Any day now we're likely to hear that MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS doesn't justify a pressed publication since they can't find the "special features" that supposedly have held it up so far.

All the more reason to pass your money on to Editions Montparnasse and WB France, who have produced superior editions of FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE, PARTY GIRL, BERLIN EXPRESS and EXPERIMENT PERILOUS among many, many others. And at this point there's no reason to wait for US editions of THE WINDOW, THE BOY WITH GREEN HAIR, THE STRANGER ON THE THIRD FLOOR, BORN TO BE BAD, MACAO, A WOMAN'S SECRET, THIS LAND IS MINE, WOMAN ON THE BEACH, as well THE PRIMROSE PATH, down which WB US is undeniably attempting to lead domestic consumers.

But I implore you all, "Don't go!"
Fuck Warner Brothers US any way you can. Buy French!

I do my part, won't you please do yours?

Is it too much to hope that Editions Montparnasse will get to some other Ingram titles ... like THE MAGICIAN ...?
I know there are probably only 5 other people in the known universe who want that film ... but we want it real bad.

I know there are probably only 5 other people in the known universe who want that film ... but we want it real bad.[

Make that 6

Sorry, I should have been specific. The 4 HORSEMAN... French disc I mentioned is the 1962 Vincente Minnelli version. Not the Rex Ingram/Valentino version.
And count me as 7 on THE MAGICIAN.

Should we expect the Popeye color cartoons on Blu?

George Kaplan wrote:And count me as 7 on THE MAGICIAN.

Our forces are growing. Resistance is futile.

(I've never even seen the Minelly HORSEMEN ... is it worthwhile?

Minnelli's 4 HORSEMAN is definitely worthwhile, especially if you are at all interested in him as a filmmaker. I think that Andrew Britton (in Katharine Hepbburn: Star As Feminist) was on correct when he cited Minnelli as a one of the "obvious examples" of classical Hollywood filmmakers (along with Lang, Hitchcock, Sternberg and Sirk) "who, far from seeking to mediate, are concerned to present and articulate 'dominant contradictions in social life'." This idea has beautiful expression in a scene with Charles Boyer and Paul Lukas, virtually standing in for France and Germany, respectively, as WWI begins. That said, it is not quite Minnelli's better work, many compromises were made. If I recall correctly, Minnelli wanted Alain Delon, not Glenn Ford! (who is quite fine in ...EDDIE'S FATHER for Minnelli but not here.) Ingrid Thulin I know is re-dubbed by Angela Lansbury! (That would be a great DVD feature...the original audio of Thulin reintegrated with the image, even if only presented piece-meal like the original Herrmann score on TORN CURTAIN.) And the film was shot by Milton Krasner whom Minnelli seemed to favor for many years, but has always struck me as rather dull-eyed for a DP.