oh why not....THE ABYSS (1 Viewer)

[Kyle_D]

This could change with Iger back in the CEO's chair.

Agreed, but we don't know anything at this point. No one does. I'm skeptical, not dismissive, unlike some in this thread

 

[TonyD]

I’d love to have the Abyss in 4K. I’d even take Blu-ray but I only want the extended cut as it is in the old dvd.

 

[Ethan Riley]

Is Disney putting anything out at all these days? Other than current movies?

 

[Kyle_D]

Is Disney putting anything out at all these days? Other than current movies?

Rarely. Disney released Heat on UHD earlier this year to tie-in with the book release of Heat 2, but there were rumors that they had a contractual obligation and/or incentive to release that title under Fox's distribution agreement with Regency.

Under Chapek, Disney told its shareholders that it was deliberately shifting away from physical media to focus on streaming as part of an overall corporate strategy. No one knows whether the same strategy will be followed now that Iger is back in charge.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

This is exactly why these rumors should not be taken seriously until/unless the studio issues a formal announcement. Disney has next to no interest in releasing catalog titles on physical media anymore.

And as much as some people are big fans of the film, The Abyss is not a hot title likely to sell huge volumes if it ever does get released. This excuse about needing to tie in with Avatar 2 is a bunch of nonsense. The two movies have nothing to do with one another aside from being directed by James Cameron. The alleged marketing tie-in between the titles doesn't exist.

"Did you like this new movie by James Cameron? Well, here's an old one he made a long time ago that flopped at the box office!"

Not exactly a compelling sales hook there.

I do actually like The Abyss, but let's be real here. It was never a major title for Fox, and certainly isn't for Disney.

If we're very lucky, this master that was supposedly completed in 2019 will eventually turn up on Hulu. That's about as much as we can realistically hope for.

"Abyss" was "major" enough to get a special edition DVD release back when such things were rare.

And it was "major" enough to get that expensive laserdisc box almost 30 years ago.

No, it wasn't a hit at the box office, but it has a clear fan base - and a fan base that would buy it.

Plenty of movies that don't do much at the box office become successful on video, and "Abyss" is one of them - which makes it that much more bizarre it's not been re-issued since 1999.

 

[lark144]

"Abyss" was "major" enough to get a special edition DVD release back when such things were rare.

And it was "major" enough to get that expensive laserdisc box almost 30 years ago.

No, it wasn't a hit at the box office, but it has a clear fan base - and a fan base that would buy it.

Plenty of movies that don't do much at the box office become successful on video, and "Abyss" is one of them - which makes it that much more bizarre it's not been re-issued since 1999.

Yes, it has a very large fan base. I know I would have bought it in a heartbeat which is why I think it's puzzling it was never released on Blu long before 20th Century-Fox was sold to Disney.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

It’s not really that much of a puzzle. Cameron asked for approval of any new master created to serve a new format, and around the time Blu-ray came into existence, he was focused on Avatar. After Avatar, he essentially took off half a decade from filmmaking to pursue his oceanic and environmental interests and it just wasn’t a priority for him. When he’s been asked about it in interviews, he’s expressed surprise that people are interested in old films - a lot of people when they finish a project move on to the next one and don’t look back, and that’s who he is. It’s not that he couldn’t have found 24 hours to work on it in the past 24 years - it just wasn’t that important to him.

 

[Dick]

I only want the extended cut as it is in the old dvd.

But with completed effects! Oh--it wouldn't hurt if Cameron went back to the ending of this, as the alien ship that rises to the surface looks like it was spray painted, and badly at that.

 

[lark144]

It’s not really that much of a puzzle. Cameron asked for approval of any new master created to serve a new format, and around the time Blu-ray came into existence, he was focused on Avatar. After Avatar, he essentially took off half a decade from filmmaking to pursue his oceanic and environmental interests and it just wasn’t a priority for him. When he’s been asked about it in interviews, he’s expressed surprise that people are interested in old films - a lot of people when they finish a project move on to the next one and don’t look back, and that’s who he is. It’s not that he couldn’t have found 24 hours to work on it in the past 24 years - it just wasn’t that important to him.

I didn't know it was Cameron but figured as much.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

It’s not really that much of a puzzle. Cameron asked for approval of any new master created to serve a new format, and around the time Blu-ray came into existence, he was focused on Avatar. After Avatar, he essentially took off half a decade from filmmaking to pursue his oceanic and environmental interests and it just wasn’t a priority for him. When he’s been asked about it in interviews, he’s expressed surprise that people are interested in old films - a lot of people when they finish a project move on to the next one and don’t look back, and that’s who he is. It’s not that he couldn’t have found 24 hours to work on it in the past 24 years - it just wasn’t that important to him.

If it wasn't important to him, then why ask for approval of any new master created to serve a new format? If it wasn't important to him, Cameron could have just let Fox release it without his approval.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I thought Cameron had been saying for years that this was coming to Blu-ray. Did something change? I know he has wrapped himself up in other stuff, and the exploration of the ocean projects were great, but I thought he was just shooting for some sort of perfection of the final product.

I'm not really interested in his new Avatar stuff, but a Blu of The Abyss would be great. I guess now it would be a 4K but whatever. My sense was he was going to fiddle with the picture and that was the delay. Probably recut it and change things he does not like about it. This is what I thought has kept it delayed.

I did not know he has been shoveling nonsense about not knowing people care about "old films", of course he knows that, he made that History of Science Fiction series. My guess is he wants to play with the film, probably no longer likes a bunch of stuff about it, so really does not want to release it until he can make a bunch of changes.

 

[Kyle_D]

My guess is he wants to play with the film, probably no longer likes a bunch of stuff about it, so really does not want to release it until he can make a bunch of changes.

There's no evidence for any of this.

Everything Josh S. posted above is true. Cameron had a contractual right to approve the master, likely dating back to his original contract to direct the film in the 80s. Approving a new HD/4K master was a low-priority item for him given his other commitments and interests. The studio was not going to risk getting sued for breach of contract or souring its relationship with Cameron by releasing the title without receiving Cameron's approval for the master, and Cameron would have been foolish to waive his approval right.

Disney apparently finally has an approved 4K master, and it's now just up to them to release it in whatever timeframe and format they deem appropriate.

 

[cineMANIAC]

Agreed, but we don't know anything at this point. No one does. I'm skeptical, not dismissive, unlike some in this thread

I'm usually dismissive about anything related to The Abyss or True Lies on HD (been hearing the same spiel for almost 20 years) but something feels different this time - like this will actually happen next year. Dunno, maybe it's wishful thinking. When this finally gets released it'll feel like a huge weight off my shoulder. As for True Lies, I snagged a Spanish grey market release earlier this year and it looks great so no rush on that one.

 

[Worth]

If it wasn't important to him, then why ask for approval of any new master created to serve a new format? If it wasn't important to him, Cameron could have just let Fox release it without his approval.

There were new masters of The Abyss and True Lies that made the rounds on movie channels, they just weren't released on disc.

 

[TonyD]

If it wasn't important to him, then why ask for approval of any new master created to serve a new format? If it wasn't important to him, Cameron could have just let Fox release it without his approval.

Scott. This has always been my question. If he moved on and seemingly doesn’t care or have any interest in this then why not let the studio handle it?

 

[Kyle_D]

Scott. This has always been my question. If he moved on and seemingly doesn’t care or have any interest in this then why not let the studio handle it?

Because when you are James Cameron and you have spent your career shrewdly building leverage over studios so they will fork over hundreds of millions of dollars and creative control to make your movies, it's not in your interest to cede any part of that leverage.

 

[TonyD]

That’s not the question.
He chose to not use that Specific leverage for ANYTHING.
So his leverage was to sit on the movie for 30 years and do nothing with it?

 

[JoshZ]

"Abyss" was "major" enough to get a special edition DVD release back when such things were rare.

And it was "major" enough to get that expensive laserdisc box almost 30 years ago.

No, it wasn't a hit at the box office, but it has a clear fan base - and a fan base that would buy it.

Plenty of movies that don't do much at the box office become successful on video, and "Abyss" is one of them - which makes it that much more bizarre it's not been re-issued since 1999.

That was a long time ago. The phyical media market is not where it used to be, and interest in this particular film has waned during its long unavailability as fans moved onto newer things.

It’s not really that much of a puzzle. Cameron asked for approval of any new master created to serve a new format, and around the time Blu-ray came into existence, he was focused on Avatar. After Avatar, he essentially took off half a decade from filmmaking to pursue his oceanic and environmental interests and it just wasn’t a priority for him. When he’s been asked about it in interviews, he’s expressed surprise that people are interested in old films - a lot of people when they finish a project move on to the next one and don’t look back, and that’s who he is. It’s not that he couldn’t have found 24 hours to work on it in the past 24 years - it just wasn’t that important to him.

You've posted two contradictory things here. If Cameron wasn't interested in looking at his old work, why would he demand sign-off approval for any new video release?

What you have said about moving onto new projects and forgetting the old ones may be true of a lot of filmmakers, but not of James Cameron, who has a long history of iron-fisted, micro-managing perfectionist contol over all of his work, both old and new.

 

[Kyle_D]

If you are thinking in terms of "specific leverage," or specific transactions, you are missing the point. It's all a power game. Cameron is one of maybe two or three filmmakers where the studios answer to him, not the other way around. When you are in that position, you do not give any power back to the studios, no matter how miniscule.

 

[YANG]

...You've posted two contradictory things here. If Cameron wasn't interested in looking at his old work, why would he demand sign-off approval for any new video release?...

to be fair... and i'm not speaking for Josh.
the initial release of T2 by Lionsgate didn't get any approval from Cameron right? and after the 4K optical disc product hit the market, Cameron was "displeased" about the transfer that he later come out with a self approved version?
that gives general folks an impression that studios can make the call to release any hot titles disregarding concerns from the filmmakers themselves...