Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy are "Wanted" on DVD & Blu-ray (Dec 2)

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Yesterday Universal Home Entertainment provided the first details for their forthcoming DVD and Blu-ray release of WANTED - the summer action stunner from Russian-Kazakh film director Timur Bekmambetov, starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, and Morgan Freeman.

Scheduled to debut on December 2, Universal will release separate $29.98 single-disc DVDs (for either Widescreen or Full-screen viewing), 2-disc Widescreen DVD Special Edition ($34.98, w/bonus Digital Copy of the film), and in high-definition on Blu-ray ($39.98, also includes bonus Digital Copy 2nd disc).

Further, the studio is offering a separate "Collector's Edition Giftset" which includes the same content on either the 2-disc DVD ($64.98) or 2-disc Blu-ray ($69.98). Available in premium packaging, it features special added-value content (including a "Book of Assassins", 4 collectible postcards and a lenticular scene in an acrylic frame).

UPDATE: The added DVD & Blu-ray Special Edition bonus features include the following:

* Alternate Opening
* Extended Scene
* DIGITAL COPY (2nd disc)
* 8 FEATURETTES:
-The Making of Wanted: The Game
-Cast and Characters
-Stunts on the L Train
-Special Effects: The Art of the Impossible
-Groundbreaking Visual Effects: From Imagination to Execution
-The Origins of Wanted: Bringing the Graphic Novel to Life
-Through the Eyes of Visionary Director Timur Bekmambetov
-Wanted: Motion Comics

The Blu-ray version is BD-Live Enabled, and also includes Universal's U-Control capability with these additional features:
BD Exclusive:
-Motion Comics (U-Control)
-Scene Explorer (U-Control)
-Assassin Profiles (U-Control)
-BonusView Picture in Picture (U-Control)
-My Chat (BD-Live)
-My Wanted Commentary (BD-Live)
-My Scenes Sharing (BD-Live)
-Exclusive Content (BD-Live)

"WANTED" - Explore the film further:

> THEATRICAL REVIEW »
(by William David Lee and John J. Puccio)

> VIDEO Clips » (over 5 minutes)

> WANTED Trailers (w/HD) » (Apple.com)

Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, pervasive language and some sexuality.

Film Synopsis:
Their world. Her rules. His destiny.

25-year-old Wes (James McAvoy) was the most disaffected, cube-dwelling drone the planet had ever known. His boss chewed him out hourly, his girlfriend ignored him routinely and his life plodded on interminably. Everyone was certain this disengaged slacker would amount to nothing. There was little else for Wes to do but wile away the days and die in his slow, clock-punching rut. Until he met a woman named Fox (Angelina Jolie). After his estranged father is murdered, the deadly sexy Fox recruits Wes into the Fraternity, a secret society that trains Wes to avenge his dad's death by unlocking his dormant powers. As she teaches him how to develop lightning-quick reflexes and phenomenal agility, Wes discovers this team lives by an ancient, unbreakable code: carry out the death orders given by fate itself. With wickedly brilliant tutors -- including the Fraternity's enigmatic leader, Sloan (Morgan Freeman) -- Wes grows to enjoy all the strength he ever wanted. But, slowly, he begins to realize there is more to his dangerous associates than meets the eye. And as he wavers between newfound heroism and vengeance, Wes will come to learn what no one could ever teach him: he alone controls his destiny.

Loosely based on the comic book miniseries of the same by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones, WANTED, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, follows anxiety-prone office drone Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) as he is inducted into the Fraternity, a clan of powerful killers that counted his father as a member. Pursued by rogue agent Cross (Thomas Kretschmann), Wesley is trained by the sleek, sexy Fox (Angelina Jolie) and the charismatic Sloan (Morgan Freeman), among others, to be just as proficient and deadly as his father. Once Wesley becomes a master assassin, he must confront Cross, and contend with the stunning ramifications of that encounter.

Straying rather far from the WANTED comic's supervillain-centric premise, the film version runs with the edgy Eastern European aesthetic by (Russian director) Bekmambetov, who garnered international recognition with the stylish vampire epic Night Watch. While Jolie is a gleefully destructive presence in her action-heavy scenes, the film belongs to McAvoy, who transforms from milquetoast to manhunter with verve and charm.

And like the similarly themed The Matrix before it, WANTED also showcases some eye-catching special effects, most notably in the loopy concept of "curving bullets." Though devotees of the Wanted comic may be dismayed with the many liberties taken with the story, the movie is undeniably energetic and entertaining, making it fun summer blockbuster fare.

Please Note - More details:
Be sure to check out the full details under related releases.

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