Chat Transcript: 20th Century Fox's Peter Staddon on Home Theater Forum

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Chat Transcript: 20th Century Fox on HTF

The following is a complete transcript of the on-line chat with with Peter Staddon of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, held on Monday, December 2nd on The Home Theater Forum. Thanks to Ron Epstein, Parker Clack and everyone at HTF for all their hard work, and for providing the transcript for all to read. Enjoy!

Subject: Live Chat with Peter Staddon
Date: December 2, 2002

[RonEpstein] At this time I would like to say hello to Peter Staddon of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment....one of our most favorite guests. Hello Peter.

[peterstaddon] Hi Ron, and hello to all the htf folks I've met. Lets get rolling since I kept you all waiting

[RonEpstein] We are going to get started right away and open the floor...

[RonEpstein] Okay, PatrickMcCart is first...

[PatrickMcCart] Before I ask my question, I'd like to complement Fox DVD on the great work done in the past year, as well as future Fox Studio Classics line. As for my question... Are there DVD plans for the 1943 comedy, Holy Matrimony? It never has been on video and it's a really funny movie. Also, any plans for Cavalcade, The Big Trail, and the surviving John Ford silent westerns? Keep up the great work!

[peterstaddon] Thanks for the compliment. Holy matrimony no plans, Big Trail and Cavalcade should make it out in 2003 as part of the studio classics line.

[JohnSimon] Thanks for coming, Peter. I'm curious if you know of any plans to do something different with the 8th and 9th seasons of The X-Files, since they attracted less viewers during those seasons? aka outtakes, or another format?

[peterstaddon] We've actually just finished the materials for the final seasons, the format will remain largely the same with maybe a few suprises but they will be minor.

[MelissaC] In your opinion, what will it take to get the complete series Roswell released on DVD?

[peterstaddon] We are looking at that right now. The big issue is the music clearance costs which will run between 1 and 2 million dollars. That's a lot of cash to pay out for a series like this. we haven't got an answer but we are looking at trying to put season one out if we can reduce the clearance costs significantly

[Jay_Gregory] Any chances for more Altman on DVD? Particularly 3 Women and a Wedding?

[peterstaddon] I have to be a bit cryptic now, so bear with me. The good news is that 3 women will be coming out on DVD, but Fox will not be releasing it - not sure if that's bad news but when we can announce how we are bringing it to market it will make a lot of people on the board excited!

[PatrickLee] Thanks for being here for this chat, Peter! Can you tell me if Valley of the Dolls, and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, will be released on dvd in 2003?

[peterstaddon] Valley of The Dolls, yes - Beyond The Valley will be released in the same way as 3 women - I can't tell you what that involves yet as the deal hasn't been finalised! let the guessing begin!

[Vince_Maskeeper] Peter- nice to see you round these parts again-- we've missed you. I wanted to remind you that you told me last year that you'd check on rights to the ALTMAN film OC AND STIGGS .. so if you get a second I'd love to know if I should be bugging you or MGM for this personal fave. My current question is: any word on progress of the OFFICE SPACE:SE? Many of us are still waiting and seeing that non-anamorphic version, while affordable, is depressing...

[peterstaddon] The Office Space SE is held up big time. Agents got involved and it got ugly in a hurry. I think you will see Office Space 2 before you see the SE - but I haven't given up on it. I still have to check on OC and Stiggs.

[michaelsliger] Any chance of a status update for the "Millennium: Season 1" box set? Is the rumored "late 2003" release date realistic? Has any work been started to prep the episodes yet (hopefully 16x9 widescreen if that season was shot in that manner)?

[peterstaddon] That is another tv series I would love to see on DVD. The first two seasons were outstanding. I think you will see season 1 in 2003 and depending on how that sells we will release subsequent seasons. If it was filmed in 16x9 it will be released in 16x9!

[DaveAnderson] Hello Peter! Thank you much for coming. Any chance Fox will put the pedal to the metal in terms of the pacing on Simpsons releases? These are just taking too darn long! :) Also, when is Malcolm: S2 coming? Love the show - got into it thanks to the DVD set.

[peterstaddon] Simpsons does take a long time to develop, but you have to realise that matt and jim are very involved in the productions and they don't have a lot of free time with getting the show out. Season 3 will probably be in May 2003! I know, we would like to get it out earlier as well, but it is shaping up to have some really cool material on it. As for Malcom, we'll wait and see how season 1 sells - looking really good so far - and aim to get another season out in 6 months time. Something like that.

[Louis-Olivier] I was just wondering if there was any plan to release Space : Above and Beyond on dvd? This is my personal favorite and i shall not rest until i hold it in my bare hands! Also, are the rumours about family guy true?

[peterstaddon] Depends what the rumors are! But we will be releasing it - the lawyers are having nightmares with the commentary track at the moment! As for space above and beyond - you might not be resting for a year or so.

[StephenK] I notice clearing music rights becoming more and more of an issue with all Home Video releases for all studios, are studios moving to clear all subsequent video rights when acquiring them for feature release? We're losing many worthy home releases...

[peterstaddon] It is a huge issue, and you're right we have lost a number of releases. When new shows are created now the music clearances are often built into production costs, but you are faced with a group running one business who do not want to pay a million or so on clearances for a future dvd release as it raises their production costs today. It is getting better though The real problem is with catalog titles where there was absolutely no thought to clearance issues when they were produced. In that instance when you go to someone and start talking about clearances for DVD the $$$$ light goes on and they all think they have hit the jackpot. It is a real problem.

[JonB] Thanks for coming, I know you probably hear this question a lot but can you hint or say any 5 star dvds for the upcoming year? and can we expect King of the Hill?

[peterstaddon] We have stopped developing 5 star as a brand, but we will continue to produce significant special edition releases on catalog titles over the course of the next year or so. We have some incredible SE's planned on major films in our catalog. Some of them are re issues, some of them are new releases. As for KOTH expect it early 2003.

[AdamME] Any news on PCU or Fear of a Black Hat? Also, does Fox own the rights to the Ben Stiller Show?

[peterstaddon] Neither of those titles are being worked on at the moment, i'll have to check Fear of a Black Hat. The Ben Stiller show has some issues preventing us doing anything with it. I can't really say more than that.

[AaronMK] First, thanks for comming, always great to hear from you. Are there any plans for OAR DVD releases of "The Gods Must Be Crazy" and its sequal? Does Fox still own the rights to these? Also what is the outlook for consistent OAR support from the industry as DVD goes mainstream?

[peterstaddon] First on the OAR support, I can only talk from Fox's pov but we are unwavering in our support for OAR. That does not mean that we will release Pan and Scan versions as well, but OAR will always be available. The Gods must be crazy is being looked at but not for a good while yet.

[TedD] Thanks for coming,Peter. Any chances Fox will be revisiting the R&H musicals with new anamorphic transfers?

[peterstaddon] That's a difficult one because they don't sell that well now, and the cost of remastering is significant. Just trying to justify it from a return on investment would be tough, and as much as I would love to be able to say that we will be reissuing them, it's not on the cards at the moment.

[JasonHughes] Hello Peter! Any possibility of The Panic In Needle Park? AFAIK this is still a Fox title. Also, was that Office Space 2 remark a joke or is there something to it?

[peterstaddon] I never joke in a chat!! Panic in needle park is being looked at but probably not until the end of 2003.

[RonEpstein] I'll sneak in my usual question -- any chance of seeing "Lost In Space" TV episodes in the near future?

[peterstaddon] They nearly made it out in the first half of 2003, but the remake that we were going to tie it into fell through. We are looking to try and make the numbers work on Lost in Space and The Time Tunnel for 2003.

[ParkerClack] My question for the night---How are OAR titles selling in comparison to P&S titles for Fox in general?

[peterstaddon] It varies by title and genre. Something like Ep II will obviously sell more widescreen, a lot of other movies are more 50:50. More and more we will try to get both versions on one release as we did on Ice Age

[David_Lambert] Thanks for coming, Peter. Fox has great TV-on-DVD releases. What else is coming down the TV-on-DVD pike, especially where The Tick (animated or live, or preferably both) is concerned?

[peterstaddon] There are so many TV titles coming down the road that I don't know where to start/ Futurama, The Shield, King of the hill, Son of the Beach, nypd Blue, Dark Angel, Angel, Family Guy, and probably a couple that I've overlooked as well. There's more than enough to keep you watching tv 24/7 .

[DeepakJR] First, let me complement you on all the excellent product FOX has released lately, and especially for Journey To The Center of the Earth(which i have been waiting for years). Is there any word on Futurama or Family guy coming as season sets in the near future and is there any official word on a True Lies SE, now that uve dropped the 5 star line?

[peterstaddon] Both Futurama and Family guy will be out int he first half of 2003. True Lies will not be until late 2003 or possibly 2004. a lot depends on Lightstorms involvement. I think it will be a great disc when it , eventually, makes it out.

[TimSherrick] Hi Peter! Thanks for being here tonight, we really appreciate it!! First of all kudos on Fox Studio Classics…you've benchmarked in '03 for all the other studios, Great work!! Now for some begging and pleading for non-Oscar winners from the 40's & 50's, (believe these rights are all still with Fox) please consider SE's for the 60th Anniv of Lubitsch's Heaven Can Wait & 50th Anniv of Fuller's Pickup on South Street.

[peterstaddon] We have had a lot of fun picking titles for the studio classic line up. we've been working desperately to get a restored print of the Grapes of Wrath out, there are a few suprises in the list, Heaven Can Wait would be a good one wouldn't it ;) I think we also have to look at ways of bringing some of our deeper catalog titles out on DVD. Film noir titles like The Lodger should be out on DVD and we are getting close to the point that we can make them work. Expect to see deeper catalog release from fox in 2003.

[Justin_S] Thanks for coming! Many horror fans want Terror Train (check thread in Studio Feedback section) and Cemetery Man (aka Dellamorte Dellamore) on DVD. Do you have any plans to release these gems?

[peterstaddon] Both of those are candidates for 2003 Halloween releases, but they are not definate yet. again it depends on how well we see older titles sellign and how we can get our production and manufacturing costs down as low as possible on titles that have a lower revenue potential.

[Stephen_Orr] First, let me say "thanks" for all the great Fox DVDs that we've been seeing over the past few months. I just finished the commentary on Ice Age tonight, and of course, SWII:AOTC was super. That said, and you've heard it a million times, will we see Harryhausen's One Million Years BC?

[peterstaddon] Yes, it will be out in 2003 along with a couple of other Rachel Welch titles. It nearly made it into the journey to the center of the earth promotion but was pushed back by a few months.

[SteveK] Thanks for being here. Fox puts out some of the BEST releases. Any chance we'll see an R1 release of Predator SE soon?

[peterstaddon] Not soon, but probably in mid 2003. Predator 2 wiill be coming out before that.

[StephenFagan] Peter, thanks for coming. About TV on DVD, will Fox be committing with entire series runs with the DVD releases?

[peterstaddon] As a general rule yes. There may be exceptions. For example where the first season is very short we might release seasons 1 and 2 together. I also think we need to look at things like The Mary Tyler Moore show which was a disappointment to us in terms of the units that sold. It was a great product but people didn't buy it! Should we have done a best of MTM? I don't know the answer to that yet. But our general commitment is to release season sets.

[rhett] Justin beat me to the "Terror Train" question, but I just want you to know that I am highly anticipating its release! I will ask though, do you have any plans to release the "Beverly Hills 90210" series on DVD anytime soon?

[peterstaddon] I am not sure where the rights are with 90210. It was not a Fox production. I would love to release it, but it's not being worked on.

[BrianLawrence] Any chance of seeing Song of Bernadette or The Driver soon?

[peterstaddon] Song of Bernadette will be out as part of the Studio Classics, The Driver is not being worked on at the moment.

[DavidLawson] Peter, thanks for coming. You answered my Predator 2 question, but...how are Miller's Crossing and Barton Fink coming?

[peterstaddon] Both are finished. Expect them out in early 2003. They were held up for a while but are now moving forwards again. early 2003.

[JohnBerggren] Thanks for your commitment to 24. Q: Greg the Bunny, Ally McBeal, Alien Nation TV Series on DVD? Any Star Wars (or like biggies) on DVHS?

[peterstaddon] Ep II would look amazing on DVHS but that is something Lucasfilm have to decide on. Other DVHS titles will be coming out from Fox and I would expect to see several day and date releases on a lot of the big releases in 2003. Alien nation is being looked at . Ally Mcbeal is held up with staggering music clearance costs, greg the bunny - while it is a very funny and unique show, I'm not sure the audience is there in sufficient numbers for a release.

[AdamWM] Again, Peter, thanks for coming. FOX always delivers great DVDs. My question: Do you know of plans to continue releasing limited editions or discontinuing exitsing special editions of movies (i.e. Abyss or Fight Club). It is a tough situation for those new to the format. They will lose out on a lot of great special features. Brisco County, any chance?

[peterstaddon] Any SE's we take off the market (Abyss / id4 / fight club / etc) will be brought back from time to time. We are producing all our 2 disc SE's in Fight Club / Moulin Rouge style digi packs. The re designs on Abyss / Cast Away / ID4 look really good. They will all be available during the course of the year, but not neccessarily as an in line item. Brisco County is not being worked on.

[JackHarasta] Thanks for Zardoz, Mr. Staddon... any chance of a special edition of Romancing The Stone or any of Fox's remaining Mel Brooks films in 2003?

[peterstaddon] Romancing the Stone will not be reworked in 2003. Mel Brooks titles are in discussion at the moment, I'm not sure anything will happen as a result. If anything does happen it will be in late 2003.

[JohnRice] This is old news, but I want to thank you folks for the great job on Julie Taymor's Titus. Is there any chance for a release of the New Zealand Sci-Fi film The Quiet Earth on DVD, hopefully with a non-dubbed soundtrack, if there is one? It was originally released on VHS by Fox.

[peterstaddon] I'm not familiar with The Quiet Earth - I'll have to look it up. It's not being worked on now so I wouldn't expect anythign in 2003. Julie Taymor was great to work with, that was an intense film with some great dvd features.

[RobertCrawford] Good Evening Peter, my question is two fold. Several HTF members have expressed a desire to purchase the Sunris dvd without buying three classic film dvds. Is that possible? Secondly, are you going to announce any type of release schedule for these classics such as Laura and My Darling Clementine? Thank you.

[peterstaddon] Sunrise will only be available as a promotional item initally. Whether it appears as a saleable item later - in 2004 - is being discussed. As far as schedules are concerned, it literally depends on what we can pry out of the restoration dept's hands. Both Laura and My Darling Clementine will be released, both looking incredible. I would expect to see an announcement of the full years releases in February.

[Tony_Scello] Thanks for coming Peter. Will we finally see SE's of The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno in 2003? Two of my all-time favorites that I would love to see get the royal treatment on dvd.

[peterstaddon] I am not sure that we still retain the rights for both of those titles. They are not being worked on now, so I wouldn't expect anything out in the near future.

[Derek_M_Germano] Thanks for coming tonight- I asked this before, but any chance of THE LODGER and HANGOVER SQUARE coming to DVD?

[peterstaddon] I mentioned earlier that we are looking at ways of getting our older titles to market in a way that makes commercial sense. Both of these excellent film noir titles are being looked at and could make it out in 2003, but we have a fair bit of work to do on the production side to reduce our costs without affecting quality. thanks.

[JoshuaClinard] Hi. Thanks for coming. I really think that many people are buying Full Screen only because they do not know what they are missing by not having widescreen. All the people I talk to really do not know what the difference is, and once educated, almost all of them seem to think that widescreen is the obvious choice. But I can't talk to everyone! I think if the studios would educate the consumers, then there would be less returns at Wal-Mart and other retailers.

[peterstaddon] This is something I hear all the time, and the sad fact is that most people do not care about OAR. It is not an education issue - they have a square 27 inch or smaller TV screen and they want to fill it up! You can describe the benefits of widescreen until you are blue in the face to a number of people and they still will not care. That doesn't mean to say that we should give up the issue. We are including OAR and P&S releases on a number of titles on the same disc. We are looking to see if there is a way , using the disc that they have just bought that we can demonstrate the difference to them. but the sad fact is that the average DVD buyer at a Walmart simply does not care about OAR.

[BillHunt] Hi Peter. I just wanted to say "cheers" and see if you can talk about Kagemusha and that other project.

[peterstaddon] I can't really talk about either of those yet!! Kagemusha will fall into the same category as 3 women. It will be released in 2003 on DVD. The "other project" will have to wait for another month or so, but it will be big news! sorry to be such a tease.

[HakanPowers] Good morning (!) Peter, thanks for joining us today! What are the chances of an anamorphic Wing Commander ever seeing the light of day? also, did the situation with the problematic DTS track on Moulin Rouge ever get solved?

[peterstaddon] Wing Commander has had it's time on DVD, there will never be another version. The Moulin rouge DTS synch issue has been a bit of a puzzle to us, DVCC and DTs. After we heard the reports of problems we pulled 250 samples of the title from random manufacturing batches and tested them. We were not able to find a synch problem in normal usage. The only way we could get a synch problem to occur was to start the disc with one of the 5.1 tracks - either dolby or DTS - and play it for at least 10 minutes, and then switch the audio to the other 5.1 format using the remote. If you play the title from beginning to end with either DTS or Dolby selected we were unable to replicate any synch issues.I think I posted about this some time back.

[Scott_Leopold] Any chance of Cheaper by the Dozen coming to DVD? I've been looking for it for my mother for quite some time.

[peterstaddon] Not being worked on now, so it will be a while before it makes it to DVD.

[jeffgre] Thanks for coming tonight, any chance of seeing more classic TV on DVD from Fox, (St Elsewhere, and Hill Stree Blues specifically)

[peterstaddon] We are looking at Hill Street Blues, I think a lot will rest on how well we do with NYPD blue. If that works we will be more inclined to move forward with deeper TV shows. As I mentioned before MTM was a disappointment to us so we are looking at older TV shows with a bit more caution than we were before.

[JOshH] thanks for coming peter, does fox have any plans on releasing ROSWELL on DVD?

[peterstaddon] Already mentioned that we are looking at it but the music costs are staggering $1M - $2M. I wouldn't hold your breath on this one.

[GregW] Sorry if asked before any chance of the ALIEN SE in 2003 and great job on THE FRENCH CONNECTION set. Thanks for the chat tonight.

[peterstaddon] I can't really go into details yet but 2003 will be a huge year for the alien films on DVD. Can't say any more yet:)

[DavidR] Hi Peter. Do you expect to release Coccoon to DVD anytime soon?

[peterstaddon] Yes. Early 2003 1&2. Should have been out years ago!

[Steve_Sim] Good Evening Peter, What is the latest on HD DVD? Are the studios any closer on deciding on which laser format will work, and do you think we will see a new format in 2003? if not, what kind of time frame are we talking??? Thank you very Much and Have a Great Holiday Peter......

[peterstaddon] Studios and CE manufacturers are constantly talking about the next format. I am speaking as a personal observer here, not as an official studio rep,( for the lawyers out there) I believe there will be a single format, I believe that there are some big copy protection issues that need to be resolved. They will be resolved but it will take time. IT will not happen in 2003 possibly in 3 - 5 years time. Part of the reason Fox supports DVHS is because it sets a standard for high def content in terms of picture quality and copy protection. I believe that this is the minimum that we should set our sights on for HD DVD, but it will take a while.

[BlakeS] Mr. Staddon, I was a very loyal fan of FOX's show Dark Angel and ever since it's cancellation this past April I have been wondering when DVD's of its two seasons will be released in the United States, as they have already been released elsewhere? Also, would you by any chance know why the show was cancelled? There are many rumors about its cancellation.

[peterstaddon] I don't want to add fuel to any rumors so I won't comment on the reasons for the cancellation. You will see season 1 out in the first half of 2003.

[WernerH] Any plans to release the classic 39 episodes(Honeymooners) on DVD or a ID 4 DTS release. Does the the predator2 release have DTS? Thanks for a great job!

[peterstaddon] I'm not sure on the DTS track on Predator, there will not be a DTS track on ID4. No plans on The Honeymooners yet.

[coreyc] Great of you to be here! Is there a time frame for a "Futurama" release here in the States? Also, what's up with X-Men 1.5's nixed "new cut" and the rumored release of the animated series? Thanks a bunch.

[peterstaddon] Futurama will be in the first half of 2003. X Men 1.5 will not be a new cut of the movie but a 2 disc SE with 5 hours of new material, DTS track, Preview of X Men 2, free movie ticket to either Daredevil or X Men 2. It's pretty cool. Lots of multi angle material, lots of behind the scenes material.

[dougirving] Good eveing Peter. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. I arrived late to the party and so if this has been asked before, I apologize. What is the next scheduled 5 Star release and what's the status of the 60s Batman TV series?

[peterstaddon] Batman is held up in all sorts of legal / rights issues. I'd love to be able to release it but it just can't happen yet. We are not doing any more 5 star releases, but there will be plenty of 5 star calibre catalog release over teh next year or so - X Men 1.5 being a good example.

[WesR] Hey Peter! I'm glad to hear that Terror Train and Cemetery Man (hopefully uncut) are being considered for Halloween 2003. Can you give us some info on other possible candidates for that promotion? I know many horror fans out there are eager to hear of upcoming releases, since Fox (and Universal's) horror output during Halloween this year was a little scarce. Any reason there wasn't a bigger horror promotion this past year? Thanks!

[peterstaddon] I'm not in my office right now or I could look that up, I'm sitting at a desk in the IT dept as it was the only way to get through the new firewall they put in over Thanksgiving!! Last year we released a number of older horror titles and they did not do so well. I think that was one of the reasons this years offerings were a little bit lighter. It's all about getting the production costs on the older titles down so we can make money at lower volumes at the lower retail price points that are being offered.

[Bill_Buklis] I wanted to thank you for releasing "24" so quickly. Great set! I've always thought it would sell better if a TV series was released while it was current instead of waiting several years and I don't think it hurts the syndication market at all. Any truth to that? Oh, and what about The Tick? Especially the animated series, but I'm also interested in the live action version. When will it finally be released?

[peterstaddon] No plans on anything tick releated for 2003. As far as syndication and TV series, I think a lot of people are now seeing DVD as a way of helping build an audience and promote a show. Look at 24 / the Shield as examples. I would expect to see windows shrinking on new network shows. But some of the older shows were sold into syndication with a holdback period for Home entertainment release and we can't change that deal.

[JeffKleist] Thank you thank you for busting the syndication blockade on newer shows like Angel and Malcom Mr. Staddon. Assuming Firefly continues on its current patterns, is it likely that we'll 'see a 24-esque release next year? Please use a slipcase like LOTR:EE for it, brown leather look and feel with the gold logo. (You can put noggins on a slip like you usually put on the back) and preserve artistry. Also, what can you tell us about the extras for Buffy: Once More With Feeling? 5.1? New documentaries?(not the pap that was on the website please)

[peterstaddon] I think Firefly would be a really cool DVD, but there are no plans for it yet. I would love to release it on a short window, but I don't control that decision. I'll see what I can do about the leather slip case! As far as Buffy, I honestly don't know what has been planned but I'll make sure your input is taken about the pap on the website!

[Peter_M_Fitzgerald] Any chance of FLIM-FLAM MAN ('67) or EMPEROR OF THE NORTH ('73) in 2003?

[peterstaddon] Possibly Emperor of the North, but not Flim Flan Man.

[RonEpstein] Peter, what is the current estimated date on "All That Jazz"?

[peterstaddon] Depends on when Chicago is released ;) It will be in 2003.

[John] Could you tell us about the status of releasing Roswell on DVD, now that it will be airing in Sci-fi starting this January?

[peterstaddon] It's a problem with the music clearances. I wouldn't hold your breath on this one.

[MichaelK] Apologize if these were asked, Peter. Any word on the shelved "True Lies" 5-Star? Also, any word on a possible Cronenberg "The Fly " re-release? Finally, does Fox own the rights to "St. Elsewhere"?

[peterstaddon] St Elsewhere yes we do own the rights but are not working on the DVD yet. True lies will not be until late 2003 / early 2004 depending on when lightstorm have the time to fit in this project. Cronenbergs Fly SE may well be in late 2003.

[Derek_Bedard] Hey peter, thanks for the great Speed & Die Hard releases...really quick question.... do we anticipate a release of the ONLY movie I have seen 10 times in 1 week on HBO, the Samuel L Jackson & Damon Wayans underrated comedy THE GREAT WHITE HYPE on DVD, I am about to buy a VHS copy at Wal-Mart here...i'll even take a barebones version of DVD...thanks and maybe on that subject the James Earl Jones movie THE GREAT WHITE HOPE as well

[peterstaddon] Possibly towards the middle of 2003. We are just starting to look at catalog releases for the back half of 2003 and this title has been brought up a couple of times.

[John_Gilmore] Thanks for coming tonight, Peter. Any chance of seeing some of Fox's older, gay-themed films on DVD, such as Boys in the Band, Making Love or Staircase?

[peterstaddon] You know, I'm sad to say I'm not familair with these titles. We are not working on them now, but let me take a look at them.

[JoelC] Thanks for chatting. Hopefully this is an original question: any chance for the original Bedazzled in 2003? (and a second to the Firefly suggestion)

[peterstaddon] I'm not sure of the staus of Bedazzled.I know we looked at it when we brought out the remake, so it could be brought out quickly but it's not on the current release schedule. Firefly would be very cool .. ..

[Brian_Harnish] Peter - Thanks for coming! Is there any chance that you guys can speed up the Simpsons releases? If it will compromise the quality of the DVDs, I'd rather have the release schedule as is. Any possibilities of speeding up the releases...similar to the Star Trek releases?

[peterstaddon] I mentioned earlier that the issue with The Simpsons is that there are so many people who are involved with the DVD, and they are all incredibly busy working on the show for the network which has to take priority. We would all like to see the releases out quicker, but not as you point out if it hurts the quality. The next release is due out in May 2003 and there is already some very cool stuff on the discs that will make season 3 much better.

[Brett_Miles] Thank you again for coming. You mentioned the poor sales for MTM. I'd like to know how, in general, have your sales been on other TV product. Are they up to expectations? I hope The Simpsons (my personal favorite) is doing well enough! (And please don't drop the commentaries, as some suggest.)

[peterstaddon] The Simpsons is huge for us, its the best selling tv show there is. Buffy and X files are also very strong performers for us. This year is going to be a really interesting year for the TV DVD market.

[peterstaddon] as more and more releases from all studios make it to market consumers are not going to be able to buy and watch them all so some of them will work and some will fail. It's a question of setting expectations appropriately and developing product that works with the show. We will not be droppin commentaries.

[john_m] hello peter, anamorphic Planet of the Apes films and how about putting Conquest back the way it was when it previewed, it was an awesome version.

[peterstaddon] If we revisit the original Apes series, and that's a big IF, it will not be until 2004. If we do we will produce anamorphic discs.

[JamesGarner] any chance we may see "W W & The Dixie Dancekings" or "Pirate movie" soon?

[peterstaddon] I'm afraid not. Neither are being worked on and I'm not sure how big the demand would be for either movie. But never say never.

[DomeVongvises] I want to thank Peter for coming to the forum. It's a simple question,are we going to see a widescreen version of My Neighbor Totoro?

[peterstaddon] I'm afraid not, we do not have a widescreen master and have no rights beyond the version we do have. I would have liked to released an OAR version as I love his work.

[Seth_T] All that I wanted to say is... Thank you for coming to this chat Peter! It's nice to see you here once again. I...WE appreciate everything Fox has done for DVD. Keep up the GREAT releases and high quality! Hopefully there'll be another meet again sometime I'll be able to attend down there. :) :

[peterstaddon] That gets the easiest question of the night award!!

[GaryC] hi Peter.. any chance of Undeclared or In Living Color episodes? Thanx

[peterstaddon] In Living Color is a clearance nightmare, not just music but artist approval rights etc. I really dont think that will happen. Undeclared I am not familair with. It is not being worked on right now so nothing will be happening until 2004 at the very earliest, I wouldnt get your hopes up.

[RonEpstein] Jonathan Hickey is next...

[jonathan_hickey] I'm late coming to the chat, so please forgive me if this has already been asked. At the las HTF chat with you I asked a about a rerelease of Home Alone. You had said maybe Holiday season '02. Is there any new information on this title. Thanks and keep up the good work!

[peterstaddon] The re release got held up and didn't make it out for this year. It should make it out for next christmas. There are 101 things that can hold up a dvd release during production and this one hit a few of them!

[NeilJoseph] Quick question. Is there any chance of a re-released "White Men Can't Jump" 16x9 SE with a 5.1 soundtrack. We appreciate you attending this chat.

[peterstaddon] No plans to re release it. Isn't the disc 16x9? but no plans to produce a new disc.

[BillGrandPre] Will a corrected version of the X-Files episode "Triangle" on Season Six be made available? The episode is of noticabely worse quality compared to the other episodes in the set (which look neat)

[peterstaddon] I saw the thread on this and have asked for a QC evaluation to be done ASAP. I think there is a chance that a new disc will be available as a replacement, but not until January. When it is available I will let Ron know. It's thanks to the forum that this got brought to my attention. I still lurk a lot :)

[MattGoddard] Thanks Ron and especially thanks to Peter for doing the chat and the great product coming out of Fox. Any word on either the Jack Benny or Mel Brooks versions of To Be or Not to Be? I'd love to see this packaged as a double feature!

[peterstaddon] We have finished the work on the Mel Brooks version, it's held up pending resolution of some other issues. We haven't done anything with the Jack Benny movie so there won't be a double pack - but a pretty cool idea!!

[Vince_Maskeeper] I wondered if you could expand a bit on the decision to phase out the "5 star" label? I was talking here before the chat about how 5 star titles are my fave SE series from any studio, and I've purchased every single one of them- even on films I was 50/50 on knowing the conent would be top notch. I'm sure Fox will continue with great stuff, but just wondering why you are getting rid of such a great banner...

[peterstaddon] A lot of people didn't like the banner, and felt it didn't help sales. I think that it served its purpose but now we can move on to producing Catalog SE's as event releases in their own right rather than as part of a collection. Part of the debate was is developing the 5 star brand becoming a detriment to the promotion of an individual title. It is hard to get retail in particular to look at a catalog release as an event title if it was linked to a 5 star release. X Men 1.5 is a good example of this. It was a tough decision but "5 Star" is no more - but the quality and commitment to creating outstanding catalog dvd releases is a sstrong as ever.

[Vince_Maskeeper] it's sad to hear retailers could be so short sighted-- as a consumer I looked at 5 star as a way of knowing I was getting the best.

[peterstaddon] I hear you.

[RonEpstein] Peter, on behalf of everyone, I wish to thank you for taking the time to be with us tonight. I also find myself continuing to thank you for embracing our forum like no other studio has. You truly understand the power and value of the Internet and the consumers that reside in it. We appreciate your continued support of our forum. Thanks for being here tonight. (Phew! I think I got that all out!)

[peterstaddon] I would like to wish everyone a happy holiday season, and thank all of you who helped support fox over the last year. Thanks also for making Ice Age such a huge success for us over the last week. We have even better stuff in 2003. Daredevil looks very very cool, Master And Commander will rock, and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen will give a new take on comic book heroes. Thanks to Ron and Parker for putting this together.

Session Close: Tue Dec 03 00:09:22 2002

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