Matrix Special Edition Cancelled

An anonymous reader writes "According to The Digital Bits, the recently announced Matrix Special Edition has been cancelled. Rumor is that it was cancelled by the Wachowski brothers in hopes of coming out with a Super Collectors Special Edition later."

Comments

No Official Reason?

[TPIRman]

From the article: "There's no official reason given as to why this SE was cancelled."

From the studio article in the same article: "Warner Home Video will not be releasing the previously announced The Matrix Special Edition double-disc DVD. In a shift in strategy to broaden The Matrix fan base prior to the May 15 theatrical release of the highly anticipated sequel The Matrix Reloaded, Warner Home Video will reprice The Matrix DVD to $19.99 SRP on April 29."

There's your official reason right there, and it's reasonable. If Warner released an expensive special edition now, it would push the standard Matrix DVD farther back on the shelves. The special edition would sell well, undoubtedly, but only already-dedicated fans would be willing to pay a steep price. With Warner's new strategy, stores will promote the newly-discounted standard DVD, and newbies will be that much more encouraged to get into the film -- and subsequently more likely to head to theaters for the sequel. Makes good sense from a marketing point of view.

Also, the article doesn't say that the SE has been killed forever -- indeed, it implies that a special edition of some kind will come out when Warner thinks the time is right.

Re:No Official Reason?

[Anonvmous Coward]

"don't see how NOT releasing the special edition is a better option, because then you're just depriving the fans."

"Milking the franchise via special edition DVD's" has been a hot topic lately. Lots of people feel burned when they buy a DVD, only to have a new DVD a few months later that contains bonus footage.

It's possible that the Wachao..uh...however-you-spell-their-name Brothers has concerns about this release tainting a future and potentially more lucrative release.

Re:No Official Reason?

[someguy]

You seem to be missing the idea behind normal retail.

Car dealerships don't have hundreds of models like places that sell movies have hundreds of movies.

Coke is a firmly entrenched product. In many places it isn't even competing with more than one other company. The campus I attend school at is exlusively Coke. This isn't a situation they can pull with the Matrix DVDs.

Your Warcraft example doesn't really hold up either. At most times there are no more than a few dozen titles that are being pushed by retail outlets. Again, many fewer titles to compete for marketshare than in the movie section.

Or maybe you do see the Matrix as being that important as to be on the same level. What WB seems to be trying to accomplish here is ensuring greater sales for the super Matrix edition later by teasing people in with the entry level. Newbies who bought the Matrix normal edition and fell in love probably wouldn't be willing to go out the next day and get the super version. Give them a few months to dig on the normal version AND a new movie - you've not only sold a basic copy, but a super copy as well to the same person.

Not to mention...

[JayBlalock]

The "Special Edition" DVD was going to be 90% recycled material from the original Matrix and Matrix Revisited DVDs, with only a bit more added. Perhaps someone realized that no one was going to buy it. (casual fans would just buy the movie, hardcore fans already have 'Revisited') Kudos to the Wachowskis for NOT trying to gouge their fans!

Very Nice Move

[Strange Ranger]

> Rumor is that it was cancelled by the Wachowski brothers in hopes of coming out with a Super Collectors Special Edition later."

rather than trying to milk us for both the Special Edition and then (surprise!) the Super Collectors Special Edition.
The theater release schedule is terrific as well.

The Wachowski brothers are going to have a huge and satisfied fan base simply by doing the opposite of whatever this guy has done.

Ah, the Lucas gambit

[sql*kitten]

Rumor is that it was cancelled by the Wachowski brothers in hopes of coming out with a Super Collectors Special Edition later

This is how it works:

1. Shoot a movie, but keep all the unused material from the cutting room floor
   
2. Every few months, splice some of these back into the film, think of a new name for the film like "Special Edition", "Director's Cut", "Colllector's Edition" or any combination of the above, or reformat it to widescreen. Sell this new film at full price in the stores.
   
3. PROFIT!!
   

Who are the customers? Die hard fans, and relatives who have no idea what to get someone for xmas/birthday but remember that they liked the film when it was on at the cinema. Don't get me wrong, I thought The Matrix was a good film, but it was never a cultural revolution, it was always a franchise.

DVD Crock !

[bushboy]

Beware of what your buying into...

You pay the price to see the movie big-screen and then they can fleece you later on with the same movie on DVD that has *EXTRA FEATURES*

Later on, there's a super-extended *Directors Cut* version.

The bad side of this digital-age is obvious - overpriced, over-sold, over exagerated, redundant.

The good side is not so obvious and rarely seen these days - pure quality and value for money.

This quality is out there, but my god, you have to wade through 90% of crap to find it.

Re:DVD Crock !

[stratjakt]

>> they can fleece you later on with the same movie on DVD that has *EXTRA FEATURES*

How is that fleecing you? You don't need to buy the Special Edition, the Collectors Edition, and the Boxed Set when it's released.

I don't get the whole "how dare they think of offering a product that I dont need" attitude.

You dont want it? Dont buy it. What's the rub?