NES Movie The Wizard Getting a Special Edition Blu-Ray Release
12/20/2019 01:05 am EST
The Fred Savage movie The Wizard, a 1989 film about kids on a road trip to play in a video game competition, is getting a 2-disc collector's edition Blu-ray release in March. The film will be released from Shout! Factor's Shout Select and mastered from a new 4K scan of the film and comes loaded with all-new bonus features including never-before-released deleted scenes, audio commentary with director Todd Holland, and interviews with cast and crew including actors Fred Savage and Luke Edwards. Fans can preorder the film, which comes with a Super Mario Bros.-inspired cover, at the Shout! Factory website.
If you have never seen the movie, or have forgotten it in the thirty years since it was released, here's the official synopsis: Haunted by a family tragedy, and desperate to get to California for some unknown reason, young Jimmy Woods (Luke Edwards, Newsies) flees with his conniving brother, Corey (Fred Savage, The Wonder Years). Along the way, they encounter Haley (Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley), a street-smart teen on her way to Reno. Together, they make their way to California, pursued by a sinister bounty hunter, as well as the boys' father (Beau Bridges, The Fabulous Baker Boys) and brother (Christian Slater, Kuffs). Meanwhile, their ticket to California just might be found in Jimmy's hidden talent: video games!
The Blu-ray release will come with a variety of bonus features, many of which are new to this edition and have not been a part of earlier home releases of The Wizard. You can see a list below.
DISC ONE:
- NEW 4K Transfer
- NEW Audio Commentary with Director Todd Holland
- NEW Never-Before-Released Deleted Scenes
- Trailers
DISC TWO:
- NEW "The Road to Cali-forn-ia": A Look Back At The Wizard Including Brand-New Interviews With Todd Holland, Stars Fred Savage And Luke Edwards, Writer/Producer David Chisholm; Producer Ken Topolsky; And More!
- NEW "How Can I Help You? Confessions of a Game Play Counselor"
- NEW "A Clinical Analysis of The Wizard"
Post Screening Q&A From Let's Play Gaming Expo 2019 With Luke Edwards, David Chisholm, And Ken Topolsky - Photo Gallery
Despite negative reviews, the movie earned a little over $14 million at the domestic box office at the time of its release against a $6 million budget. That wasn't enough of a profit to earn sequels or anything, but enough people saw it that it was able to garner a cult following over time.
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