MOVIE NEWS – Warner Bros. is marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Harry Potter films with an elaborate collector’s edition: all eight movies will receive individual 4K UHD steelbooks housed inside a metal library-style case.

The Harry Potter Collection 25th Anniversary Library Case is listed for release in the United Kingdom on October 5, little more than a month before the first film reaches its quarter-century milestone. Every movie comes with a 4K UHD disc and a separate Blu-ray containing bonus features, giving the core collection sixteen discs.

A ninth steelbook accompanies the eight movie cases and stores the paper collectibles. Buyers will receive a certificate of authenticity, a reproduction of the Marauder’s Map, a map of Diagon Alley, eight travel posters and a sticker sheet. Warner Home Video has not yet announced a price or pre-order date, which may prove crucial after the publisher’s recent premium box sets.

Eight films, sixteen discs and nine steelbooks inside one metal case.

The original movies return before television starts again

The timing appears deliberate. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone opened in November 2001, while HBO’s new television adaptation premieres on December 25 with Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout in the leading roles. An October launch lets the classic cast dominate both the anniversary and holiday shopping seasons before the reboot retells the story.

The eight films earned close to eight billion dollars worldwide between 2001 and 2011, so Warner’s willingness to repackage the saga is understandable. Owners of the 2018 steelbooks or the Dark Arts collection should note that the new selling points are the library case and paper extras, not freshly produced 4K transfers. Whether the set is worthwhile may therefore depend entirely on the still-unrevealed price.

Source: MovieWeb