Both Mortal Kombat films to get Blu-Ray release!

Fans of the old Mortal Kombat films will be pleased. Live-action video game-based films Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation will get the Blu-Ray treatment, their first HD release.

The first Mortal Kombat film was released in North American theaters on August 18, 1995. It was directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil, Alien VS Predator, Death Race) and made over 120 million dollars.

The sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation was released on November 21, 1997, and was directed by John R. Leonetti (The Butterfly Effect 2). The film critically panned, but still made over 50 million.

Both films are based on the very popular fighting video game series Mortal Kombat.

Both films will be re-released on Blu-Ray this April. If you are a fan, you will be happy to know that in the bonus features, it comes with the rare Mortal Kombat animated film.

Via DVDactive

The Last Unicorn to get Blu-Ray release!

Well, fans of the film rejoice. The Last Unicorn is finally getting a Blu-Ray release. It will be released on February 2011, and the pack will also come with a hi-def DVD, for those who don’t have a Blu-Ray player or a PS3. I saw this film when I was a kid, and it freaked me out, but then, who under the age of 10 didn’t freak out when viewing the animated film?

For those who don’t know, The Last Unicorn is an American animated fantasy film that was released in theaters in 1982. It is based on the book of the same name by Peter S. Beagle. The film ended up making over six million dollars, and opened to pretty good reviews, and the film currently retains a 50% rotten on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 83% viewer approval rating. The film now has a cult following among animation enthusiasts.

The film was directed by Jules Bass (The Little Drummer Boy) and Arthur Rankin Jr (The Stingiest Man in Town). It starred the voice talents of Alan Arkin, Angela Lansbury, Tammy Grimes, Mia Farrow, Jeff Bridges, and Christopher Lee. The film is about a unicorn who, upon learning that she is the last unicorn in the world, goes on a quest to find out what has happened to the others.

Lionsgate had previously re-released a DVD in 2007, but it was edited from the original version, which outraged fans.

News from AnimeNewsNetwork

FUNimation to re-release YuYu Hakusho on Blu-Ray in 2011.

Yes, you heard right. After almost a decade, one of FUNi’s first anime series will be getting a Blu-Ray release in season box sets. The first set will be released on March 2011, according to Right Stuf. About time, I say. I may have to finally buy the anime, since I really enjoyed the manga.

Yu Yu Hakusho is based on a manga series written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi (Hunter X Hunter, Level E) and was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1990 to 1994 and made 19 volumes, which Viz Media published under their Shonen Jump line-up. To this day, YuYu Hakusho remains known as one of the best Shonen Jump manga around.

The anime series ran from 1992 to 1995, and made 112 episodes. The series was animated by Studio Pierrot (Naruto, Bleach) and directed by Noriyuki Abe (Bleach, Flame of Recca). The anime, which was very popular, spawned two OVA from 1994 to 1996, and two films. The first was released in 1993, and the second in 1994. FUNimation has licensed the anime series, but the films were licensed by another company.

The series has also gotten novels, video games, CD’s, and art books.

FUNimation licenses Trigun film, Black Butler 2, and Darker than BLACK season 2.

Anime licensing company FUNimation just licensed some very popular anime: The Trigun film, titles Badlands Rumble, Black Butler 2, and Darker Than BLACK season 2. All of these anime seem to have a 2011 release date.

Trigun: Badlands Rumble is the first film based on the Trigun franchise. Trigun started out as a manga by Yasuhiro Nightow, and ran in Shonen Captain from 1995 to 1997, and made 3 volumes. In the US, all three volumes were released by Dark Horse Comics. The series was popular enough to spawn a sequel series by the same author, which ran in Young King Ours from 1998 to 2007, and made 14 volumes. It was called Trigun Maximum. In the US, it was also released by Dark Horse Comics.

The manga was adapted into an anime series in April 1998, and ran untill September that same year with only 26 episodes. It was animated by Madhouse, and was licensed by Geneon Entertainment, and it aired on Adult Swim and G4. Later, FUNimation re-licensed the anime. The film aired in Japanese cinemas on April 2010, and was also animated by Madhouse.

The manga, anime, and film follow the adventures of an infamous man named Vash the Stampede, who has a very large bounty on his head, so bounty hunters try to take hin in daily. However, he doesn’t know why he’s wanted, because he has amnesia. The franchise has a very large fanbase.

Black Butler 2 is an anime sequel series to Black Butler, which is based on the dark fantasy manga series by Yana Toboso. The manga started running in Monthly GFantasy on September, 2006, and is still running with 9 volumes. The manga is licensed in the US by Yen Press, and the first two volumes have been released.

The manga got an anime adaption on October 2008, and finished on March 2009 with 24 episodes. FUNimation also licensed that series. Black Butler 2 premiered on Japanese TV on July 1, 2010, and is ongoing. Both anime are animated by A-1 Pictures (of Kannagi fame).

Black Butler is about a 12-year-old noble who serves the queen. His “Black butler” Sebastian follows all his orders perfectly, because of possible demonic powers.

Darker Than BLACK season 2, AKA Darker Than Black: Gemini of the Meteor, is the seacond anime series for the Darker Than BLACK fantasy franchise. The franchise started out as an anime series on April 2007, and finished on September 2007 with 25 episodes. The series was licensed by FUNimation. That same year, it got two different manga adaptions.

In March 2008, it got a one-episode OVA, and then, on October 2009, Darker Than Black Season 2 started, and finished on December 2009 with 12 episodes. Both anime series and the OVA are animated by BONES (Famous for Fullmetal Alchemist, Soul Eater, and Eureka 7).

In the series, a group of people with mystical powers examine and attempt to study a strange occurence called “Hell’s Gate”. But, little do they know that dark secrets may be unburied.

All of these new licenses will probably get Blu-Ray releases.