Movies 1-3 Question

[froakiefroak]

I've been wondering this question for years, in fact I made an account here to ask... Why have Movies 1-3 been out of print for years now? Their original DVD/VHS releases were nearly 15 years ago and absolutely nothing since. I'm really interested in what is preventing a re-release and why exactly? In January of 2014 Cartoon Network aired a "remastered" version of Mewtwo Strikes Back, why couldn't Viz go ahead and put out a Blu-ray?

I actually went ahead and purchased the bootleg Blu-ray versions off of eBay because I was so tired of waiting for some type of re-release here in the U.S. The Blu-ray releases are actually pretty nice, might I add. If anyone knows the ones that I'm talking about then feel free to bring them up here.

So... any legitimate reason as to why?

 

[SammyW27]

First off: Welcome to the Bulbagarden Forums! Here, have some PokePuffs! :cheers:

And to answer your question: it either has to do with litigation involving 3 or 4 companies, or they really just don't care.

Come to think of it, I have this funny feeling TPCI is slowly giving up on physical media... :-/

 

[froakiefroak]

First off: Welcome to the Bulbagarden Forums! Here, have some PokePuffs! :cheers:

And to answer your question: it either has to do with litigation involving about 3 or 4 companies, or they really just don't care.

Come to think of it, I have this funny feeling TPCI is slowly giving up on physical media... :-\

Thank you. I hope to be active around here as time goes on.

Really? I was kind of thinking the opposite lately. Re-releases of the older seasons (Indigo League, Orange Islands next month, Johto in the near future), sped-up releases for the latest seasons (more eps per set) and whatnot. Prior to the re-releases and faster releases last year I would have said the same thing as you. It felt like it was a new box set every few months, movie once a year and that was it. I realize all of these releases have flaws but that's another topic...

 

[Treacle]

I'm still wait for movies 8 & 9 to be released on DVD in the UK at all. Or pretty much any of the regular series.

 

[froakiefroak]

I'm still wait for movies 8 & 9 to be released on DVD in the UK at all. Or pretty much any of the regular series.

Movie 8 recently got a re-release here in the U.S. a year or so back, I believe. Albeit with the special 10th anniversary short cut out (2nd disc), but still a re-release. The shorts being included doesn't happen anymore anyway.

 

[Dogasu]

Why have Movies 1-3 been out of print for years now? Their original DVD/VHS releases were nearly 15 years ago and absolutely nothing since.

Actually the first three movies were released as a set back in 2009. It's out of print and the prices it's going for are insane, though.

I'm really interested in what is preventing a re-release and why exactly? In January of 2014 Cartoon Network aired a "remastered" version of Mewtwo Strikes Back, why couldn't Viz go ahead and put out a Blu-ray?

Warner Bros, as far as we know, still has the rights to those first movies. Viz Media can't do anything with those films until those rights expire.

The good news is that Viz has apparently just gotten the rights to Giratina and the Sky Warrior away from Universal Studios so it's entirely possible that they'll do the same if / when Warner Bros.' rights ever expire. Unfortunately we have no idea of knowing when that is.

At this point one's best bet would be to just import the DVDs from Japan. The Region 2 DVDs of the first three movies have both the Japanese version and the English dub on them, are presented in their proper aspect ratio (none of that cropped to 4:3 nonsense), are completely uncut, and have all these extras that the American releases didn't.

 

[froakiefroak]

Actually the first three movies were released as a set back in 2009. It's out of print and the prices it's going for are insane, though.

I used to own that set but the reason I didn't mention it was because it went OOP so fast. It wasn't even available for an entire year if what I read on an Arceus Gap blog post is correct.

Warner Bros, as far as we know, still has the rights to those first movies. Viz Media can't do anything with those films until those rights expire.

I thought Warner Bros. lost the rights to the first three movies? Back in 2010 The Movie 2000 was removed off of iTunes the day before the tenth anniversary, wasn't it? Again, this is coming from an Arceus Gap blog post which I've read through a few times.

Arceus Gap article:

Poke Press Updates: The Arceus Gap-a Space in the Pokémon DVD Release Schedule

 

[Dogasu]

It's hard to imagine that Viz Media would pass up the opportunity to snatch up those earlier movies if Warner Bros. no longer had the rights to them. They must still have a hold of them.

 

[Charmelizard]

It's hard to imagine that Viz Media would pass up the opportunity to snatch up those earlier movies if Warner Bros. no longer had the rights to them. They must still have a hold of them.

I asked about the three films on the Warner Archive Collection Facebook page two years ago, specifically regarding a Blu-ray of MSB. Their response was "Expired rights. Sorry."

 

[Yoshi1001]

It may be a case where no one involved has the full rights to release them, and the parties can't reach an agreement (almost certainly something money-related, but there's no way to really tell what the actual point of contention is). Without knowing what was in the contract that was signed back in the day, it's hard to say why these movies are stuck in this state.

 

[froakiefroak]

It may be a case where no one involved has the full rights to release them, and the parties can't reach an agreement (almost certainly something money-related, but there's no way to really tell what the actual point of contention is). Without knowing what was in the contract that was signed back in the day, it's hard to say why these movies are stuck in this state.

I seriously feel like it has something to do with the fact that all 3 of these movies received big theatrical release treatment, whereas Movies 4-onward didn't. Well, 4Ever/Heroes got very limited theater treatment I believe, not the same extent that these 3 did anyway.

Warner Bros. being the distributor for Viz also makes me believe they could work something out.

 

[Yoshi1001]

If I ever get a chance to talk to someone from Viz again, I'll see if I can at least find out who's responsible for what when a Pokémon DVD gets released.