UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- DVD collectors and fans of Oscar® winning filmmaker Peter Jackson's awe-inspiring masterpiece "King Kong" will be treated to a whole new thrilling movie experience when "King Kong: Deluxe Extended Edition" comes to DVD on November 14, 2006 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. This definitive three-disc version of Jackson's groundbreaking action-adventure film includes over 13 additional mind-blowing minutes of King Kong's astounding visual effects and exhilarating action. [More]

Tom Woodward from DVDActive.com writes: Just to say Universal has confirmed that the extended edition of Kong will be out on the 14th November in two editions. A standard three-disc, and a giftset. The full details should be up later today. [More]

A ton of interesting new films are out on DVD this week. Take an early look on our 'DVD Tuesday' feature...every Monday! Check out 'Carnivàle: The Complete Second Season', The South African drama 'Tsotsi' and a film no one has heard of, yet has some major stars in it, 'Edison Force'. [More]

Are you a fanboy? If you are, you'll know just what to do with this article about a small cadre of comic-book, fantasy novel and genre-movie obsessives who have transformed Hollywood: among them Kevin Smith, Peter Jackson, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, the Wachowski brothers and Sam Raimi. Save it. It could be worth money. In mint condition, of course. [More]

Wellington film-making couple Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh have donated $500,000 (US$311,000) to the University of California's research programme on human embryonic stem cells. "We have lost close friends and relatives to cancer and Parkinson's disease, and the level of personal suffering inflicted on patients and their families by these diseases is horrific," Jackson said today. "Stem cell therapy has the potential to treat a multitude of diseases and illnesses, which up until now have been labelled 'incurable'." [More]

From Garfeimao & the folks at WETA: Weta will be out in force (at San Diego Comic Con) showcasing it's dynamic Superman Returns collectibles and unveiling the first of our new Hellgate: London statues, based on Flagship Studios' hotly anticipated new video game. Comic Con will also be your very first chance to view the amazing new Weta Originals. The Weta Originals are like nothing you've seen before. Not to be missed! At the stand will be Weta Originals creator and Weta Workshop designer, Greg Broadmore. Greg designed armour, weaponry and creatures for King Kong and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He will be at Comic Con every day, as will our impressive Kong and Narnia collectibles, so come and meet him and be the first in the world to see his incredible new pieces of art. [More]

Jack Black doesn't look like a Hollywood movie star. He's short and rotund with hawk-like eyes glistening beneath Jack Nicholson eyebrows. And he certainly doesn't sound much like a Hollywood star: "Dude, I reckon I look pretty darn good in stretchy tights". And yet, somehow, the anti-hero has become a star. The adulation began six years ago with Stephen Frears's High Fidelity, in which Black's obnoxious record-store assistant Barry stole the show from the film's real star, John Cusack. At the same time, a short-lived HBO television series showcased Black's mock-metal band Tenacious D. Later this year they will take their act onto the big screen with Tenacious D in "The Pick of Destiny". [More]

The director of the highest-grossing movie of all time has visited Wellington on a trip believed to be connected to a new film project. Titanic director James Cameron is in preproduction for a science fiction epic Avatar, scheduled for release in 2008, with mounting speculation that Weta Digital might provide the special effects. A spokesman for director Peter Jackson confirmed the visit but said last night it was "for nothing business-related with Peter". "I'm not aware of any connection between Avatar and Weta Digital." The spokesman also dismissed as "pure coincidence" that Cameron and Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington were in the city about the same time late last month. [More]