Now then... the big news of the day is that Warner Home Video has announced the 5-disc Blu-ray 3D and 3-disc Blu-ray release of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Extended Edition on 11/4 (SRP $54.98 and $35.99). The Extended Edition will run some 25-minutes longer than the Theatrical Edition. The set will also include more than 9 hours with of special features.

The extras start with audio commentary by writer/director Peter Jackson and writer/producer Philippa Boyens. You’ll also get the multi-part, feature-length The Appendices: Parts IX and X behind-the-scenes documentaries. And there’s also the New Zealand: Home of Middle-earth: Part 2. Additional details should be available soon, but meanwhile here’s the cover artwork. It’s not up yet for pre-order on Amazon, but I’ll be sure to add clickable links when it is...

Also today, Universal has set Seth MacFarlane’s A Million Ways to Die in the West for Blu-ray and DVD release on 10/7. Extras will include commentary, deleted scenes, 3 featurettes (Once Upon a Time in a Different West, The Good, The Bad and the Increasingly Decreasing Population, and A Fistful of Dirt… in Your Mouth), plus a gag reel. The Blu-ray also includes an unrated version of the film.

Back tomorrow with more. Stay tuned...

- Bill Hunt