Disney sets Snow White at head of new Diamond line

PHYSICAL: Innovative interactivity includes dwarf personalization

By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 5/19/2009

MAY 19 | PHYSICAL: The Oct. 6 Blu-ray Disc release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will kick off a new brand from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, the Diamond Collection.

Envisioned as a step-up from the studio’s Platinum Edition series, the Diamond Collection will similarly feature legacy animated titles, but will be reserved for Blu-ray releases only. Following Snow White, the next expected Diamond releases from Disney include previously announced Blu-ray titles Fantasia, Fantasia 2000 and Beauty and the Beast.

Snow White will street on Blu-ray seven weeks before its standard DVD version streets on Nov. 24. It appears that Disney will be evaluating Snow White’s staggered approach before slating further titles—Diamond or otherwise—in this manner.

Disney also is introducing a new Blu-ray-exclusive bonus feature on Snow White. Dubbed ‘Magic Mirror,’ the feature serves as a navigational host through Snow White. It utilizes people’s viewing history in order to correctly suggest where to explore next in the film.

In other Blu-ray exclusives, people can create a personal message for a princess character to later convey to them via telephone in ‘Mirror, Mirror on the Wall.’ The feature ‘Scene Stealer’ lets viewers upload photos of themselves and join the actual film as one of the seven dwarfs. Featurette ‘Hyperion Studios,’ covering the film’s original production home, and games ‘What Do You See?’ and ‘Jewel Jumble’ also are included only in the Blu-ray version.

Priced at $39.99, the Diamond edition Snow White also holds a standard-definition DVD of the film.