We got a peek at these releases last week in the form of a couple of trailers promoting the UK releases of Baz Luhrmann‘s Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet on Blu-ray disc. Now we’ve got the official North American release details for the titles and they look absolutely grand!

If the press release is any indication, I think we can safely say that these will be Blu-ray discs done right. Here are a few words from the director, Luhrmann himself, to assure you that these will be discs worth owning:

“As a fan, I’ve seen examples where the technology is so powerful, a much-loved film goes in for a Blu-ray treatment and, somewhat like a friend who has had too much surgery, you no longer recognize them.

“Mindful of the relationship evolved with many fans of these two films, the esteemed digital intermediate colorist Jan Yarbrough, who recently completed color restorations of North by Northwest and the Godfather films, and I sat together day in and day out seeking to maintain the color philosophy forged in the cauldron of shooting, while giving full reign to the power of high-definition technology to deliver a Moulin Rouge and an R+J that audiences will recognize but are nevertheless realized at the highest possible visual quality.

“As a filmmaker you never know whether you will ever have a chance to revisit movies again, and so we have gone about this with the attitude that this could be for the last time.”

Jan Yarbrough worked on these discs? That’s all I need to know to confidently pre-order them on Amazon. Just in case you need some more convincing, here are all the details:

Special Features:

• Spectacular, Spectacular: Picture-in-Picture mode with audio commentary by Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Donald M. McAlpine and Craig Pearce, and featuring behind-the-scenes footage and stills
• All-new featurette: A Creative Adventure, with introduction by Baz Luhrmann A Word from Baz
• Uncut footage from the Bazmark vault including:
  • Father & Son: a look at an alternate opening
  • Nicole Kidman’s first vocal test
• Production featurettes and interviews:
  • The Stars
  • The Writers
  • The Design
  • The Dance
  • The Music
  • The Cutting Room
• The Making of Moulin Rouge
• BD-Live
  • Live Lookup™ powered by IMDb®

Special Features:

• Shaking Up Shakespeare: Picture-in-Picture mode with audio commentary by Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Donald M. McAlpine and Craig Pearce and featuring behind-the-scenes footage and stills
• Uncut Footage from the Bazmark Vault
• Documentary: Romeo + Juliet: The Music
• Filmmaker and interview galleries
• BD-Live
  • Live Lookup™ powered by IMDb®

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