Ahead of the release of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, there was no question that audiences would be interested in a new release from the filmmaker, though there were still some questions about how enthusiastic audiences would be about a story that has been told so many different times over the centuries. A month after the movie’s release, it is closing in on $1.3 billion worldwide, which safely cements the idea that, no matter how familiar audiences might have been with Odysseus, they still wanted to see Nolan’s take on the material.
Unless you’ve recently taken a course on Greek mythology, you might have been surprised by the events that were depicted in The Odyssey, or more specifically, surprised by the elements that weren’t featured. With a couple of thousand years having passed since they debuted, it’s easy for audiences to forget which iconic events unfolded in Homer’s Odyssey and which unfolded in Iliad. If you felt like Nolan’s film forgot to include some specific moments you remembered from mythology, then another action epic might fill in the gaps.
Released in 2004, Wolfgang Petersen’s Troy brought to life the story of Achilles, Helen, Paris, Agamemnon, and Odysseus. Much like The Odyssey, the 2004 Troy wasn’t the first time these stories were brought to life for a movie, but it was one of the largest productions featuring famous actors. Whether you’ve seen it before or are all-new to the story, a new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray of Troy is now available.
Much like how The Odyssey brought together some major names to play iconic characters, so did Troy, as it starred Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Brian Cox, Orlando Bloom, Diane Kruger, Brendan Gleeson, Rose Byrne, Peter O’Toole, and Garrett Hedlund. Chronologically speaking, the events of Troy take place before The Odyssey, as it explores the decade-long Trojan War, which only appears in brief sequences in Nolan’s film.
The new release, from Arrow Video, will mark the movie’s first time on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. In addition to the theatrical cut, the release includes the director’s cut, which is nearly 30 minutes longer. The full breakdown of special features can be seen below:
4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
- Brand-new 4K remasters of both the Director’s Cut and Theatrical Cut of the film from the original 35mm camera negative by Arrow Films
- Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by Priscilla Page and Laurie Maguire and an excerpt from the original production notes
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Peter Strain
DISC 1: THEATRICAL CUT (4K ULTRA HD)
- 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the Theatrical Cut
- Original lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio plus stereo audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
DISC 2: DIRECTOR’S CUT (4K ULTRA HD)
- 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the Director’s Cut
- Original lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio plus stereo audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Troy Revisited, an archival introduction by director Wolfgang Petersen
DISC 3: EXTRAS (BLU-RAY)
- In Movie Experience, an archive picture-in-picture commentary of the film
- Troy in Focus, a series of archival behind-the-scenes featurettes
- In the Thick of Battle, an archival behind-the-scenes featurette
- From Ruins to Reality, an archival behind-the-scenes featurette
- Troy: An Effects Odyssey, an archival behind-the-scenes featurette
- Attacking Troy, an archival behind-the-scenes featurette
- Gallery of the Gods, an archival introduction to the Greek Gods
- Easter egg
- Trailer
- Image galleries
Given how much attention the stories of Homer have earned in recent months, it’s an opportune time to revisit the historical epic. While Nolan’s movie has earned more at the box office and secured stronger reviews than Petersen’s movie, they each have their merits. Nolan’s The Odyssey aims to explore the aftermath of war and the toll it takes on someone, while Troy leans more into the bombastic spectacle of the harrowing story.
The new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray of Troy is available now.
