DISNEY PIXAR HOPPERS HOME VIDEO RELEASE

Take your family on a wildly fun adventure when Disney and Pixar’s Hoppers lands on digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home on April 28 and also on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD June 2. In this animated comedy adventure, animal lover Mabel seizes an opportunity to use a new technology to ‘hop’ her consciousness into a lifelike robotic beaver and communicate directly with animals. As she makes amazing discoveries, Mabel befriends a charismatic beaver and must rally the entire animal kingdom to face a major, imminent human threat.

The home video digital and disc releases include the following bonus features:

The Critter Diaries: Wander behind the scenes with director Daniel Chong and the Pixar team as they explore Yellowstone, study wildlife, and find real-life inspiration for our favorite new animated characters from Hoppers. 

Hopping In: The Making of Hoppers: Hop into the making of the movie as filmmakers, cast, and crew share how their ideas, collaboration, and creative process brought the story, animation, and lovable characters to life in Pixar’s Hoppers. 

"Meet King George" Scene Breakdown: Dive deep with director Daniel Chong and his filmmaking team as they reveal the craft of making King George’s Superlodge. Get insight into the directing process, editing, VFX, animation, and production design. 

Beaverton Revealed: Explore Hoppers to find surprising Pixar film cameos, hidden references, and plenty of fun, behind-the-scenes facts. 

Dam Good Bloopers: Laugh along with your favorite voice actors from Hoppers as they have fun bringing their characters to life in the recording booth. 

Deleted Scenes: Check out these scenes that didn’t make the final cut, as introduced by director Daniel Chong and editor Axel Geddes. 

DOG MAN ARRIVES ON HOME VIDEO

Part man, part dog, all hero! As the movie adaption of the popular middle grade graphic novel DOG MAN wraps up its theatrical run it is now also available to view on Digital, DVD and Blu-ray. Thank you to Universal Pictures Home Entertainment for sending this Geek Daddy a special delivery that included a DOG MAN backpack, graphic novel and a Blu-ray of the movie to announce that the film is now available to add to home entertainment video libraries.

From the creators of How to Train Your Dragon and The Wild Robot comes the canine crime-fighting film adaption of Captain Underpants' author Dav Pilkey's other tween focused hit series, DOG MAN. When a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured on the job, a harebrained surgery fuses the two of them together and Dog Man is born! 

As he embraces his new identity and strives to impress his Chief (Lil Rel Howery), Dog Man must stop the villainous Petey the Cat (Pete Davidson) from cloning himself and creating an evil kitten whom will double his evil abilities. The story takes a turn when the kitten forges an unexpected bond with Dog Man and in the process, they discover the power of family to bring even the most hostile foes together. 

As we've come to expect with home video releases, there of course is bonus content included. The home video release of DOG MAN includes the following featurettes:

MEET THE PACK: Go behind the scenes of the DOG MAN recording sessions as we meet the actors who bring the characters to life and watch them perform some of the silliest lines from this family-friendly flick.

THE MAKING OF DOG MAN: A SARAH HATOFF EXLUSIVE: Ace reporter Sarah Hatoff delivers a special report on the making of DOG MAN. Learn the story, characters, and comic book animation behind Dog Man's big screen debut.

HOWL TO DRAW FLIP-O-RAMA STYLE: Learn how to draw Dog Man, Petey and Li'l Petey then transform your drawings into a Flip-O-Rama.

HOWL TO MAKE DOUGHNUTS FOR DOGS: Police officers and dogs both share a love of doughnuts! Learn how to make fido friendly doughnuts for your canine best friend.

COMMENTARY WITH SCREENWRITER/DIRECTOR PETER HASTINGS

Enjoy a family movie by purchasing it from your favorite digital retailer (Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Microsoft Movies & TV, and Movies Anywhere) or purchasing a DVD or Blu-ray from Amazon.com. Filled to the brim with humor, heart and tail-wagging action, DOG MAN is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) for some action and crude humor. For more information, visit dreamworksdogman.com

This post has affiliate links, which means this blog could earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn't cost you anything extra, ageekdaddy.com just has to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

STAR TREK SECTION 31 HOME VIDEO RELEASE

Following its premiere on Paramount+, the STAR TREK: SECTION 31 movie arrives April 29, 2025 in a 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray™ Combo, a collectible 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray SteelBook®, on Blu-ray™, on DVD, and on Digital from Paramount Home Entertainment. STAR TREK: SECTION 31 is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America [MPAA] for violence/bloody images, suggestive material and some language. The home video release will feature over an hour of special features along with the movie.

STAR TREK: SECTION 31 stars Academy Award® winner Michelle Yeoh, who reprises her fan-favorite role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou. She joins a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets, while facing the sins of her past. The film also stars Omari Hardwick and Emmy® winner Sam Richardson. Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, STAR TREK; SECTION 31 also stars Robert Kazinsky (Pacific Rim), Kacey Rohl (Hannibal), Sven Ruygrok (One Piece), James Hiroyuki Liao (Barry), Humberly Gonzalez (Ginny & Georgia) and Joe Pingue (The Expanse). Miku Martineau (Kate) portrays a young Philippa Georgiou.

Special features included with the featured presentation in the home video release:

+ Art Squad - Production Designer Paul Kirby and Set Decorator Summer Gaal take us through the sets designed for Section 31. (available only on UHD, Blu-ray and Digital) 

+ Alpha Squad - A breakdown of each of the six members of the Section 31 Squad: Alok, Quasi, Zeph, Rachel Garrett, Melle and Fuzz. 

+ Stunts Squad - Stunt Coordinator Christopher McGuire and his team take us through the prep and execution of many of the stunts designed for the film. 

+ Gear Squad - Prop Master Mario Moreira gives a look inside the prop closet and all the gadgets 

+ Georgiou - Philippa Georgiou is one of the most complex characters in Trek history. Sometimes a villain. Sometimes a hero. The producers, screenplay writer Craig Sweeny, the team that created her look, and the Emperor herself, Michelle Yeoh, talk about further developing this fascinating character. 

+ Gag Reel

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN HOME VIDEO RELEASE

Nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director James Mangold and Best Actor Timothée Chalamet, A COMPLETE UNKNOWN is available to add to your home entertainment video collection via Digital now and April 1, 2025 on 4K and Blu-ray. This Bob Dylan bio-pic is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America [MPAA] for language.  Directed by James Mangold, A COMPLETE UNKNOWN offers an intimate portrayal by actor Timothée Chalamet of Bob Dylan's transformative years in the early 1960s.

New York, 1961. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music. He forges intimate relationships with music icons of Greenwich Village on his meteoric rise, culminating in a groundbreaking and controversial performance that reverberates worldwide. Timothée Chalamet stars and sings as Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown, the electric true story behind the rise of one of the most iconic singer-songwriters in history. The film also stars Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo, Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash and Scoot McNairy as Woody Guthrie.

Bonus features included with the home video release include featurettes on the making of the movie and audio commentary by Director James Mangold.

DISNEY'S HAUNTED MANSION COMES TO HOME VIDEO

Just in time for Halloween Disney's HAUNTED MANSION movie is being released for home video. The film is available now on Digital and will be out on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD beginning October 17, 2023. In addition to the featured presentation, the home video release of HAUNTED MANSION provides never-before-seen bonus content including deleted scenes, a gag reel and exclusive featurettes. 

Inspired by the classic theme park attraction, HAUNTED MANSION tells the story of Gabbie (Rosario Dawson), a single mom, who discovers that the home she and her son share is haunted by irksome ghosts. Hoping to restore domestic tranquility, Gabbie recruits a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid the house of the supernatural squatters. The movie is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

HAUNTED MANSION HOME VIDEO BONUS CONTENT

FEATURETTES: 

Making Haunted Mansion (13:05) Hear from cast, crew and filmmakers about creating this grim grinning adventure based on the world-famous ride. See how the ghosts were "brought to life," what role new technology played, and how the wildly popular attraction inspired the film's design. 

999 Happy Haunts (7:05) There are 999 Happy Haunts inside the Disney Parks' attraction...but always room for one more! See all the Easter eggs (well, maybe not all of them) where characters big, small, alive, departed, human and otherwise appear in both the movie and the ride. 

DELETED SCENES: 

Take a look at some moments that passed on before the final version of Disney's HAUNTED MANSION was finished.  

Carol (0:45) 

 1 Star (0:44) 

 Harriet’s House Of Intuition (3:11)

 They Say The Place Is Haunted (1:16) 

 Between Realms (1:42) 

 Crump Manor (1:07) 

 Emergency Baptism (1:01)

 A Good Head For Business (0:32) 

 GAG REEL:

 Who knew making a scary movie could be so funny!

Have yourself a spooktacular Halloween family movie night watching Disney's HAUNTED MANSION. Are you geeked that the movie is now available to add to your home entertainment video library?

This post has affiliate links, which means this blog could earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn't cost you anything extra, ageekdaddy.com just has to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

BONUS CONTENT FOR THE HOME VIDEO RELEASE OF ELEMENTAL

Welcome to Element City, where the fiery Ember Lumen and the go-with-the-flow Wade Ripple are about to discover what happens when fire meets water in Pixar Animation Studios’ newest movie, Elemental, which debuts today on all major digital platforms (Apple TV, Prime Video, Vudu, etc.) and will be released for 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on September 26, 2023. Of course, you can't have a home video release without bonus content that compliments the feature presentation. From deleted scenes to an all new short, there is a lot of fun extras included on the Digital, DVD, Blu-ray and 4K releases of Elemental. Note bonus content varies by retailer and product and may include:

• Short Film Carl’s Date – Written and directed by Academy Award® nominee and Emmy® Award winner Bob Peterson and produced by Kim Collins, this all-new short, “Carl’s Date,” finds Carl reluctantly agreeing to go on a date with a lady friend —but admittedly with no idea how dating works these days. Ever the helpful friend, Dug steps in to calm Carl’s pre-date jitters and offer some tried-and-true tips for making friends — if you’re a dog. “Carl’s Date” opened in theaters in front of Disney and Pixar’s Elemental. 
•  Featurettes 
•  Ember and Wade – Take a deeper look at the development of main characters Ember and Wade, from early designs to final effects, and learn how the complex work of the technical and character teams brought these characters to life. 
• Next Stop: Element City – Explore how Element City is built to accommodate its different inhabitants. Director Peter Sohn and crew members share insights about the evolution of the designed world, as well as some of the research that inspired its unique look. 
• Paths to Pixar: The Immigrant Experience – Hear from first-generation filmmakers on the Elemental crew as they share their journeys to Pixar. Discover how Elemental’s real-world themes of sacrifice and identity, amongst many others, reflect or diverge from their own lived experiences. 
•  Deleted Scenes – Director Peter Sohn introduces five scenes that are storyboarded, set to music, timed, and voiced, but are not included in the final version of Elemental. 
•  Intro Ember – An alternate opening in which our hero Ember helps a newly immigrated Fire family navigate through, and acclimate to, Element City. Scene introduced by director Peter Sohn. 
• Mom Rejects Wade – Ember’s traditional parents learn that she’s enamored with watery Wade…and it doesn’t go well. Scene introduced by story supervisor Jason Katz. 
• Dante Challenge – In an attempt to keep Ember apart from Wade, Bernie tasks her with finding a place to live for newcomer Dante, who Wade finds himself rather enamored with. Scene introduced by story artist Nira Liu. 
• Brook Dinner – Ember joins Wade for dinner at his home, in this abandoned storyline in which Wade’s mother, Brook, is revealed to be the villain diverting water into Firetown. Scene introduced by story artist Anna Benedict. 
• Beach Proposal – Sharing a tender moment on the beach, Ember and Wade propose marriage to each other. Scene introduced by story artists Yung-Han Chang and Le Tang. 
•  Audio Commentary – Join director Peter Sohn, supe tech Sanjay Bakshi, supervising animator Mike Venturini, and directing animator Gwendelyn Enderoglu as they provide insight into the making of this remarkable animated feature while you watch it.

Elemental is an original feature film set in Element City, where residents of Fire, Water, Earth and Air live together. The story introduces Ember, a tough, quick-witted and fiery young woman, whose friendship with a fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy named Wade challenges her beliefs about the world they live in. Directed by Peter Sohn (“The Good Dinosaur,” “Partly Cloudy” short), and produced by Denise Ream (“The Good Dinosaur,” “Cars 2”), Elemental features a screenplay by John Hoberg & Kat Likkel and Brenda Hsueh, and stars the voices of Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie as Ember and Wade.

DEATH ON THE NILE SAILS TO HOME VIDEO

The recent film adaption by 20th Century Studios of the Agatha Cristie mystery novel DEATH ON THE NAIL sailed into Digital availability today and on April 5 can be added to your home entertainment video library via 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD as well. This film featuring an all-star cast brings new life to a story featuring murder, the majestic Tiffany Diamond, exotic Egyptian locals along the Nile River, and the sleuthing skills of renowned detective Hercule Poirot. Death on the Nile is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for violence, bloody imagery and sexual material.

Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot’s spectacular Egyptian vacation aboard a river boat becomes a terrifying search for a murderer after a picture-perfect couple’s honeymoon is cut tragically short. Enhancing the tension of the situation is the presence of The Tiffany Diamond, the world's largest and finest yellow diamond, on the river boat. Based on Agatha Christie’s novel, this tale of passion and jealousy is filled with wicked twists and turns until its shocking finale. The film's cast includes Kenneth Branagh (Hercule Poirot), Tom Bateman (Bouc), Annette Bening (Euphemia Bouc), Russell Brand (Dr. Bessner), Ali Fazal (Andrew Katchadourian), Dawn French (Bowers), Gal Gadot (Linnet Ridgeway Doyle), Armie Hammer (Simon Doyle), Rose Leslie (Louise Bourget), Emma Mackey (Jacqueline de Bellefort), Sophie Okonedo (Salome Otterbourne), Jennifer Saunders (Marie Van Schuyler) and Letitia Wright (Rosalie Otterbourne).

Of course, because this is a home video release, in addition to the theatrical release of the movie there is also bonus content included with Death on the Nile 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital. Add-ons include deleted scenes and four featurettes:

Death on the Nile: Novel to Film – Explore the new vision for Agatha Christie’s classic novel DEATH ON THE NILE, and how Kenneth Branagh and screenwriter Michael Green collaborated with Christie’s estate to bring a new twist to this story of love and murder. 

Agatha Christie: Travel Can Be Murder – The story behind the book connects with Christie’s own love of travel, and especially Egypt and its secrets. Her legacy continues through her family and new generations of filmmakers and actors, all at once contributing to the immortality of her novels. 

Design on the Nile – The setting, the costumes, the photography, all contribute to the Agatha Christie touch. We take a fun tour of this “ship of suspects” and learn details about the overall look and design of everything from the characters to the environment.

Branagh/Poirot – Kenneth Branagh is a one-of-a-kind artist who can switch hats with exceptional skill, playing Poirot one moment and directing the next. This piece pays tribute to Branagh’s ability to stay connected to his cast and creative team through it all.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Thanks Disney for giving me a Belle Costume set for my daughter along with the BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Blu-ray.  All opinions are my own.

My daughter and I enjoyed a spot of tea out in the garden before heading inside to watch Disney's live action adaption of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.  The movie, a great addition to any home's video library, is now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD.  My daughter was delighted by the film when we saw it together at the movie theater and is thrilled she can watch it anytime she wants now.

In this fairy tale fantasy, Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent woman with a love of reading books, discovers that her father has been imprisoned in the dungeon of a cursed castle for trespassing upon the property.  She is able to get him set free by promising the Beast that is lord of the manor to take her father's place as a prisoner in the castle.  My daughter adores Emma Watson from her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films and loved the actresses performance in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST as Belle.  For some of our past Harry Potter movie nights she has had fun dressing up as Watson's Hermione character and was so excited to put on a Belle gown to wear for our first viewing of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST on home video.

The Disney Store provided us with a Belle Costume for Kids which included replicas of the dress, shoes, and jewelry worn by Watson in the movie.  My daughter especially loves the finally crafted costume jewelry that came along with the outfit that included fancy clip-on earrings, an elegant hair comb, and a beautiful necklace which features a snap together oval bead clasp for the fine link chain.  The jewelry set came in a very nice storage box which contains an ivory satin bed for the items to rest on and a carrying strap so little girls can take it along with them on their own fantastic journeys.

The dress has some elegant touches to it as well.  Glittering floral filigree and golden hem stitching grace the front and back of the gown.  It is make from satin with a bodice that has ruffled organza overlays and trims.  Rounding out the ensemble are the shoes which have embroidered feathers and decorative bows outlined in glittering gold.

Belle is terrified of the Beast and turned off by his bad behavior as she lives in the castle.  As time goes by she befriends its enchanted staff and starts to become at home there.  With some help from these bewitched furnishings both Belle and the Beast make an effort to get to know one another. She learns to look beyond the Beast's hideous exterior and realize there is the kind heart within it.  This is where the adventure really begins! What happens next?  You'll have to pick up BEAUTY AND THE BEAST on Blu-ray, DVD or Digital HD to find out!

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is rated PG for some action violence, peril and frightening images that overall is a very family friendly movie.  Alan Menken, who won two Academy Awards (Best Original Score and Best Song) for the animated version of Beauty and the Beast, also provides the score for the live action film which includes new recordings of some of the musical performances from the animated movie along with three new songs he has written in collaboration with Tim Rice.  Celine Dion who has performed several very memorable musical numbers in motion pictures also contributes to the soundtrack for this movie performing one of the new songs "How Does a Moment Last Forever."  BEAUTY AND THE BEAST also boasts an excellent cast that in addition to Watson as Belle includes Dan Stevens (The Ticket, Night at the Museum) as the Beast, Luke Evans (Fast & Furious, The Hobbit) as Gaston, Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wanda, Dave) as Belle's father Maurice, Josh Gad (A Dog's Purpose, FROZEN) as LaFou, Ewan McGregor (Star Wars Episodes I - III) as Lumie, Audra McDonald (Annie, A Raisin in the Sun) as Madame De Garderobe, Ian McKellen (Lord of the Rings, X-Men) as Cogsworth and Emma Thompson (Love Actually, Brave) as the teapot Mrs. Potts.

In addition to deleted scenes there are also a variety of extra features included with the movie on home video.  These include watching an elaborately staged table read that took place before the movie began filming, a documentary on transforming the popular animated film into a live action movie that will be a classic in its own right, a featurette on the making of the musical sequences and a "Beauty and the Beast" music video.  Also you'll want to watch the extended song segment about "Days in the Sun" which provides viewers some details about the Beast's childhood within an alternate version of the song from the movie.

Add BEAUTY AND THE BEAST to your Disney Movies Anywhere digital library or on Blu-ray or DVD as part of your home video collection.  While it may be a tale as old as time this movie is a delightful fresh approach when it comes to telling this wonderful story.  BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is a great movie night selection that your family will want to watch over and over again!