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'Avatar' back in theaters, blue Christmas planned

Posted Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 11:59 AM Central

by John Couture

Back in March, when we told you that Avatar was going to be released on DVD and Blu-ray in April, we cautioned that the initial "bare bones" edition was going to be followed up with a more robust offering later this year. Heck, even James Cameron himself hinted that a special edition home offering would be released in November.

While there is no official confirmation from Fox directly or an exact release, all signs are pointing to a Na'vi blue Christmas. This weekend, Fox and Mr. "I directed the top two grossing movies of all time" are once again making a play for your wallets with the release of Avatar Special Edition.

The "special" part refers to the added 8 and a half minutes of new footage to the running time which brings the lengthy movie up to a whopping 171 minutes. Yes, that's nearly three hours of Pandora goodness and straining bladders for everyone to enjoy.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the special edition DVDs and Blu-rays, that will most assuredly be available in plenty of time for holiday shopping, will contain a whopping 16 minutes of extra footage. Well, at least in the comfort of your own home, you can pause the DVD and use the restroom as often as you like.

Collider was lucky enough to score some stills from the new footage that will debut in theaters this weekend. You can click on the pictures to access high-res versions on Collider's site.

While I'm sure there are many people who will genuinely be excited to see the new footage in theaters, it's hard not to be cynical about this apparent money grab. Avatar Special Edition will only be available in 3D, which of course means that the extra footage will fittingly come with a premium price.

Are you excited about the Special Edition with extra footage? Avatar Special Edition hits theaters this weekend with an expected DVD/Blu-ray release in November. One detail we do know for certain is that a 3D home entertainment release isn't planned until next year, at the earliest.

Just like the jelly of the month club, Avatar is the movie that keeps on giving the whole year long. Well, giving to James Cameron's pockets at least.