Why So Blu?

HBO Announces the Digital Release of Game of Thrones Season 5!

Here’s some interesting news to come across my desk today.  Game of Thrones fans who are used to waiting eight months to own the latest season can rejoice: Winter is Coming earlier than ever!  That’s right, Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season will be available to download on Digital HD on my birthday, August 31, 2015, just two months after its finale on HBO, before debuting on Blu-ray & DVD next year. This is the first time the iconic series, which has been nominated for 24 Emmy Awards including Outstanding Drama Series, will be available to download before its physical release. The Digital HD full-season download is packed with bonus content at select retailers, including two never-before-seen pieces introducing fans to Dorne, the newest Westeros location introduced in Season 5, and exploring the many poisons used throughout the show.

Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season will come to Blu-ray and DVD March 15, 2016. Full details will be announced at a later date.

Please let your readers know they can pre-order the full season at their favorite retailers now and download the episodes August 31st!

“Wholly captivating. Better than ever.” – Vanity Fair

 

“On a scale like nothing else on TV” – Variety

Nominated for 24 Emmy Awards® Including Outstanding Drama Series

Iconic Series Available to Download on Digital HD August 31, 2015

Blu-ray^TM and DVD Release Set for March 15, 2016

New York, N.Y., July 30, 2015 – The “worldwide phenomenon” (USA Today) is back and this time fans will be able to download it on their favorite devices earlier than ever. Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season will receive an early digital release on Monday, August 31, 2015 before its Blu-ray/DVD release on March 15, 2016. Fans can pre-order the season on Digital HD now through their favorite digital platforms. The release marks the first time a season of Game of Thrones is being released early on Digital HD. Season 5 of the hit HBO® show is the most-honored series for the 2015 Emmy Awards, with 24 nominations including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Peter Dinklage) and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Emilia Clarke & Lena Headey). A season pass purchase of Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth at select retailers is also packed with bonus content that takes fans behind the scenes of Season 5, including two never-before-seen pieces* available exclusively with the Digital HD release. Full details for the Blu-ray and DVD release will be announced at a later date.

Digital HD bonus features include:

• Introduction to Dorne* – Visit the kingdom of Dorne in this special that delves inside the impressive realm and its many colorful characters, including Prince Doran Martell (Alexander Siddig) and the fiery Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma) and her venomous Sand Snakes (Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rosabell Laurenti Sellers and Jessica Henwick).
• Poisons of Westeros* – Explore the devious methods of poisoning seen throughout Game of Thrones in this featurette.
• Invitation to the Set – Visit the set of Game of Thrones for this intriguing preview.
• A Day in the Life – Glimpse the epic scale of Game of Thrones in this featurette that spends one day touring various Season 5 sets in Croatia, Spain and Ireland. See cast members preparing to shoot scenes while prominent members of the show’s massive crew talk about the many jobs they must oversee-sets and costumes, hair and makeup, and much more-to keep the production operating smoothly.
• Set Design – Production designer Deborah Riley reveals the thought process behind the impressive sets used to create the territory of Dorne in Season 5.
• The Weapons of Dorne – Game of Thrones weapons master Tommy Dunne takes a close-up look at the razor-sharp armaments he created for the Sand Snakes and other inhabitants of Dorne in this featurette.
• New Characters & Locations – Take a tour of the new locations in Season 5 and meet some of the new players in this featurette. Included are visits to the sets of Dorne and the House of Black and White as well as introductions to Doran Martell, the Sand Snakes, the High Sparrow, and more.
• Season 4 Recap – Revisit every twist and turn from the thrilling fourth season.
• Trailer – Whet your appetite for Season 5 with this exhilarating glimpse at things to come.

Suggested Retail Pricing:

• HD Season pass: $38.99
• SD Season pass: $28.99

Season 5 begins with a power vacuum that protagonists across Westeros and Essos look to fill. At Castle Black, Jon Snow struggles to balance the demands of the Night’s Watch with those of newly-arrived Stannis Baratheon, who styles himself the rightful king of Westeros. Meanwhile, Cersei scrabbles to hold on to power in King’s Landing amidst the Tyrells and the rise of a religious group led by the enigmatic High Sparrow, while Jaime embarks on a secret mission. Across the Narrow Sea, Arya seeks an old friend while a fugitive Tyrion finds a new cause. And as danger mounts in Meereen, Daenerys Targaryen finds that her tenuous hold on the city requires some hard sacrifices. This season features some of the most explosive scenes yet, as the promise that “winter is coming” becomes more ominous than ever before.