Ben Hur 50th Anniversary Blu-ray SetWord has just come down with the release details of the Blu-ray debut of the William Wyler's epic Christ-tale, Ben Hur. It has long been rumored that it will be in the form of a Ben-Hur: 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition blu-ray and DVD sets that will hit the streets later this fall. Well, now Digital Bits confirms this and also has some more of the details for us.

The set (pictured below) will include a reproduction of Charlton Heston's personal diary which he kept during shooting. Also included will be a new HD documentary that covers Heston's experiences while filming the epic drama, titled Charlton Heston & Ben-Hur: A Personal Journey. All the other pieces which were packed in the previous DVD release of Ben-Hur will also come with this set, including:

  • The audio commentary
  • Ben-Hur: The 1925 Silent Version
  • The 2005 Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema documentary
  • The 1994 Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic documentary
  • The Ben-Hur: A Journey Through Pictures A/V presentation (featuring photos, storyboards, sketches, music and dialogue from the film)
  • Screen tests
  • Vintage newsreels
  • Highlights from the 1960 Academy Awards ceremony
  • Trailers, and more.

There will also be a cool-looking picture book with production photos, artwork and a reproduction of the film's original press kit. The blu-ray set will consist of two BD50s, while the DVD version will feature a 5-disc set. On the blu-ray discs will be a brand-spanking new 6k HD restoration that was pulled from the original 65mm camera elements. This promises to be a must-have for both blu-ray and Charlton Heston fans as well as lovers of the film that won 11 academy awards.

Ben Hur 50th Anniversary Blu-ray Set

Ben Hur 50th Anniversary Blu-ray Set

(*note: the set pictured above is the DVD version which includes 5 discs. The blu-ray set comes with 2 discs)