From Blu-ray.com:

Lionsgate Home Entertainment has announced that they will begin releasing classic titles on Blu-ray as part of a "StudioCanal Collection". The first three titles to be released in this collection, 'Ran', 'The Ladykillers', and 'Contempt', are scheduled to hit store shelves on February 19th. Each title will feature a 1080p AVC video transfer, multiple DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks, and a 20-page collectible book.

Extras for these releases include:

* Ran "A.K." - the acclaimed feature-length documentary on the making of the film
* "Akira Kurosawa: The Epic and the Intimate" - documentary on the director
* A Portrait of Akira Kurosawa by Japanese cinema expert and interpreter Catherine Cadou
* "The Samurai" - documentary on Samurai art
* "Art of the Samurai" - an interview with a Japanese art of war expert
* BD-Live

The Ladykillers
* introduction by filmmaker Terry Gilliam
* "Forever Ealing" - a documentary on the famed British studio
* Audio commentary with film historian Philip Kemp
* Interviews with British filmmakers Allan Scott and Terence Davies and writer Ronald Harwood on the film
* BD-Live (including a bonus interview with British filmmaker James Mangold)

Contempt
* Introduction by British film producer and Godard expert Colin MacCabe
* A "making-of" documentary "One Upon a Time There Was...Contempt"
* A documentary on Godard's legacy in film "Contempt...Tenderly"
* A discussion between Godard and director Fritz Lang "The Dinosaur and the Baby"
* Theatrical trailer
* BD-Live

LionsGate is releasing these? Hope there's no bling on the cover artwork!

Great news! Hopefully the rest of the upcoming Studio Canal imports will receive US releases as well. Luckily my UK disc of Contempt hadn't shipped yet, so I was still able to cancel from Amazon.

Great idea, but nothing from that collection I'd buy.

Wasn't Criterion about to release Ran on Blu Ray, then abruptly yanked it? Either way, good news hearing this. What's with Terry Gilliam doing an introduction to The Ladykillers?

Criterion lost the rights to Ran right before it's release IIRC.

What?! Wow, that's quite a move from Lionsgate!

Speculation as to the future collectibility of the Criterion titles? I'm pondering whether it would be better to hold onto them (as they are OOP, I believe) or sell them now before the new ones are released.

lionsgate seems to be doing a complete 180 from their negative dvd reputation.

Yeah but will they be good releases overall? I'm very sad Ran isn't with Criterion.

As I am with Contempt.

Can Criterion not take on anymore titles? This is disappointing news.

Yes yes, we know.

...Yet Studio Canal has tons of other titles I'd love to buy already released in Region B. From this particular wave, nothing.

I'm in for Ran. Been waiting for that one in high def!

These discs will be EXACTLY the same as the foreign versions.
On the UK/German/French etc discs, they all start with a menu with which country to choose from.
If you choose "United States", they pop up the Lionsgate logo, so this wasn't exactly a surprise.

Well, apparently the Studio Canal "Ran" on Blu Ray is nothing to get excited about. I will be picking up Contempt, though, and when they get around to Belle de jour I'll get that as well.

I don't have Ran or Contempt on dvd, as I was waiting for the now cancelled Blu-rays, but I'd image the Criterions will remain popular for the extras.

Didn't Miramax put out Belle Du Jour here?

In terms of transfer, extras or both? Personally, while I'd love some cool extras, I'm taken care of as long as the transfer/encode is worthy.

Yeah they did, damn it. I may just spring for that UK disc when the price drops a little, it is really pricey right now.

Ran on blu-ray = great!

Lionsgate releasing it = cautiously optimistic.

I will await reviews first and will hold onto my Criterion just in case...

They didn't.

I 've already got the UK Contempt which is cool, but I'm all over Ran and especially Ladykillers, maybe my fav Alec Guinness! Still haven't gone multi-regional, but I almost did for this title... now I can wait a while longer.

I thought Pro-B posted that Criterion was in negotiations to release Ran on Blu-ray after its first aborted attempt.

How do you guys know that the RAN blu is so bad? It isn't even out yet. Whats wrong with it, is the transfer bad? And also why would Criterion "not be able to take on any more titles". What is that supposed mean?