Once upon a time…or maybe twice…there was an unearthly paradise called Pepperland…

The Beatles' classic 1968 animated feature film, Yellow Submarine, has been digitally restored for DVD and Blu-ray release on May 28 (May 29 in North America). The film's songtrack album will be reissued on CD on the same date. Currently out of print, the film has been restored in 4K digital resolution for the first time - all done by hand, frame by frame.

John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios writes "As a fan of animation and as a filmmaker, I tip my hat to the artists of Yellow Submarine, whose revolutionary work helped pave the way for the fantastically diverse world of animation that we all enjoy today."

Read the news at http://www.thebeatles.com/, more information about the film release will be published shortly.

the film has been restored in 4K digital resolution for the first time - all done by hand, frame by frame.

Yellow Submarine Dives to Blu-ray, DVD
The Beatles' psychedelic hit returns to home video.

March 21, 2012
by R.L. Shaffer

It looks like May is going to be a great month for Beatles fans. For the first time in the new millennium, Apple Corps and Capitol Records will bring the psychedelic hit film Yellow Submarine back to home video, arriving on DVD and Blu-ray on May 29, 2012.

According the Beatles official press release, the 1968 animated cult classic will receive a "4K digital resolution for the first time by Paul Rutan Jr. and his team of specialists at Triage Motion Picture Services and Eque Inc. Due to the delicate nature of the hand-drawn original artwork, no automated software was used in the digital clean-up of the film's restored photochemical elements. This was all done by hand, frame by frame."

Such an intensive, hands-on restoration should bring new life to the meticulous, and remarkably inventive, artwork seen in the film. Accompanying this release will be a brand new reissue of the film's influential soundtrack.

For those unaware, Yellow Submarine is an animated musical fantasy, based on the music of The Beatles, that takes audiences on a wild ride seasoned with some of the wackiest images ever committed to celluloid. Considering the visual nature of the story, here's a trailer for the film to best get you up to speed:

The Blu-ray release will be presented in the film's original 1.66:1 aspect ratio, mastered in 1080p and mixed in DTS 5.1 audio. Special features for this disc will include the following:

• Audio Commentary with art director Heinz Edelmann and producer John Coates
• Mod Odyssey Documentary
• Sea of Monsters Storyboards
• Battle of the Monsters Storyboards
• Pepperland Storyboards
• Paul Angelis Interview
• John Clive Interview
• David Livesey Interview
• Millicent McMillan Interview
• Jack Stokes Interview
• Erich Segal Interview
• Original pencil drawings
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Behind-the-Scenes Photos

Physical goodies will include:

• Reproductions of animation cels from the film
• Collectible stickers
• A 16-page booklet with a new essay by Yellow Submarine aficionado John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios

Also, according the the official press release, this restoration and CD reissue aren't the only releases arriving soon:

"On April 24, Candlewick Press will release a new, compact hardcover edition of the Yellow Submarine picture book, a read-aloud journey for the whole family. Featuring the lighthearted wit of the film's script alongside original artwork from the movie that has charmed children and adults through several generations, the beautiful, 40-page book will be sold by retailers everywhere and on the Beatles Store (www.thebeatles.com). An interactive digital version of the book is also available as a free download on Apple's iBookstore for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch at iTunes.com/TheBeatles."

Awesome stuff, if you're a Beatles lover. Be sure to check back for further updates regarding this re-release of Yellow Submarine. And look for a review in May.