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Star Wars: The Force Awakens DVD release outrages UK fans with lack of extras
'Completely unacceptable and I can’t think of a better way of driving people who buy legitimate DVDs to piracy sites'
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Star Wars fans living in the UK have been left outraged after discovering the DVD release of The Force Awakens doesn’t include the film’s long-awaited deleted scenes. Disney also failed to include a download code in the package, whereas many films now include this option.
The DVD, priced at £9.99, includes the film and little else, whereas the more expensive Blu-ray release - which cost £15 - includes deleted scenes and the documentary Secrets of the Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey.
“I was really looking forward to this: I don’t have a Blu-ray player, so was intending to use the digital download key provided to get the movie online,” one fan told The Mirror.
“But [there is] no digital download with the UK version: the US version has this. Completely unacceptable and I can’t think of a better way of driving people who WANT to buy a legitimate version to piracy sites. Idiots.”
Another wrote on Amazon: “My children have just learned of another facet of the cinema business: that some studios care for one thing, and one thing only. A cynical and money-grubbing release.”
Most outlets have yet to explicitly state the DVD release doesn’t feature the bonus material, with many fans feeling misled after all the promotion surrounding the bonus scenes.
Speaking to the Guardian about the complaints, a Disney spokesperson explained: “As a company we are committed to seeking out the best ways to provide audiences with access to Disney content. Each territory is different, and we evaluate and enact distribution strategies on a market-by-market basis. In the UK this means we do not include extras across our DVD products.
“Our Blu-ray and digital download offerings for The Force Awakens are providing audiences with a wealth of extras including a special documentary, behind-the-scenes looks and much more that are now being enjoyed by thousands.”
If you’re wondering exactly what happens in the deleted scenes, we have descriptions of all six here.
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