We have just received information that Columbia TriStar Home Video will be releasing a DVD Special Edition of Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters Of The Third Kind on May 29.

In the night skies near his Muncie, Indiana home power repairman Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) experiences something out this world. His close encounter sets into action an amazing chain of events that leads to contact with the benevolent aliens and their Mothership.

The DVD will feature an anamorphic widescreen transfer of the 137-minute extended cut of the movie, with a 5.1 channel Dolby Digital and a DTS audio track. A 100-minute Documentary, that can also be found on the Laserdisc version of the film, is also part of this great release, in which Spielberg discusses offering the film’s lead role to Steve McQueen. The actor turned it down, indicating that he wouldn’t be able to shed a tear on cue, which was required of the character upon entering the alien spaceship. Although Spielberg offered to rewrite the scene, McQueen told Spielberg that he should leave the scene intact and get another actor.

Eleven deleted scenes, many of which have been released as part of Laserdisc versions as well, will also be included on the DVD, as well as Trailers and Talent Files

“Close Encounters Of The Third Kind” will be released on May 29 and carry a suggested retail price of $27.95!