Abyss Diary - The First Wave



	In this exclusive section we will follow the development of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment’s “The Abyss Special Edition”. In irregular updates we will keep you informed whenever new developments occur and new information becomes available, so make sure to check by frequently to keep up with the latest development on this highly anticipated title.

				by Guido Henkel November 16, 1999


	hen 20th Century Fox Home Video first announced its entry into the DVD market on August 10, 1998, their proposed list of releases contained a title that was soon taken from the schedules and replaced by the Jan DeBont actioner “Speed”. The movie in question

was James Cameron’s underwater epic “The Abyss” and very little has been heard about a release of the title on DVD since, until we were able to recently report that Fox has actually started work on this film for a release in 2000.

Since this year’s VSDA in June we have been continuously following the production of “The Abyss”, checking in with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment on a regular basis to keep up with their plans and the developments on this highly anticipated title. Over time we have learned a lot of interesting things about this extensive production, and we are proud to present all the information and all the details about the development that is still heavily under way, in this exclusive Production Diary.

So, why exactly was “The Abyss” pulled from the release schedules in the first place? A number of factors played into this decision as we have learned. One of them was that Fox did not know what to expect from the DVD market at the time. After all it was their first foray into

completely new territory. “The Abyss” on the other hand is a major title that needs to be done right in order to please the movie’s huge fanbase. After giving it some thought, Fox eventually decided, not to release the movie as part of the first release batch, and instead gather some experience in the field and then prepare to create a dedicated Special Edition of the film for a release at a later time. It was a very wise decision, as it allowed Fox to evaluate the marketplace and to use their experience with the early titles to make sure “The Abyss” would ultimately get the treatment it deserves.

For months Fox mulled the idea of creating this Special Edition of “The Abyss”, but the project was

never really put on the fast track. Then, at one point they met someone who would change the course of the project forever and put a solid vision behind it. The man was Van Ling, a long time DVD aficionado, producer of Fox’s acclaimed Laserdisc Special Edition for “The Abyss”, and more importantly, a long-time collaborator of James Cameron who had worked on many of his films, including “The Abyss” itself.


	tarting as a researcher on “The Abyss”, Ling had quickly become the film’s computer consultant and visual effects liaison, and was Cameron's Creative Supervisor on “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”; he has since been working as a Visual Effects Supervisor

on numerous other productions, including “Doctor Dolittle”, “Titanic," "Starship Troopers,” and many others. Some time ago he has formed a production company, “Banned From The Ranch Entertainment”, with his partner Casey Cannon for the many projects they are working on.

Van Ling was originally working on a Special Edition DVD version of “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” for Artisan Entertainment when he was asked by Fox to tackle the DVD of “The Abyss”.

“Artisan wanted me to do ‘Terminator 2’ for the longest time,” he remembers. “And they were holding out for me and my availability because they really liked the Laserdisc Special Edition we did when I was producing at Lightstorm.
So I started working on the T2 disc and one day, Artisan held a screening of ‘Stir Of Echoes,’ for which Banned from the Ranch had done the visual effects.”


	rtisan had invited a number of DVD producers and friends from other studios to the screening. After the presentation the guests met for small talks and drinks, and Van was introduced to some people from Fox, sharing thoughts and explaining to them that he was

currently working on the T2 Special Edition. At the same time Fox was trying to figure out how about going to do their Special Edition of “The Abyss”, and through this fortunate incident, Van became a consultant on the project in late July.


	next page


		© 1997-2000 by “DVD Review”. All rights reserved. Reprinting only with written permission by the publisher. Images and materials used by permission and are the sole property 20th Century Fox, Lightstorm Entertainment or Banned From The Ranch Entertainment respectively.