HOLLYWOOD--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Aug. 24, 1999--``Titanic,'' the highest-grossing motion picture and best-selling videocassette release in history, has now become the best-selling DVD of all time, shipping more than 1 million units to retailers in North America. The most highly anticipated DVD release of the year is available on August 31.
``Paramount Home Video is thrilled to make this modern classic available to consumers in time for the holiday season,'' said Eric Doctorow, president, Paramount Worldwide Home Video. ``The performance of `Titanic' on DVD demonstrates that this extraordinary film continues to enchant movie lovers everywhere.''
Available exclusively in the widescreen format, the DVD of the most successful movie of all time will feature the original theatrical trailer, a collectible 10-page fold-out booklet that features visuals of each scene selection and a full-motion menu introduction, and will be beautifully packaged with new cover art. It will be available for $29.99 S.R.P. in the United States and C$39.99 S.R.P. in Canada with a M.A.P. of $24.95.
On its way to becoming the highest-grossing film of all time, ``Titanic'' remained number one at the box office for an astonishing 15 weeks and is the only film to gross more than $20 million for 10 consecutive weekends. It was also the only film ever to gross $600 million in its theatrical release and its worldwide box office gross now stands at more than $1.8 billion. Its most recent achievement was 60 million VHS copies shipped worldwide, which makes it the biggest-selling videocassette on a worldwide basis.
In the $1.8 billion worldwide box office smash, ``Titanic,'' worlds collide and passions are ignited aboard the ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic, the pride and joy of the White Star Line and, at the time, the largest moving object ever built.
Amid the thousands of passengers setting sail from Southampton, England, to New York City in that fateful month of April 1912, are well-bred Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) and free-spirited Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) -- two young souls daring to flout the conventions of Edwardian society in order to be together.
Once he opens her eyes to the world that lies outside her gilded cage, Jack's forbidden love for Rose begins a powerful romance which echoes across the years into the present. Nothing on earth can come between them -- not even something as unimaginable as the sinking of Titanic.
``Titanic'' was produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau, and executive produced by Rae Sanchini. The story was written and directed by James Cameron.
``Titanic'' on DVD is a dual layer, single disc in widescreen format and features interactive menus and scene selection. It has been digitally mastered by THXr for superior sound and picture quality and features Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, English Dolby Surround and French Dolby Surround.
In addition, this title is close captioned and features English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing, as well as Spanish subtitles. It is rated PG-13 in the United States and 14A in Canada and has a running time of 194 minutes.
Paramount Home Video is part of the operations of Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc.
