What Does A Director's Cut For Beowulf Mean?

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Robert Zemeckis’s Beowulf is getting a “director’s cut” version as part of its February 26th DVD release. I’m wondering if this is just an excuse to insert a few extra frames of footage, or if this will be closer to the European cut of the film which featured more unabashed blood, gore, and nudity. We know it doesn't take much to call something a "director's cut," and Zemeckis wasn't the one playing up the differences between the versions as much as writers Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary. Maybe we need a writer's cut on this one.

Regardless of which version winds up on the DVD, this is looking to be a pretty well stocked release. While Paramount isn’t exactly taking full advantage of all of HD DVD’s capabilities (at least not as it’s been announced so far), they are loading both editions up with featurettes, deleted scenes, and more. Take a look at the announced extras for this February 26th DVD / HD DVD release:

  • A Hero's Journey: The Making of Beowulf
  • Beasts of Burden
  • The Origins of Beowulf
  • Creating the Ultimate Beowulf
  • The Art of Beowulf
  • Additional Scenes: Wealthow Shows Beowulf the Sundial, Beowulf Boasts to the People of Herot, Celebration and Seduction, Wulfgar Greets Beowulf at the Stockade, Beowulf's Day Unferth Finds the Horn, Cain on the Barrows (Original)
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Easter Egg: Coffee Break with John Malkovich

That’s nothing, of course, compared to what the HD DVD version of the release is slated to have:

  • A Hero's Journey: The Making of Beowulf
  • In The Volume
  • The Volume
  • Web Enabled Features (TBA)
  • "T" Time
  • What is the E.O.G.?
  • Lay of the Land
  • Givin' Props
  • Scanners
  • Stunts and Rigs
  • Plan of Attack
  • Fight Me
  • Baby It’s Cold Inside
  • Beasts of Burden
  • The Origins of Beowulf
  • Creating the Ultimate Beowulf
  • The Art of Beowulf
  • A Conversation with Robert Zemeckis
  • Additional Scenes: Grendel Runs Towards Herot, Hrothgar Awakened by Unferth, Scylding's watch Escorts Beowulf, Wealthow Shows Beowulf the Sundial, Beowulf Boasts to the People of Herot, Beowulf Hammers Grendel's Arm, Celebration and Seduction, Wulfgar Greets Beowulf at the Stockade, Beowulf's Day Unferth Finds the Horn, Cain on the Barrows (Original), Cain on the Barrows (Alternate)
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Coffee Break with John Malkovich
Rafe Telsch