The Iron Giant (1999) Signature Edition Blu-ray

Remastered version of Brad Bird's animated classic featuring two new scenes. In 1957, a gigantic iron man crash lands from outer space in Rockwell, Maine. After reassembling itself, the giant is discovered by nine-year-old Hogarth Hughes (voice of Eli Marienthal), who helps it to conceal itself while feeding on scrapyard cars. Hogarth is assisted by beatnik Dean McCoppin (Harry Connick Jr), unaware that government agent Kent Mansley (Christopher McDonald) is already on the trail of what he regards as an 'alien invader'.

Bonus contents
• The Giant's Dream (1080p; 1.78:1; 55:47): This new documentary serves as both a biography of Brad Bird, who began his career with an internship at Disney, and a detailed account of The Iron Giant's creation, which was Bird's feature debut after working on The Simpsons for eight seasons. A briskly edited combination of line drawings, rough animation sketches, test footage and interviews, the feature is narrated by Bird, an array of animators, producer Allison Abbate and several former executives. You emerge from "The Giant's Dream" with a renewed appreciation for the complexity of the teamwork required to produce feature-length animation. In a departure for an authorized documentary, "The Giant's Dream" openly acknowledges conflicts between the creative team and the studio, as well as within the creative team itself, and it addresses Warner's mistakes in marketing the film with rare candor.
• Commentary with Director Brad Bird, Head of Animation Tony Fucile, Story Department Head Jeff Lynch and Animation Supervisor Steven Markowski: This is the same commentary that appeared on the 2004 "Special Edition" DVD. It can be played with both the theatrical cut and the Signature Edition. For the latter, new inserts have been added in which Bird discusses the Signature Edition's changes. These occur at the following time marks: 15:51 (Annie and Dean); 29:18 (the Tomorrowland commercial); and 54:46 (Giant's Dream). In the main commentary, Bird and his collaborators identify the work of specific animators, discuss key story points and describe plot elements that were considered and abandoned.
• Deleted Scenes with Introduction by Brad Bird (Vintage 2003) (1080p; 1.33:1 & 2.40:1; 15:16): A "play all" function is included.
Original Opening Sequences
Campfire
The Drag Race
Tired at Breakfast
Original Introduction of Hogarth and Annie
Classroom
• Teddy Newton: The X Factor (Vintage 2003) (480i; 1.33:1; 5:38): A portrait of a member of the film's crew with a distinctive take on various story elements.
• Duck and Cover Sequence (Vintage 2003) (480i; 1.33:1; 2:23): Newton discusses this film-within-a-film, which was his first assignment on The Iron Giant.
• The Voices of The Iron Giant (Vintage 2003) (480i; 1.33:1; 8:16): Bird, producer Allison Abbate and several animators discuss the vocal performances. The sole actor who appears is Vin Diesel. A "play all" function is included.
The Voice of the Giant
Hogarth Hughes
Dean McCoppin
Annie Hughes
Kent Mansley
• The Score (Vintage 2003) (480i; 1.33:1; 4:49): The late Michael Kamen discusses his score, focusing on three specific scenes. A "play all" function is included.
The Opening Sequence
The Deer
Kent and Hogarth
• Behind the Armor (Vintage 2003) (480i; 1.33:1; 17:31): The short featurettes address various aspects of the production. Of particular interest is "The Origin of the Movie", in which Bird and producer Des McAnuff describe how the film grew out of efforts by musician Pete Townsend to create a musical based on Ted Hughes's book. A "play all" function is included.
The Warner Bros. Logo
The Origin of the Giant
The Origin of the Movie
Bringing the Giant to Life
Storyboards and Animatics
The Battle Sequences
• Motion Gallery (Vintage 2003) (480i; 1.33:1; 4:22): A comparison of various drawings and animatics to the finished film.
• "Brad Bird" Trailer (480i; 2:35:1; 1:29): Narrated by Bird.
• Signature Edition Trailer (1080p; 1.78:1; 2:32): This is the trailer for the 2015 re-release.
• The Making of The Iron Giant (Vintage 1999) (480i; 1.33:1; 22:05): Hosted by Vin Diesel, this made-for-TV documentary was part of the film's original PR campaign and was shown on the former WB channel. It includes interviews with Bird, Jennifer Aniston, Eli Marienthal, Christopher McDonald, John Mahoney and Harry Connick Jr.
• Vintage Easter Eggs (Vintage 2003) (480i; 1.33:1; 1:48): These consist of a letter dated January 8, 1998, from the original book's author, Ted Hughes, praising the screenplay, plus a variety of animatics and concept drawings.
• The Salt Mines (1080p; 1.78:1; 7:06): Iron Giant crew member Andrew Jimenez visits the Hutchinson Facility in Kansas, where all of the physical drawings for the film (including abandoned scenes and concepts, and even artists' doodles) are stored in an underground vault beneath an active salt mine.
• Hand Drawn (1080i; 1.78:1; 1.40): Bird explains why he remains devoted to hand-drawn animation, even as it is being replaced by CG imagery.