When it was announced that acclaimed filmmaker Wong Kar-wai was going back to restore all of his films in 4K, people were ecstatic. This is a director that has released some of the very best films of the past several decades, including what some consider a couple of the best films of all time. But really, what excited people most about the announcement was the inevitability of a box set release. Well, welcome to the “World of Wong Kar-wai.”
READ MORE: Wong Kar-Wai Reveals He Has Tweaked Many Of His Classic Films Restored In 4K
Criterion just announced a 7-disc box set containing remastered versions of Wong Kar-wai’s films such as “As Tears Go By,” “Days of Being Wild,” “Chungking Express,” “Fallen Angels,” “Happy Together,” “In the Mood for Love,” and “2046.” Many of these films are currently available to stream or purchase in other releases, but what Criterion has up its sleeve is far more special than just a typical release.
You’re going to get interviews with Wong and others. There will be an alternate version of “Days of Being Wild.” And perhaps most interesting, for the first time in the US, there is an extended version of Wong’s short film, “The Hand.” Needless to say, this is a must-own for film fans.
The Criterion box set is scheduled to arrive on March 23, 2021. You can pre-order here.
READ MORE: Wong Kar-Wai Reportedly Finished A Script For A ‘Chungking Express’ Sequel
Here’s the synopsis for “The World of Wong Kar-wai”:
With his lush and sensual visuals, pitch-perfect soundtracks, and soulful romanticism, Wong Kar Wai has established himself as one of the defining auteurs of our time. Next March, we are celebrating his swoon-worthy cinema with the most comprehensive box set of his work ever released, including new 4K digital restorations of his acclaimed feature films As Tears Go By, Days of Being Wild, Chungking Express, Fallen Angels, Happy Together, In the Mood for Love, and 2046.
Here’s the breakdown of all the special features:
– New 4K digital restorations of Chungking Express, Fallen Angels, Happy Together, In the Mood for Love and 2046, approved by director Wong Kar Wai, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks
– New 4K digital restorations of As Tears Go By and Days of Being Wild, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks
-New program in which Wong answers questions submitted, at the invitation of the director, by authors André Aciman and Jonathan Lethem; filmmakers Sofia Coppola, Rian Johnson, Lisa Joy, and Chloé Zhao; cinematographers Philippe Le Sourd and Bradford Young; and filmmakers and founders/creative directors of Rodarte Kate and Laura Mulleavy
– Alternate version of Days of Being Wild featuring different edits of the film’s prologue and final scenes, on home video for the first time
Hua yang de nian hua, a 2000 short film by Wong
– Extended version of The Hand, a 2004 short film by Wong, available in the U.S. for the first time
– Interview and “cinema lesson” with Wong from the 2001 Cannes Film Festival
-Three making-of documentaries, featuring interviews with Wong; actors Maggie Cheung Man Yuk, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Chang Chen, Faye Wong, and Ziyi Zhang; and others
-Episode of the television series Moving Pictures from 1996 featuring Wong and cinematographer Christopher Doyle
-Interviews from 2002 and 2005 with Doyle
-Excerpts from a 1994 British Film Institute audio interview with Cheung on her work in Days of Being Wild
-Program from 2012 on In the Mood for Love’s soundtrack
– Press conference for In the Mood for Love from the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival
– Deleted scenes, alternate endings, behind-the-scenes footage, a promo reel, music videos, and trailers
– PLUS: Deluxe packaging, including a perfect-bound, French-fold book featuring lavish photography, an essay by critic John Powers, a director’s note, and six collectible art prints
-New cover by Nessim Higson
