At last, the Into Darkness bluray release we wanted!

The Digital Bits have announced a new improved bluray release of Star Trek Into Darkness. As you might recall, when Into Darkness was released to the home video market last year the extra features were sprinkled around different retailers, with some available on extra bonus discs, some as digital download extras, and some only on X-Box's SmartGlass app (you can see a breakdown of what's where in my review of the bluray release). As this meant buying the film at least twice to get all the extra features, or not being able to at all in many parts of the world, this left something of a bitter taste in the mouths of trekkies everywhere.

After shaming Paramount's poor efforts The Digital Bits' Bill Hunt got invited to suggest a remedy, and now it's on the way. Coming in September, there will be a new four-disc bluray release of both the nuTrek films, Star Trek: The Compendium, which will contain the full suite of extras from the first nuTrek film, and everything, including all the retailer exclusives, from Into Darkness. There will also be a bit more for Into Darkness, two new featurettes, Fitting the Future (on costumes), and Property of Starfleet (on props), plus a gag reel and deleted scenes.

For Into Darkness this set will be using the IMAX version of the film, so not cropped in to widescreen, meaning more Trek on the screen (although it wont contain the 3D version so if you want that you'll need to hang on to the existing version). On top of all that Paramount are looking at arranging a discount for those of us who already bought the extras-light versions of Into Darkness.

Hunt also reminded Paramount that what we all want as well is proper bluray releases of the older Star Trek films, with directors cuts n'all. That is apparently being considered too.

Here's the box art for The Compendium. UPDATE: Higher res version via TrekMovie:

Continue after the jump for a full breakdown of this new release and comparisons of IMAX footage against the widescreen format:

Disc 1

• Star Trek in high definition
• Commentary by J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof and Roberto Orci

Disc 2

• To Boldly Go — Taking on the world’s most beloved science fiction franchise was no small mission. Director J.J. Abrams, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, producer Damon Lindelof, and executive producer Bryan Burk talk about the many challenges they faced and their strategy for success.
• Branching Pods:
  • The Shatner Conundrum
  • Red Shirt Guy
  • The Green Girl
  • Trekker Alert!
• Casting — The producers knew their greatest task was finding the right cast to reprise these epic roles. The cast, for their part, talk about the experience of trying to capture the essence of these mythic characters. The piece concludes with a moving tribute to Leonard Nimoy.
• A New Vision — J.J. Abrams’ vision was not only to create a Star Trek that was a bigger, more action-packed spectacle, but also to make the spectacle feel real. Every aspect of production—from unique locations to the use of classic Hollywood camera tricks—was guided by this overall objective.
• Branching Pods:
  • Savage Pressure
• Starships — Abrams and production designer Scott Chambliss were careful to pay tribute to the design of the original Enterprise, but they also wanted to make it futuristic and cool for a modern audience. This chapter focuses on the unique stories behind the creation of the film’s starships.
• Branching Pods:
  • Warp Explained
  • Paint Job
  • Bridge Construction Accelerated
  • The Captain’s Chair
  • Button Acting 101
  • Narada Construction Accelerated
  • Shuttle Shuffle
• Aliens — Designers Neville Page and Joel Harlow talk about the hurdles they faced creating new alien species, recreating the Romulans and Vulcans, and designing the terrifying creatures on Delta Vega for the new Star Trek.
• Branching Pods:
  • The Alien Paradox
  • Big-Eyed Girl
  • Big Bro Quinto
  • Klingons
  • Drakoulias Anatomy 101
• Planets — From the frozen landscape of Delta Vega to the desert plains of Vulcan, Scott Chambliss and the art department had a number of radically different planets to create. Abrams’ desire to shoot on real locations whenever possible led the production team to a number of strange and surprising locations.
• Branching Pods:
  • Extra Business
  • Confidentiality
• Props and Costumes — Property master Russell Bobbitt had the unique challenge of designing props that were both true to the original series and pertinent to today’s technology. Likewise, costume designer Michael Kaplan talks about how he designed costumes that paid homage to what came before yet were relevant and timeless.
• Branching Pods:
  • Klingon Wardrobe
• Ben Burtt and the Sounds of Star Trek — When famed sound designer Ben Burtt was hired to create sounds for the first Star Wars film, he took his inspiration from the original Star Trek series. Burtt jumped at the opportunity to pay tribute to the sounds that sparked his career with the sounds he created for the new Star Trek.
• Score — As a fan of the original series, composer Michael Giacchino embraced the challenge of creating new music for Star Trek while preserving the spirit of Alexander Courage’s celebrated theme.
• Gene Roddenberry’s Vision — J.J. Abrams, Leonard Nimoy, previous Star Trek writers and producers, and scientific consultant Carolyn Porco describe and commend the optimistic and enduring vision of Gene Roddenberry.
• Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary
• Starfleet Vessel Simulator — Explore extensive data on the U.S.S. Enterprise and the Romulan ship, the Narada. Submerse yourself in breathtaking 360° views and close-ups and review detailed tech information.
• Gag Reel
• Trailers

Disc 3

• Star Trek Into Darkness IMAX Version in high definition
• Enhanced Commentary

Disc 4

• The Voyage Begins… Again — Go behind-the-scenes as filming begins on the next Star Trek adventure.
• Creating the Red Planet — Experience the creation of a never-before-seen alien world, as featured in the action-packed opening sequence of the film.
• Introducing the Villain
• Rebuilding the Enterprise — See the design and construction of a bigger, interconnected Enterprise set.
• National Ignition Facility: Home of the Core — Location shooting at the National Ignition Facility.
• Attack on Starfleet — Go behind the scenes with the cast and filmmakers and witness the creation of the shocking attack on Starfleet Headquarters.
• Aliens Encountered — The design and application of alien makeup.
• The Klingon Home World — Discover the stunning world of Kronos, and see how the filmmakers reinvented the Klingons for a new generation.
• The Enemy of My Enemy — Find out how, and why, the identity of the film’s true villain was kept a mystery to the very end.
• Vengeance is Coming — A comprehensive look at the design and production surrounding the black ship.
• Ship to Ship — An in-depth and thrilling look at the filming of the iconic space jump sequence, which both defied the laws of physics and pushed the limits of visual effects.
• Mr. Spock and Mr. Spock — Leonard Nimoy makes a cameo appearance and reflects on his history with Trek.
• Down with the Ship — Discover the stunt & VFX work involved to make the Enterprise roll over.
• Kirk and Spock — Explore the dynamic relationship between the film’s heroes.
• Brawl by the Bay — Sit in with Zachary Quinto and Benedict Cumberbatch as they revisit their intense preparation for the film’s breathtaking climax.
• Continuing the Mission — An inspiring look at the partnership between the film’s crew and the organization that assists returning veterans to find meaningful ways to contribute on the home front.
• Unlocking the Cut — A discussion with the film editors about their monumental task.
• The Sounds of Music (and FX) — A discussion with film composer Michael Giacchino and sound designer Ben Burtt.
• Visual Affection — A comprehensive look at the creation and implementation of visual effects.
• Safety First — A prank pulled on the cast.
• Theatrical Trailers
• NEW! Deleted Scenes
• NEW! Photo Gallery
• NEW! Gag Reel
• NEW! Fitting the Future — A look at the film’s out-of-this-world costumes.
• NEW! Property of Starfleet — Sourcing and tracking the film’s myriad props.

And here's a comparison of the IMAX footage against the widescreen:

While it's a little annoying we have to buy both films to get this complete version of Into Darkness, I am delighted it's happening! Well done to The Digital Bits for getting Paramount to listen, and well done to Paramount for actually realising their mistake and responding.

I shall leave you with one extra feature that wont be included. The full version of the cast (and Abrams) MTV round-table discussion, which was filmed to promote the cinema release of Into Darkness: