here's the complete article from batman-on-film.com:
The Scarecrow? Nope! More BATMAN 1-4 SE news!
Author: Jett
Tuesday, January 18, 6:25 AM, 8:45 PM CST: This comes from a trusted source which comes from their trusted source - sort of how it works sometime. Anyway, he provided me with a bit more info on the upcoming SE's of the first four WB BATMAN films -
• BATMAN and BATMAN RETURNS have been finished for a while now. Tim Burton re-recorded his commentary tracks with a "guest." Seems he thought his original commentary was too boring.
• Regarding those films, they'll look like this: Disc 1 - Remastered picture and sound with Commentary. Disc 2 - Trailers, TV Spots, Vintage footage and a new featurette on the film. BATMAN is expected to get the most treatment with a feature length documentary. BATMAN RETURNS will feature Jett from BATMAN ON FILM breaking down why it sucks as bad as BATMAN AND ROBIN [Sorry, couldn't resist - Jett].
• Our source regarding FOREVER -
"Joel recorded commentary tracks for the theatrical edition along with BATMAN AND ROBIN (Look for a 'special guest' on that track as well). Afterwards Joel decided to ask WB to recut the film back to something that resembles his original edit. WB agreed and gave him a budget to do so. Joel is currently in Burbank working on some alterations to the film.
WB wants to also include the original theater version of the film, Which kind of paints Joel into a corner. You see because they will have to use a process called 'seamless branching.' This works with films like T2 or ALIENS where chunks of the film were simply taken out. In the case of FOREVER entire parts of the film were re-edited. So Joel may be forced to alter the original cutting decisions to keep it possible to seamlessly branch with the theatrical version. But rest assured the extended cut will clock in somewhere around 2 hrs. 35 mins. It just might take place in the order of events the theatrical version presented rather than the shooting script or workprint edit. With the exception of the Two Face escaping scene, Which will come before the credits - meaning we might loose that nifty WB/Batlogo morph.
Joel knows he is considered the devil to some in the Bat-world and wants this to be his redemption. He's going to add as much footage as possible back in. Also some of the effects were not finished in the early workprint and they need to be finished. He has been given a small budget to work with for that. All new effects will be digital. Which with todays technology will look better than most of the CGI back in 1995.
Current title is going to be '10th Anniversary Extended Director's Cut.'"
Our source says that WB is looking into several marketing/release options -
• BATMAN Special Edition with free BATMAN BEGINS ticket in May, with a box set similar to that of the MATRIX Collection in Oct/Nov.
• All four films out separately in May, or in a box set. This solely depends on whether Joel's new cut is finished or not.
• Holding off on all releases until Oct/Nov in a box set without single releases. This also holds hope for a bonus 9th disc.
Now, this ain't gospel here, so take it as "strong" rumor right now. But it sounds great! And I really want to see a new, extended cut of FOREVER.... Nothing is certain right now, Except the fact that these films will be in stores sometime in 2005....