Star Wars set for DVD release

Phantom Menace: First Star Wars on DVD

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace is to be released on DVD in October.

The launch marks the first of the four-strong Star Wars saga to be released on the format.

It is not known when the rest of the Star Wars films will be released on DVD.

The Phantom Menace is the second highest-grossing movie of all time and the fourth in the series to be made although it acts as a prequel to the previous trilogy.

George Lucas provides an audio commentary on the disc

The DVD release has been digitally mastered using THX technology - a sound and picture system designed by Lucasfilm, the company set up by director George Lucas.

Special features

The DVD boasts more than six hours of additional material, including exclusive documentaries and new footage.

Other special features on the disc include the first-ever commentary by director Lucas, a deleted scenes documentary featuring seven new sequences completed for the DVD, and an hour-long documentary film culled from more than 600 hours of behind-the-scenes footage.

The disc's sale is bound to generate intense interest - more than five million copies of the film on VHS were sold in the US within just 48 hours of release.

A fifth film in the series is currently in production and is set for release next year.