[Update: Check new trailers for the Avatar Re-release!]

Not content with $2.77 billion in worldwide box office takings and a record-setting home release this past April, James Cameron and 20th Century Fox are releasing another version of Avatar in the form of the Extended Collector's Edition this November.

We've had hints for quite a while now at what we can expect from this new special edition of Avatar, the most recent update popping up back in August. However, today Fox has put out an official press release letting us eager fans in on what we can expect if we hand over our hard-earned cash to own Avatar on DVD or Blu-ray this time around.

Whether you're a first-time Avatar purchaser - most likely you're like me and saved your money to buy this version - or are just so much of a fan that you feel the need to get every edition available (just wait for the 10 year anniversary edition in 2019!), there's plenty to sink your teeth into with this impressive release.

Now before you get up in arms about Cameron and Co. ripping customers off by releasing the "real" Avatar home viewing experience six months after the first bare-bones release, remember that we knew upfront that the first release was going to give you the bare minimum and that a huge special edition was on its way near Christmas. And not only have Cameron and Co. delivered on that promise, they've made it very worthwhile to buy this edition due to the extensive amount of special features and extended/unseen footage included.

avatar-special-edition-01

Along with a whopping three versions of the movie - theatrical cut, special edition re-release (as seen in theaters) and the new Collector's Extended Cut - there are also a wealth of behind-the-scenes featurettes, 45 minutes of deleted scenes and even an alternate opening to the movie.

Update: Check these new trailers for the Avatar Collector's Edition:

Here is the official special features from the press release:

AVATAR Extended Collection's Edition: 3-Disc Collector's Edition Blu-ray

Disc One

  • Original Theatrical Version
  • Special Edition Re-Release
  • Collector's Extended Cut (16 more minutes and exclusive alternate opening)
  • Family Audio Track (All Objectionable Language Removed - available on Original Theatrical Release and Special Edition Re-release)
  • Original Theatrical Release
  • Special Edition Re-release

Disc Two

  • "Capturing Avatar" An in-depth feature length documentary with James Cameron, Jon Landau and cast and crew
  • Deleted Scenes – including over 45 minutes of new never-before-seen deleted scenes
  • Production Materials

Disc Three

  • Open "Pandora's Box" and go deeper into the filmmaker process
  • Interactive Scene Deconstruction: Explore the various stages of production through 3 different viewing modes
  • Production Shorts: 17 featurettes covering performance capture, scoring the film, 3D fusion camera, stunts and much more
  • Avatar Archives including original scriptment, 300 page screenplay and the extensive Pandorapedia
  • BD-live Portal with additional bonus materials

AVATAR Collector's Edition: 3-Disc Special Edition DVD

Disc One

  • Original Theatrical Version
  • Special Edition Re-release
  • Collector’s Extended Cut (16 more minutes and exclusive alternate opening)

Disc Two

  • Original Theatrical Version
  • Special Edition Re-release
  • Collector's Extended Cut

Disc Three

  • "Capturing Avatar" An in-depth feature length documentary with James Cameron, Jon Landau and cast and crew
  • Deleted Scenes – including over 45 minutes of new never-before-seen deleted scenes

If all of that wasn't enough to get you excited, below is the artwork for the release:

Avatar Extended Collectors Edition artwork
Avatar Extended Collectors Edition artwork
Avatar Extended Collectors Edition artwork

I purposefully held back from purchasing Avatar back in April precisely because I knew we'd be getting a much more worthwhile release later on. I've been caught out there too many times buying a movie when it first comes out, only to find out a few months later that a special edition with more and better special features is available.

Holding off on buying Avatar may have meant having to wait quite a bit longer without it in my collection, but it certainly looks like it was worth the wait :-). I'm particularly impressed that they're offering all three versions of the movie in the one package as opposed to releasing them separately.

This release may not appeal to the average movie goer but for super-fans of the movie it means more delving into the world of Pandora that Cameron envisioned and seeing how it all was put together.

Avatar Extended Collector's Edition will hit store shelves on November 16th, 2010.

Source: 20th Century Fox