In space, no one can hear you scream. Or talk. Or hear anything you might be doing, for that matter - given the lack of... matter. And that would appear to be bothering Warner Bros.
When directors drag us into the dark unknown, they have two options for capturing the drama of an environment hardly anyone has experience: accurately (2001: A Space Odyssey, Interstellar), with no sounds outside bar the occasional drama-building score, or theatrically (Star Wars), with laser blasts and rocket engines.
One recent gem was Alfonso Cuarón's Oscar-winning Gravity - a film that tried its darndest to keep noises limited to inside Sandra Bullock's space suit, overlaid with Steven Price's sweeping score. But, in an apparent search for an accurate cinema experience/money, Warner Bros. will be giving owners of the upcoming Diamond Luxe Edition release (?) the option of turning off Price's Oscar-winning soundtrack to experience the film in silence, sans music.
As well as providing a silent-running mode, the special edition will also include three bonus featurettes and the contrasting option to crank up the soundtrack with Dolby Atoms Audio technology.
What do you think? Is the Diamond Luxe Edition a Blu-ray-shaped piñata for Warner Bros., or would you actually give a music-free version of the film a go? If you're feeling particularly stingy, you could keep your original DVD release and mute any sections when the music kicks in...
A US release has been announced for February 10th with no confirmed UK date just yet.
