Congo, theMichael Crichtonadaptation that introduced 1995 theatergoers to a talking, martini-drinking gorilla, is coming to 4K Blu-ray. Vinegar Syndrome will release the film in Ultra HD in a special-features-loaded two-disc set this winter. you may join the jungle adventure starting August 03, 2025.
The two-disc set will feature an all-new 4K scan from the film’s original 35mm negative. It will feature a new audio commentary by author/screenwriterKelly Goodnerand film historianJim Hemphill, as well as an all-new look at the state-of-the-art creature effects created for the film byStan Winstonand his team, a new featurette spotlighting the film’s makeup team, a contemporary behind-the-scenes documentary, plus teasers, trailers, and a photo gallery. The set will also include a 40-page booklet featuring writing on the film bySimon Abrams,Matt Singer, andJustin LaLiberty. It will retail for $42.99 USD, and can be preordered now onVinegarSyndrome.com.
What Is ‘Congo’ About?
When a research team led by Charles Travis (Bruce Campbell) disappears in the Congolian rain forest, their employer, telecom company TraviCom, enlists ex-CIA operative Karen Ross (Laura Linney) to track them down. She accumulates a motley crew of adventurers to accompany her, including mercenary Monroe Kelly (Ernie Hudson), shady Romanian philanthropist Herkemer Homolka (Tim Curry), and primatologist Peter Elliott (Dylan Walsh) and his gorilla Amy, who uses a high-tech device to translate her sign language into spoken English. After surviving animal attacks and abelligerent, scene-stealing military officer(Delroy Lindo), they find that TraviCom wants to find a diamond-rich lost city. Unfortunately, while that city was abandoned centuries ago, it’s still guarded by a breed of intelligent, violent gorillas. The whole thing comes to a head in a climax that involves both a laser cannon and an erupting volcano. The film was directed byArachnophobia’sFrank Marshall, from a script byDoubt’sJohn Patrick Shanley, who adapted Crichton’s 1980 novel of the same name; it featured a score byJerry Goldsmith.
Although it received middling reviews, and didn’t dominate the box office the way previous Crichton adaptationJurassic Parkdid,Congoturned a profit, making $152 million USD on a $50 million budget. It was extensively marketed at the time, featuring everything from a line of Kenner action figures to a limited-edition “Volcano Burrito” from Taco Bell. Collider’sVinnie Mancusodeclared the film should be considered a cult classic in a2020 retrospective, calling it a “fascinatingly specific snapshot of what it was like to live and watch movies in the year 1995.”
Congowill bereleased on 4K Blu-ray December 7th, 2024. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
A team of scientists and adventurers journey to the African Congo in search of diamonds and a missing expedition. They encounter dangerous wildlife, ancient ruins, and aggressive gorillas with deadly intelligence, leading to a thrilling fight for survival.
