Malick fans rejoice: The Criterion Collection, known for its special feature-laden, artfully packaged editions of “important classic and contemporary films,” is releasing The Thin Red Line on DVD and Blu-ray on September 28th of this year. This will be the second of Malick’s films to receive the treatment–the first being 1978’s Days of Heaven–and it’s an act sure to please the vocal minority that has long championed this film, which to date has seen only the most basic release on DVD. Not included, I’m sad to say, is the supposed five-hour-long version of the film with cut scenes featuring the likes of Martin Sheen, Mickey Rourke, Viggo Mortensen, Bill Pullman, and narration by Billy Bob Thornton. Full list of disc features after the jump.

New, restored high-definition digital transfer, approved by director Terrence Malick and cinematographer John Toll (with DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition)

New audio commentary featuring Toll, production designer Jack Fisk, and producer Grant Hill

Outtakes from the film

Video interviews with several of the film’s actors, including Kirk Acevedo, Jim Caviezel, Tom Jane, Elias Koteas, Dash Mihok, and Sean Penn

New video interview with casting director Dianne Crittenden, featuring original audition footage

New interview with composer Hans Zimmer

New video piece featuring interviews with editors Billy Weber, Leslie Jones, and Saar Klein

An interview with writer James Jones’s daughter Kaylie Jones

World War II newsreels featuring footage from Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands

Original theatrical trailer

PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic David Sterritt and a 1963 essay by James Jones on war films