In a rare case of Criterion taking on a relatively new American feature film, the company have recently announced that they will be releasing David Fincher's Oscar hopeful The Curious Case of Benjamin Button on both Blu-ray and 2-disc DVD in May of this year. For those still unaware of the film I'll let Criterion's own summary explain.

"I was born under unusual circumstances..." Thus begins The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the Academy Award–winning film starring Brad Pitt as a man who is born in his eighties and ages backward, and Cate Blanchett as the woman he is destined to love forever. The film is a monumental journey – as unusual as it is epic – that follows Benjamin's remarkable adventure of romance and redemption from the end of World War I through the twenty-first century. Directed by David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a powerful testament to life and death, love and loss.

The Criterion acquisition is doubly surprising given the high quality and plentiful extras of the DVD and more recently Blu-ray releases of some of Fincher's previous films, Se7en, Fight Club and Zodiac. Both editions are director approved and include the following extra features:

• Interviews with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett;
• Audio commentary featuring Academy Award-nominated director David Fincher;
• Never-before-seen footage revealing the innovative techniques behind the Academy Award–winning visual effects and makeup;
• Step-by-step examination of the motion-capture process aging Brad Pitt;
• In-depth exploration of David Fincher's creative process on the set;
• Interview with acclaimed composer Alexandre Desplat about the score;
• Featurettes on the film's storyboards, costumes, and Academy Award–winning art direction;
• Stills galleries, including costume design and candid behind-the-scenes production photos;
• An essay by film critic Kent Jones.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button will be released in the US on 2-disc DVD for $34.98 and single disc Blu-ray for $39.99 on 5th May 2009.

In addition, Criterion have just dropped a sizeable hint that they will be releasing Guillermo del Toro's splendid debut feature Cronos on DVD (and maybe Blu-ray too) in the autumn, of fall as it's know across the pond. Yesterday their regular email update included the following teaser:

We await with bated breath.