HIGH DEF UNIVERSE

When writer Larry Kramer hosted a gathering of gay men at his home in 1981 to discuss the "gay cancer" that was plaguing their community, he effectively launched a series of events that would change the face of the Gay Rights Movement and American activism. In 1985, he immortalized the events in the groundbreaking play The Normal Heart, which was later revived on Broadway in 2011, garnering five Tony Award nominations. Three decades after its Off Broadway debut, Kramer's dream of a film version to bring his urgent and pivotal story to an even wider audience has finally arrived when The Normal Heart debuts on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital HD on August 26, 2014.

New York, NY (June 4, 2014) - When writer Larry Kramer hosted a gathering of gay men at his home in 1981 to discuss the "gay cancer" that was plaguing their community, he effectively launched a series of events that would change the face of the Gay Rights Movement and American activism. In 1985, he immortalized the events in the groundbreaking play The Normal Heart, which was later revived on Broadway in 2011, garnering five Tony Award nominations. Three decades after its Off Broadway debut, Kramer's dream of a film version to bring his urgent and pivotal story to an even wider audience has finally arrived when The Normal Heart debuts on Blu-ray ($24.99), DVD ($19.97) & Digital HD on August 26, 2014. The release includes an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the true story that inspired the film, featuring cast and crew interviews, and the Blu-ray & DVD also include a Digital HD copy. The film was heralded for its "searing, electrifying moments... delivered with escalating passion" (People) by an all-star cast that includes Academy Award® nominee Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right), Academy Award® winner Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich), Matt Bomer (TV's White Collar) and Emmy Award® winner Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory).

Adapted for the screen by Kramer and directed by Emmy Award® winner Ryan Murphy (Glee, American Horror Story), The Normal Heart tells the story of the onset of the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City in the early 1980s. It explores the nation's sexual politics as gay activists and their allies in the medical community fight to expose the truth about the epidemic to a city in denial. Ruffalo portrays Ned Weeks, who witnesses first-hand a mysterious disease that has begun to claim the lives of many in his gay community and starts to seek answers. Matt Bomer plays Felix Turner, a reporter who becomes Ned's lover. Taylor Kitsch plays Bruce Niles, a closeted investment banker who becomes a prominent AIDS activist. Jim Parsons plays gay activist Tommy Boatwright, reprising his role from the 2011 Broadway revival. Roberts plays physician Dr. Emma Brookner, a survivor of childhood polio who treats several of the earliest victims of HIV-AIDS. Rounding out the all-star cast are Alfred Molina, Joe Mantello, Jonathan Groff, Denis O'Hare, Stephen Spinella, Corey Stoll, Finn Wittrock and B.D. Wong.