Anyone following the whole HD format war mess knows that Universal was the one holdout that stood by HD DVD through thick and thin. As the one HD DVD supporter on staff, I figured that it’d be a cold day in Hell when we’d see Universal announcing upcoming titles for the Blu-ray format. Yet, here we are and today Universal did just that.

The first Universal Blu-ray release will come in the form of Heroes: Season Two (along with Heroes: Season One) on August 26. Following that later in the year will be a set of anticipated summer blockbusters: The Incredible Hulk, Wanted, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Mamma Mia!, and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

The rest of the initial Universal Blu-ray line-up for 2008 is as follows:

• The Mummy
• The Mummy Returns
• The Scorpion King
• Doomsday
• American Gangster
• Knocked Up
• The 40-Year-Old Virgin
• Miami Vice
• End of Days
• U-571
• Land of the Dead

With this announcement, it appears that all the major Hollywood studios are diving full-force into Blu-ray, and so perhaps now the big question is whether audiences are ready to make the leap too. Are you making the HD transition?