Star Wars!
On the heels of its record-breaking theatrical run, Disney will release Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on April 1, 2016, and on Blu-ray and DVD April 5, 2016. Target, Walmart, and Best Buy will all carry a Blu-ray Combo Pack and will also be offering exclusive, outlet-specific bonus features according to Deadline. A 3D home video version is forthcoming as well, due out sometime in 2016.
For those who have already seen the film, the release offers the chance to enjoy it from the comfort of your own couch, and for the half a dozen folks who haven’t: What’s wrong with you?! We kid, of course, but we do recommend giving it a whirl from the comfort of your home if you’re harboring any Star Wars nostalgia — or curiosity — whatsoever.
The news emerged from Disney’s shareholder meeting in Chicago, during which CEO Bob Iger also teased the upcoming spinoff film Star Wars: Rogue One, which is essentially the franchise’s version of a heist movie. “It’s our first original, standalone Star Wars story about a band of rebels planning to steal the plans for the Death Star,” Iger said. “The action takes place right before the events in the very first Star Wars movie: Episode IV.”
That film is due out December 16, 2016, while the Rian Johnson-directed Star Wars: Episode VIII is set for a December 15, 2017 release.
Given its already astronomical success, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that The Force Awakens will break records in the streaming and Blu-ray/DVD sales arenas as well, so we’ll be sure to keep an eye on the numbers for you. Either way — if you’re a fan of the franchise — there’s plenty to be excited about in the coming weeks/months.
Stay tuned, and may the force … well, you know.