Barbarian May Never Get Released On Physical Media
After 10 months of streaming, Barbarian will likely never release in physical media.
Horror movie fans might want to close their eyes for this one as World of Reel has recently shone a spotlight on some pretty bad news for those who loved the horror indie film, Barbarian. As it turns out, 20th Century Studios currently has no plans to release Barbarian on Blu-ray or any other type of physical media, which is a major bummer for those who were hoping to add the award-winning film to their media collection.
20th Century Studios used to be owned by Fox, but after Disney purchased Fox in 2019, the House of Mouse suddenly owned the rights to all of Fox’s content, and its distribution departments. The acquisition included Fox’s independent arm, Fox Searchlight, which Disney renamed simply Searchlight. It’s under this label that Barbarian was distributed when the independent film was released in 2022.
This means that the fate of Barbarian’s release is tied to whatever route Disney decides, which seems to mean there will be no physical release. Over the past few years, Disney has been consistently diminishing how much physical media they release to the public. It is evident that Disney is actively encouraging audiences to embrace digital formats as well as seeking to up their subscription numbers on Disney+.
Barbarian was released on Disney’s streaming platform last fall, about a month and a half after the film was released in theaters. When the company announced that the horror film would be hitting the Disney+ library, they made no mention of a physical release date, which is typically announced at the same time. Now, nearly 10 months later, there has still been no mention of a physical release for Barbarian, leading fans to believe there likely never will be one.
While most movie watchers are fine with moving to a digital platform, that’s typically not the case for horror movie fans. Horror films tend to develop strong cult followings and the physical copies of movies make great collector’s items. Not having a chance to add a physical copy of Barbarian to the shelf is a major loss for many fans.
Barbarian is a gripping American horror thriller film that marks the solo screenwriting and directorial debut of Zach Cregger. The movie stars some of Hollywood’s greatest actors, including Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, and Justin Long. The film revolves around a woman who discovers that the rental home she booked has been unintentionally double-booked by a man, leading to the revelation of a dark secret hidden within the dwelling.
Barbarian garnered predominantly positive reviews, with particular acclaim directed towards Cregger’s screenplay, direction, and the impressive performances of the cast. At the box office, the film achieved a worldwide gross of $45 million, surpassing its production budget of about $4.5 million.
During the week of Halloween last year, Barbarian was the fifth most-watched content across all platforms and the number one most-watched film. The film received a 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and is regarded as being a terrifying ride filled with an unpredictable and chilling plot laced with dark humor. The film has been nominated for multiple awards and has won Best Horror Feature at Portland Critics Association Awards, Best Horror Film at Phoenix Critics Circle, and Best Horror Movie at Critics Choice Super Awards.
While Barbarian is a lauded horror film that any movie buff would love to include in their physical collection, it seems that fans will have to settle for adding it to their digital library as it, along with most future content produced by Disney, will likely never see a physical release.
