Universal “Working To Replenish” Sold-Out Stock Of ‘Oppenheimer’ 4K Discs In Time For Holidays

Dade Hayes
·2 min read

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment says it is “working to replenish” sold-out stock of Oppenheimer 4K Ultra HD discs at major retailers in time for the holidays.

Director Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster drama arrived in disc form last week, with three hours of bonus material. Beyond those extras, though, the feature itself is prized in the 4K format by cinephiles, given that the resolution is better than any other way of viewing it outside of theaters. Nolan throughout his career has over-indexed in the realm of physical media, given his rare combination of elevated aesthetics and broad-audience sensibility.

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Major retailers like Best Buy and Amazon have been sold of the top-end Oppenheimer discs, leading to a frenzy in after-market sales. Copies of the “Steelcase” special edition have been fetching as much as $200 a copy, according to various online reports.

“We are happy so many consumers are embracing Oppenheimer in 4K Ultra HD and understand that some retailers may currently be out of stock,” the studio’s home entertainment division said in a statement provided to Deadline. “Universal is working to replenish those retailers quickly so fans can watch the film at home in the best picture quality possible.”

Nolan has been a noted skeptic about streaming and a major booster of the theatrical experience, and Oppenheimer‘s $900 million-plus global gross has been a validation of his stance. Accordingly, he has also been vocal in urging cinephiles to maintain a physical library of their favorite films rather than relying on the vagaries of streaming. Strategic decisions by the owners of streaming platforms routinely take films out of circulation for long periods of time as media companies optimize subscription acquisition opportunities, engagement optimization and other corporate objectives.

“If you buy a 4K UHD, you buy a Blu-ray, it’s on your shelf, it’s yours,” Nolan told IGN in a recent interview. “No company is going to break into your house and take it from you and repossess it. It’s yours, and you own it. That’s never really the case with any form of digital distribution.”

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