“Oppenheimer” is sold out.
Christopher Nolan’s historical drama, which became an unlikely smash this summer, just came out on home video and has become a sensation, with the 4K Ultra HD disc selling out everywhere. It got to the point that Universal home video released a statement, saying that they are working hard on replenishing stock, especially given the holiday season.
To paraphrase the great Mark Twain, reports of the death of physical media are greatly exaggerated.
“We are happy so many consumers are embracing ‘Oppenheimer’ in 4K Ultra HD and understand that some retailers may currently be out of stock. Universal is working to replenish those retailers quickly so fans can watch the film at home in the best picture quality possible,” the official Universal statement read.
And the statement is correct – 4K Ultra HD is the best possible way to watch “Oppenheimer” at home. The format is a step up from Blu-ray, with improved picture and sound, creating a nearly movie theater-level experience in your living room. And Nolan has been on record about creating the greatest possible home video product and has been for years – when “The Dark Knight” hit Blu-ray, it was the first film of its kind to switch between the traditional aspect ratio and the expanded Imax ratio.
Amazon is currently out of the Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD discs; a Best Buy-exclusive steelbook version of the 4K disc is currently going for between $80 and $200 on eBay.
When “Oppenheimer” was released alongside “Barbie” earlier this summer, it was assumed that the three-hour historical drama about the creation of the first atomic bomb (with Cillian Murphy playing J. Robert Oppenheimer), would fade into the pink haze. But the two films created a synergistic opportunity, with “Barbenheimer” taking the box office by storm. “Oppenheimer” wound up making $951 million worldwide and is generating significant Oscar buzz.
The 4K Ultra HD discs selling out also proves that physical media is still very much a thing, especially when valued by the filmmakers behind the movies. Best Buy has already announced that it won’t be selling physical media, starting sometime next year. And it’s rumored Target will follow suit. In the lead-up to the home video release of “Oppenheimer,” Nolan has positioned physical copies as the only way to safeguard your collection, since even a digital library could be subjected to interference from the studio or streaming giants. Clearly the public took his words to heart and now Universal is scrambling to keep the movie on shelves.
