SteelBook Alert: Fortified with Extra Ks

Collectors, your lives may have just been made a little easier. No longer will you have to choose between buying either 4k Ultra HD or a regular Blu-ray in SteelBook packaging. On a few upcoming titles, at least, you finally can get them together. Whatever cross-section of half a dozen people with overlapping interest in both of these things may exist, you can breathe a sigh of relief.

‘Jason Bourne’ (UHD + Blu-ray)

Available at: Best Buy
Release date: TBA
Price: $29.99

Will all that nauseating shaky-cam be any easier to follow in 4k HDR clarity? I’m skeptical, but I suppose we’ll find out.

I suspect that this artwork isn’t final. If it is, it’s a little generic.

Jason Bourne UHD Steelbook

What is it about Matt Damon’s face that makes poster artists want to plaster giant text in front of it?

The Martian poster

Elysium poster

The Adjustment Bureau poster

‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’ (UHD + Blu-ray)

Available at: Best Buy
Release date: Aug. 23rd, 2016
Price: $29.99
Region code: TBD

Best Buy, being as incompetently run as ever, has posted a listing for a UHD SteelBook edition of ‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’, but hasn’t bothered providing any photos of it on the American web site.

I assume (but can’t confirm) that the case will be the same design as this one I found on Best Buy’s Canadian site. However, please note that the Canadian copy does not include UHD, just standard Blu-ray and DVD. Why would the company not put the UHD disc in the case in Canada? Is it possible that the American site’s listing erroneously mentions UHD but the product may not actually have it? Good luck getting answers to any of these questions out of Best Buy.

The artwork is very handsome. Too bad the movie is supposedly terrible.

Huntsman Winter's War UHD SteelBook

Huntsman Winter's War UHD SteelBook outside

Huntsman Winter's War UHD SteelBook inside

‘Labyrinth’ (UHD + Blu-ray)

Available at: Zavvi
Release date: Sept. 19th, 2016
Price: £29.99
Region code: Region-free

‘Labyrinth’ is one of those movies that was never as good as you want it to be. A fantasy adventure with Jim Henson Muppets and David Bowie songs? That sounds great. Sadly, the actual film… isn’t. Nonetheless, it has a following.

The SteelBook features the original poster art and looks pretty nice.

Labyrinth UHD SteelBook

Labyrinth UHD SteelBook outside

Labyrinth UHD SteelBook inside

‘Finding Dory’ (2D + 3D, Blu-ray Only)

Available at: Zavvi
Release date: TBD
Price: £24.99
Region code: Region-free

This one’s not in UHD. It’s Blu-ray only, but it does have both 2D and 3D versions of the movie.

Once again, Disney releases a SteelBook in the UK without the movie’s title written anywhere on it. This one looks particularly bare, with a lot of empty room in the top half where the title should obviously be. The disclaimer in the image says that the artwork is subject to change, so maybe the final version will turn out a little better than this.

I preordered this from Zavvi because Disney and Pixar SteelBooks have a tendency to sell out quickly, but I will gladly cancel if a variation of it winds up at an American retailer with the title printed on it as it should be.

Finding Dory SteelBook

16 comments

  1. Chris B

    Lol@ the Matt Damon’s face= giant text poster motif. I’d never noticed it before but you are definitely onto something. None of these SB or movies appeal that much to me to be honest 🙁 . Speaking of Damon though, what are the odds we’re going to see this blog address the white-washing controversy regarding “The Great Wall” anytime soon?

  2. Patient O.T.

    A lot of Steelbook collectors who have not commited to UHD are more than a liitle miffed about the Blu ray/4K packaging. For one, it kicks the price up higher than a Blu ray/DVD combo (and obviously a stand alone Blu ray). But also that on some titles the UHD is kicking out the 3D copy, which is not cool.
    Both the UHD/Blu ray and Blu ray/DVD combo seems poinless, whereas the Blu ray/3D combo makes good sense.

    • MOST Best Buy Steelbooks are priced at $29.99 this long before release date. As we edge closer they usually drop 5 or 10 bucks, depending on what it is.

    • William Henley

      Some studios are starting to wise up to customer demand, and do a UHD, 3D, Blu-Ray combo pack and most of these are selling for the same price as a 3D/BluRay combo pack. So no complaints from me.

  3. Al

    Josh, how could you?!

    You write up a 4K SteelBook post, just days after I point out the first ever 4K SteelBook to you, and you don’t even mention it?!

    😜

    Allow me to point it out, one more time…

  4. According to Zavvi, the ‘Labyrinth’ Blu-ray will feature a few new substantial special features, including a tribute to David Bowie. That’s nice.

  5. I will probably cancel my UK Snow White and go for the Best Buy one if it truly is a real announcement.
    Labyrinth and Finding Dory is on order.

  6. William Henley

    So I was looking at that Steelbook of Labyrinth, but $40.79 is WAY too high for this movie. Just going to pick up the US UHD release.

    Likewise, while Zavvi does usually sell out of Disney steelbooks pretty fast, they usually have enough stock on hand that I can wait until Zavvi runs a sell to pick them up. I usually just don’t bother, though. The majority of Disney movies I pick up through DMC as they run such good sales. About the only time I order from the UK for Disney releases is for UK only 3D releases

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