SteelBook Alert: Dirty Pool

Marvel’s potty-mouthed superhero is still kicking ass at the box office, which has thrown a wrench in the studio’s plans for a quick Blu-ray turnaround. Although we don’t yet have an official release date, at least we do know that the movie will get a nice SteelBook edition whenever it comes. Also clad in metal: some little movie about wars in the stars.

‘Deadpool’

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

UK retailer Zavvi was the first to announce a ‘Deadpool’ SteelBook, but the title sold out quickly and the listing has since been pulled from the web site. If you weren’t fortunate enough to get a preorder in, it turns out that the Steelbook will also be sold in the United States as a Best Buy exclusive.

The images below are the artwork that Zavvi announced. At present, the Best Buy web site doesn’t display any cover art, so there’s a chance that the American copy might feature a different design. However, that seems unlikely to me. This same art is being used in other countries, such as this SteelBook from France. I’d bank on the same design being used worldwide. In fact, I really hope that’s the case, because I think this looks pretty great.

Deadpool SteelBook Blu-ray

Deadpool SteelBook Blu-ray back

Deadpool SteelBook Blu-ray inside

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’

Available at: Best Buy
Release date: April 5th, 2016
Price: $29.99

In comparison to the above, the ‘Force Awakens’ SteelBook is kind of lame and uninspired. It looks like a Photoshop beginner’s first attempt. The image of Kylo Ren on the front isn’t very exciting, and how does a character with negligible screen time in the movie get featured on the back? Even assuming that Disney didn’t want to pay for the actors’ likeness rights to feature any of the movie’s real stars, I’m sure that somebody could have come up with a more clever design than this if they’d put some effort into it.

Star Wars Force Awakens SteelBook

Star Wars Force Awakens SteelBook inside

This one is also a Best Buy exclusive in North America. Zavvi will carry essentially the same case in the UK, except without any mention of the movie’s title in the artwork (a trend that I really hate, personally).

Star Wars Force Awakens Zavvi SteelBook

11 comments

  1. William Henley

    As much as I want to, I just can’t do a preorder for Star Wars. I am getting pretty sick of Disney sticking it to us on 3D releases, and either delaying the 3D release, releasing the 3D and 2D releases seperately (Oz), or only releasing the 3D releases in certain geographic areas (Frozen).

    Plus, as Josh said, the steelbook here is pretty uninspired.

    I really like Star Wars, but not so much that I need it day one. I am holding out for the 3D release (speaking of which, where is my 3D Blu-Ray of Phantom Menace?)

  2. Chaz

    3D Phantom Menace was a total flop, I saw that in the theater and it sucked big time, hardly anything popped and the depth was negligible at best, terrible conversion and I’m glad things stopped when Lucas sold off the brand. 3D for the Force Awakens really wasnt all that inspiring either, few places were great but most of it was classic conversion after the fact and not worth paying for IMO, which is why I’m not bothering to get the 3D version.

    I personally love the Best Buy Steelbook, I went as Kylo Ren for Halloween this past year and him and Phasma look great on anything, dont care about the screen time, soon as I saw that Steelbook, its what I pre-ordered 🙂

  3. Lord Bowler

    They should have replicated the Star Wars poster with the new characters in front and the classic characters behind! That at least would have been interesting.

    I like the minimalist Deadpool artwork!

  4. Bryan

    Love the Deadpool Steelbook (although I’ll be getting the 4K release), but yeah – that Star Wars steelbook is not impressive. I actually cancelled my Zavvi pre-order for it when the final art was displayed. (frankly I find most of the existing Star Wars steelbooks to be pretty lackluster as well – only Episode IV with Vader on the cover looks good to me).

    • Chris B

      I just can’t get down with Kylo Ren’s helmet design. I’ve never liked it and now having it plastered all over the front of this SB makes me less inclined to buy. And like, Josh said what the hell is up with putting Phasma on the back cover? she’s in the movie for maybe 5 minutes? MAJOR FAIL.

      • Chaz

        She’s been involved in the marketing since day one, she’s a physically awesome looking character. Boba Fett wasnt in the movies much at all either and he’s one of the most popular characters. Its already known that Phasma’s role will be much bigger for the next film, she’s a character thats going to be much more involved, but everyone seems to forget that this is a trilogy, not everything has been laid out yet and since she will be playing a much more prominent role going forward, why not put her on the cover? You people are too damn picky

  5. Timcharger

    Putting Phasma on the (back) cover is a joke.

    It’s not just the negligible screen time, but the actions of
    Phasma on screen make her the Benedict Arnold of
    stormtroopers. She’s just a wimpy, turncoat stormtrooper
    in a shiny metal package, what a joke.

    Truck, car buyers, get suckered into paying hundreds
    more for a shiny chrome package, what a joke.

    I don’t want any irony on my purchases of the shiny metal
    packaging for my movies. I want to be blind and complain
    about it without intelligently seeing the connection!

  6. Timcharger

    Josh: “At present, the Best Buy web site doesn’t display any cover art, so there’s a chance that the American copy might feature a different design. However, that seems unlikely to me. This same art is being used in other countries, such as this SteelBook from France. I’d bank on the same design being used worldwide.”

    The American spine is reversed. (And I like it that way.)
    http://forums.highdefdigest.com/steelbook-iron-pack/144027-deadpool-best-buy-exclusive-steelbook-blu-ray.html#post2585686

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