Solo: A Star Wars Story

SteelBook Alert: One Is the Loneliest Number

It may not have set the box office on fire the way every previous ‘Star Wars’ movie did, but this summer’s ‘Solo’ spinoff will still make its way into collectors’ hands with SteelBook packaging you can safely file away on your shelf next to all the others.

USA

Best Buy gets the American exclusive with a 4k/Blu-ray combo pack. I’m not a huge fan of the comic book art style, but it’s less offensive than it might have been.

Video Formats: Blu-ray/UHD (no 3D)
Available at: Best Buy (ORDER HERE)
Release date: TBD
Price: $34.99

Solo: A Star Wars Story SteelBook - Best Buy

UK

On the other side of the pond, Zavvi will carry separate SteelBooks for 4k and 3D (both with standard Blu-ray included). As a Disney title, it’s very likely that the 3D version will not be sold in North America at all. Unfortunately, the movie has reportedly been photographed so dark that the 3D conversion suffers even more than usual.

We don’t have much to go on since Zavvi has only posted temp art so far. Given that the UK SteelBook for ‘The Last Jedi’ ultimately had different artwork than the U.S. version, there’s a possibility that may happen again here, but we won’t know until closer to release. However, be warned that if you hesitate to preorder, you may risk the SteelBook selling out before you get that confirmation.

Video Formats: Blu-ray/UHD (no 3D)
Available at: Zavvi (ORDER FROM THE USA SITE or UK SITE)
Release date: TBD
Price: $44.54 / £32.99

Solo: A Star Wars Story SteelBook - Zavvi 4k

Video Formats: Blu-ray/3D (no UHD)
Available at: Zavvi (ORDER HERE)
Release date: TBD
Price: £24.99

Solo: A Star Wars Story SteelBook - Zavvi 3D

11 comments

  1. Art Ames

    Is it that 3D gained more acceptance and popularity in the UK than here? As one who enjoys the 3D capability, its both odd and frustrating that I have to go across the sea to purchase them. Anyone know the background?

    • All Disney releases get the 3D treatment in Belgium (and France, The Netherlands, Germany, etc.) too. I don’t know anyone who buys them (save for me). No idea on the popularity.

      Have to say, £33 for ‘just’ the 4K is even more expensive than usual. I paid $25 for ‘Blade Runner 2049’ as a 4K+3D+2D+download bundle via the French fnac.com. Granted, that’s no Disney, but still. Keep in mind, Zavvi is usually very affordable!

    • DarthGilman

      It’s pretty hilarious the justification for not releasing 3D for Disney releases in the States AT ALL is “poor sales” when they never attempted to sell them in the first place. By that I mean, 1) Amazon and Disney have been in some sort of dispute for YEARS such that new Disney releases (which now include Star Wars and Marvel movies) don’t show up for pre-order. I’m betting the vast majority of 3D sales of blu-rays were through Amazon. So it’s impossible to gauge demand for these things with that situation. 2) When Disney releases finally do go live on Amazon, every single 3D release they did would sell out within a few hours if not immediately. I had this happen to me more than once. I literally bought Dr. Strange the minute it went live and then a couple hours later remembered my dad’s birthday was coming up, so I went to buy it for him (he’s a big 3D fan and has an LG 3D tv). And it was completely sold out with a projected “back in stock” three months later or some insane time. 3) Disney then started to offer 3D as Best Buy exclusives and they too sold out IMMEDIATELY. Best Buy usually had them as “IN STORE PURCHASE ONLY” so you couldn’t pre-order or order them online (that was somewhat shrewd because it created the only excuse I’ve had to enter a Best Buy in a decade). There are about ten Best Buy’s within driving distance and every single one was sold out of Rogue One on release day. After that, I just ordered from either the UK or often Amazon Canada will have non-Disney releases in 3D that US Amazon will not. And then to add insult to injury, for the few 3D releases that Amazon US DOES list (like Rampage, Ready Player One), they are charging DOUBLE of the regular blu-ray price. If the rationale is “well they have to include two discs” then why are the 4K UHD releases of the same movie just a $4 premium? Those require not only an extra blu-ray disc, it’s an extra, harder to manufacture UHD disc. So “there’s no demand for 3D” is a bogus argument when studios and retailers are doing everything they can to actively KILL IT in the US. If US customers have to order from Amazon UK, Amazon doesn’t care since they still get money (more actually because you can’t get Prime free shipping).

        • DarthGilman

          But it does indicate greater demand than anticipated and lost revenue by the studio. Doesn’t it make sense if a title sells out on the street date in stores or on Amazon in less than an hour that they should make more copies? As you are aware, making double the number of discs of a particular SKU isn’t double the cost, it’s a small extra percentage. The big upfront cost is making the unique SKU itself. Selling out isn’t a cause for celebration, it’s a failure of the marketing department in gauging demand and most companies fire people when it happens unless there’s an external part shortage- which is not a case here.

      • William Henley

        3D does better in Europe because there is more people with 3D sets. The digital changeover occured MUCH later in Europe than it did in the States, and when most of Europe was changing over was when 3D sets were being pushed. Basically, the mindset in the States was I’m not replacing my $3000 set I bought 2 years ago just to get 3D” whereas in Europe the mindset was “well, the sets come with 3D anyways, might as well get it.”

        As far as the Amazon comment, yeah, that may have something to do with it, but you can just as easily order from Zavvi or Amazon.co.uk, which most enthusiasts do. The majority of 3D releases are region free (I am thinking all of Disney’s are. but am not positive – i got a region free 3D player, so don’t pay too much attention to region locks)

    • William Henley

      Totally agree, I saw it Thursday and LOVED it! It’s not Empire, but I will put it up there with the better movies (In fact, I will say it is better than all Star Wars movies with the exception of Empire and New Hope). I may change my mind on a second viewing, and my view may be tainted because I went in there with such low expectations, but I loved it.

    • John M Burton Jr.

      I enjoyed it as well. Didn’t like the way they colored the film, can’t imagine how bad it looks in 3D

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