Oppenheimer sparks Blu-ray rush as stock sells out nationwide

Your chances of nabbing a copy of Oppenheimer on 4K Ultra HD or Blu-ray in the US could be near-zero right now, with stock sold out and shelves empty all across the US.

It may not be the highest-grossing movie of the year – that honor goes to Barbie, closely followed by Super Mario Bros – but Oppenheimer could be the movie of 2023.

All expectations were not only defied but vastly exceeded: its box office haul is just above $950 million, it’s one of the biggest IMAX releases of all time, and it’s positioned to be an Oscars heavyweight at next year’s Academy Awards. It may be a three-hour, part-black-and-white epic, but Christopher Nolan doesn’t miss.

With Christmas fast approaching, people have been trying to buy a copy of Oppenheimer on 4K and Blu-ray for loved ones (or themselves) – but they’ve been out of luck in the US.

Oppenheimer studio responds after 4K Blu-ray stock sells out

Oppenheimer has sparked a physical media rush from a bygone era, with several retailers reporting sold-out stocks of the movie on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. Steelbooks are also being re-sold at exorbitant prices, with some as high as $200 on eBay.

In a statement, a Universal Pictures spokesperson said: “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.”

This comes shortly after Nolan encouraged people to maintain their physical media collections rather than relying on streamers and on-demand services. “If you buy a 4K UHD, you buy a Blu-ray, it’s on your shelf, it’s yours. 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,” he told IGN.

He was backed up by Guillermo del Toro on X/Twitter, who retweeted Nolan’s quotes and wrote: “Physical media is almost a Fahrenheit 451 (where people memorized entire books and thus became the book they loved) level of responsibility. If you own a great 4K HD, Blu-ray, DVD etc of a film or films you love… you are the custodian of those films for generations to come.”

Oppenheimer is available to buy on 4K, Blu-ray, and VOD. Each version is available to purchase by clicking here. You can also check out our other coverage below:

Oppenheimer review | Ending explained | Best way to watch Oppenheimer | Cast and characters | Filming locations | True story explained | Did Japan ban Oppenheimer? | Was Jean Tatlock murdered? | What happened to Kitty? | Why did Lewis Strauss hate Oppenheimer? | Why you struggle to hear Nolan’s movies | Oppenheimer’s improvised line | Could Oppenheimer earn $1bn? | Highest-grossing R-rated movies

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