Project Hail Mary 4K Blu-ray could have fixed the biggest problem with physical releases
Could – but didn't. Once more it's a case of missed opportunities
When the Project Hail Mary 4K Blu-ray was finally listed for pre-order I let out a little whinny of excitement. Or maybe that was just in my head. Nonetheless, I rapidly paid my order for the physical release, as it had been on my wish-list for some time.
Amazon MGM Studios had a major opportunity here to fix my biggest problem with physical media releases – namely, the release date being set in stone. Sadly, however, this is yet another 4K Blu-ray release where things are just, well, unclear.
- As a 4K Blu-ray fan, these are 7 discs I'd buy in Amazon's sale
Two weeks ago the Project Hail Mary pre-order went live on Amazon in the US. It attracted a mass of interest, then the listing seemingly evaporated – as if the pre-order volume was so considerable that all stock was allocated. Fortunately, the UK didn't suffer the same fate – you can still pre-order on Amazon.
Not in tandem with streaming
At the time the 4K Blu-ray pre-order went live, however, there wasn't even a hint of official release date. Even now, weeks on, there's no official word from Amazon MGM Studios about when the disc version will actually arrive to customers.
That's a frustration. After all, those who want to watch can do so via pay-to-view streaming using MGM+ – as has been the case since 18 June.
Sure, I get that Amazon wants to promote that platform's sign-ups and revenue, but why not get the 4K Blu-ray out first? Surely that would increase the demand and make even more money overall?
No precise release date
There are also agreements that restrict a release schedule based on a theatrical run – and as Project Hail Mary's life in the cinema extended initial expectations, that put in a bit of a delay.
That's the price of success but, again, why not relay with clarity as soon as possible when the disc would drop? It only adds additional time for teams to be working on the release, rather than squeezing schedules.
As it stands most UK sites have just latched '31 December 2026' into this field, as a catch-all way of saying 'this year', I suppose.
The 4K Blu-ray won't be released that late, though, as suggestion is 11 August will be the official date. Sources are loose on this one, however, so that can only be seen as a suggestion rather than definitive date at this time.
Limited 'Extras' detail
A massive reason for wanting a 4K Blu-ray of any release is for the best-of-best picture quality at a bitrate that no streaming service can ever match, plus an uncompressed sound mix that will make the best home theatres shine all the brighter.
In addition, however, collectors and fans love the Extras on discs. Behind-the-scenes. Storyboards. Deleted scenes. Alternate endings. Director's Cut versions. The list goes on. Yet there is no list – as the 4K Blu-ray of Project Hail Mary hasn't listed any of its contents at this stage.
That's not stopped me from buying the disc on first sighting, of course, I just wish these points would be addressed to make for a smoother purchase experience. At £24.99 / $37.99 for a copy, such buyers are awarding a high rate of return to the studios after all.
