We’ve also just posted the weekly update of our Release Dates & Artwork section here at The Bits, featuring all the latest Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. (Thanks to our own Russell Hammond for his hard work on it.) As an Amazon affiliate, anytime you order literally anything from the retailer after clicking to them through one of our links (like this one) you’re helping to support our work here at The Bits and we really appreciate it.

Now then, let’s get to the good stuff!

Much of what I’m about to share here I first posted on our Digital Bits Patreon page a few days ago, to give our supporters there an early taste—which is a good reason to subscribe! If you can’t support us through our Amazon affiliate links, Patreon is a great way to help us keep our work here at The Digital Bits going. (So thank you to all of our subscribers there!)

So here’s the deal: I’ve been talking with our many friends, sources, and insiders in the industry over the past several weeks and months, generally getting the lay of the land for how the studios’ 4K catalog release slates are shaping up for 2025 and beyond. And what I can tell you, based on what I’ve been hearing, is that there are a TON of great 4K catalog titles coming in the new year. In fact, I think 2025 will be the biggest year for this format yet—and that’s saying something, given how many terrific titles we’ve already seen in 2024.

First up, a lot of you have asked us about more Quentin Tarantino films in 4K Ultra HD, especially with the recent news that Arrow Video is re-releasing Inglourious Basterds (2009) on the format (on 1/14/25, with the same 2K upsample but with Arrow’s own remastering, which will hopefully be an improvement on Universal’s 2021 release).

Well, I can confirm that Jackie Brown (1997), and both Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004) are coming from Lionsgate in Q1 2025. All three will include Dolby Vision HDR. Additional details are forthcoming.

On a personal note, there are a few films that I really love and that I’ve quietly been pushing for release on 4K disc for a long time now. I’m pleased to say that it appears several of them are being planned for release in 2025. One of them is a Miramax title: Anthony Minghella’s The English Patient (1996).

Now, it remains to be see how the staff cuts at Paramount are going to impact the studio’s 4K output in early 2025, but I’ve heard from multiple sources now that’s a pretty good chance that Minghella’s The English Patient and Cold Mountain (2003) are coming to 4K in the next 12-24 months. Paramount, as many of you know, has the rights to release much of the Miramax and Dimension catalog on the format.

And that leads me to the next bit of news, which is that I’ve learned that 4K transfers of Kevin Smith’s Clerks (1994), Chasing Amy (1997), and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) are in the pipeline. So hopefully we’ll see those soon as well.

Now then, we’ve just seen the Warner Archive Collection announce its first 4K catalog title: John Ford’s The Searchers (1956). I am convinced that if this title sells well, a lot more great 4K catalog from Warner Archive (and Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment proper) will become possible. So if you’re a fan of the studio, this format, and the film itself, my advice is to help make sure that WAC sells as many copies of The Searchers in 4K as possible, not least because it’s a great film—arguably one of the best Westerns of all time—but also because I’m confident that Warner Archive will do it right. And the price point (SRP $29.99) is amazing!

Here’s the thing though: A TON of other great 4K catalog is in the works at WBDHE for the next 12-24 months. Obviously, we already know that Miloš Forman’s Amadeus (1984), Francis Lawrence’s Constantine (2005), and David Fincher’s Se7en (1995) are coming in 2025—the studio has added all of them to select retailer databases, including Amazon UK. (And I’ve confirmed all three with studio sources.) But more titles are being planned as well, some to be released by Warner and others to be licensed to boutique labels. Among them is another personal favorite of mine: Philip Kaufman’s The Right Stuff (1983)! We also know from Q&A comments by director Frank Oz that Little Shop of Horrors (1986) has been remastered in 4K and is coming to 4K disc at some point soonish.

And now we come to Disney, and thus to 20th Century Studios, Touchstone, and Hollywood Pictures as well. I’m told that the studio’s new distribution arrangement with Sony is going well and that there are plans to bring more catalog titles to physical 4K UHD—both titles released through Sony and also licensed out to boutique labels. With Joachim Rønning’s new Tron: Ares sequel due to arrive in theaters in October of 2025, you can definitely expect Steven Lisberger’s Tron (1982) and Joseph Kosinski’s Tron: Legacy (2010) on the format next year—in fact, Kosinski has already confirmed in interviews that he’s supervised and approved a new master.

Here’s a nice surprise for musical fans: Fox’s The Sound of Music (1965) celebrates its 60th anniversary next year (on March 2), and I’m hearing from multiple sources that there’s a good chance you’ll see that released in 4K in 2025 as well.

Finally, we come to a pair of Fox catalog titles that I personally love with the fire of a thousand suns: Peter Weir’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) and Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven: Director’s Cut (2005). And yes, I have reason to believe there’s a very good chance we could see one or both of them on physical 4K Ultra HD in the next year or so as well. It should be noted that the theatrical version of Kingdom of Heaven already has a 4K master—it’s available for viewing on Disney+/Starz internationally—so preparing a Dolby Vision 4K master of the Director’s Cut should be straightforward.

Something important that I should add here about the titles I’ve just mentioned: This definitely isn’t all of the titles I’ve heard are being considered, scheduled, and/or worked on for 4K release in the year ahead. But this is already a terrific list of titles, and the fact that more are coming too should make you every bit as excited as I am to see what 2025 will bring to the 4K format.

All right, that’s it for now!

Whoever wins this damned infernal election, which feels like it’s been going on for years now, I hope this post has brought a little bit of joy and cheer into your day.

Note that all of the titles listed above have been added to our 4K Ultra HD Release List here at The Bits accordingly—it’s a very useful reference for fans of the format, so do check it out here if you haven’t already. Note that titles offering excellent A/V quality are marked with an asterisk (*), and reference titles with two (**). We’ve also included links to those we’ve reviewed here at The Bits, as well as Amazon affiliate links to order them if available.

Stay tuned, my friends!

(You can follow Bill on social media at these links: Twitter and Facebook)