Star Wars: The Force Awakens is coming to a living room near you

By Adam Poltrack March 4, 2016

Rey runs from an explosion in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. — LucasFilm/Disney / Lucasfilm

A short time from now, in a living room close, close to you …

Star Wars!

On the heels of its record-breaking theatrical run, Disney will release Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on April 1, 2016, and on Blu-ray and DVD April 5, 2016. Target, Walmart, and Best Buy will all carry a Blu-ray Combo Pack and will also be offering exclusive, outlet-specific bonus features according to Deadline. A 3D home video version is forthcoming as well, due out sometime in 2016.

For those who have already seen the film, the release offers the chance to enjoy it from the comfort of your own couch, and for the half a dozen folks who haven’t: What’s wrong with you?! We kid, of course, but we do recommend giving it a whirl from the comfort of your home if you’re harboring any Star Wars nostalgia — or curiosity — whatsoever.

The news emerged from Disney’s shareholder meeting in Chicago, during which CEO Bob Iger also teased the upcoming spinoff film Star Wars: Rogue One, which is essentially the franchise’s version of a heist movie. “It’s our first original, standalone Star Wars story about a band of rebels planning to steal the plans for the Death Star,” Iger said. “The action takes place right before the events in the very first Star Wars movie: Episode IV.”

That film is due out December 16, 2016, while the Rian Johnson-directed Star Wars: Episode VIII is set for a December 15, 2017 release.

Given its already astronomical success, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that The Force Awakens will break records in the streaming and Blu-ray/DVD sales arenas as well, so we’ll be sure to keep an eye on the numbers for you. Either way — if you’re a fan of the franchise — there’s plenty to be excited about in the coming weeks/months.

Stay tuned, and may the force … well, you know.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributor

Adam is an A/V News Writer for Digital Trends, and is responsible for bringing you the latest advances in A/V…

Entertainment

One year ago, Andor changed Star Wars forever

Cassian Andor looks forward with purpose in Andor episode 3.

When Andor premiered one year ago this week, the general response to its first three episodes, which all dropped on Disney+ at the same time, was … interesting. While everyone seemed to welcome the Rogue One prequel with open arms and positive reviews, some were quick to express their concerns over the show’s pace. On the one hand, it’s not hard to see why. Andor's first three installments essentially serve as both the series' inciting incident and its prologue.

The show’s opening chapters split their time between flashbacks to Cassian Andor’s (Diego Luna) traumatic childhood on the war-torn planet of Kenari and the present-day fallout of his impulsive decision to kill a pair of Imperial-adjacent officials. It isn’t until the end of Andor’s third episode that his backstory has been fully fleshed out and he’s actually left his adoptive planet of Ferrix with Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), the rebel leader who will jumpstart Cassian’s own radicalization. On paper, that might make it seem very little happens across Andor’s first three episodes.

Entertainment

Did Andor ruin Ahsoka, and maybe the entire Star Wars franchise, by being too good?

Ahsoka Tano holds one of her lightsabers in Ahsoka episode 4.

Disney+’s Ahsoka is a lot of things: A quasi-sequel to Star Wars Rebels, a spinoff of The Mandalorian, a rollicking space adventure. Above all else, though, Ahsoka is a show made by and for Star Wars fans. Created by George Lucas’ chosen protégé, Dave Filoni, the series is overflowing with details, Easter eggs, and characters from past Star Wars films and TV shows — namely, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rebels. These various references have all been collected in a story that seems designed to serve as the bridge between the Rebels finale and Filoni’s now-announced Star Wars crossover film, which will purportedly close out the New Republic story first introduced in The Mandalorian.

At the center of said story is the villainous Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) and the Imperial Remnant’s quest to bring him back into the fold. That mission is the driving narrative force of Ahsoka, which pits the show’s heroes against those who wish to find Thrawn and rescue him from his years-long exile in a foreign galaxy. The series is, in other words, a lot less about Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) and her personal journey than its title would lead you to believe. In fact, of all of its concerns, Ahsoka’s characters feel increasingly less like its top priority.

Entertainment

5 Adam Driver movies you should stream right now

Adam Driver sits on the couch as Channing Tatum stands over him in Logan Lucky.

Adam Driver is one of the finest actors of his generation, and if you don't believe me, trust Martin Scorsese. Versatility is one of Driver's greatest strengths. The 39-year-old has found success in nearly every genre, from dramas (Scorsese's Silence) and comedies (Girls) to coming-of-age stories (Frances Ha) and blockbusters (Star Wars).

After starring in the sci-fi adventure, 65, Driver will next be seen in Michael Mann's long-awaited biopic, Ferrari, set to arrive on December 25, 2023. Driver stars as Enzo Ferrari, the Italian racing driver and founder of the legendary car manufacturer Ferrari. Before Ferrari, explore these five films in Driver's filmography that represent some of his finest roles.
Marriage Story (2019)