Instead, it seems more likely that Disney wants fans to purchase the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the film before making the movie available on Disney Plus.
Disney made a number of deals ahead of Disney Plus’ release to ensure that it had as many of its original films on Disney Plus as it could before the service launched in November.
It seems unlikely that Disney is tangled up in pay one windows - an industry term that refers to a licensing agreements between a studio like Disney and a network like Starz, which gives Starz the rights to play movies like The Rise of Skywalker exclusively once the film leaves theaters. What is interesting is that Lucasfilm didn’t specify in its announcement when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will hit Disney Plus.
The 4K versions of the original trilogy will be the same ones seen on Disney Plus, not the first cuts fans might be hoping for. Although it’s rare for Disney to make an exclusive part of its streaming service available to purchase elsewhere, a box set like the Skywalker Saga is a good selling point for the company. The formats, which also came with Dolby Atmos-enabled sound quality, were exclusive to the streaming service. One Disney Plus’ biggest selling points for Star Wars fans was the 4K UHD restoration of the original films and the prequel trilogy. Rogue One won’t be in the boxset as it’s not part of the Skywalker Saga, but Lucasfilm noted that it’s available to purchase individually. The box set also includes Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which wasn’t included in Lucasfilm’s roundup as it previously received a 4K UHD release. Those films will also be released on March 31st. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be available to purchase in HD and 4K Ultra HD via Movies Anywhere on March 17th, and available physically two weeks later in 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on March 31st.Įach of the eight Skywalker Saga titles - A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, The Force Awakens - will be available to purchase individually or as a box set. Lucasfilm revealed the new Blu-ray sets in an announcement post for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’s digital and physical release date. One of Disney Plus’ biggest exclusives for Star Wars fans is no longer an exclusive: the original Star Wars trilogy, the prequel trilogy, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Rogue One will be available to purchase in 4K UHD for the first time.