Apple TV+’s “Coda” was the only Best Picture winner not available on physical media. Nearly five years later, it’s now being reported that the film will finally arrive on Blu-ray and 4K on November 4th.
Now, you won’t see me rushing to get my hands on that 4K copy of “CODA,” but more curiously, what does this mean for Apple’s other major titles, like Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon?”
Last year, Apple indefinitely postponed — and likely canceled — the “Killers of the Flower Moon” physical media release. Patron holds were being canceled, and temporary MARC listings were pulled from library catalogs. Criterion even reached out to Apple multiple times to take over the release, but the streamer flatly refused to cooperate.
By contrast, even Netflix originals like Scorsese’s “The Irishman” have seen Criterion releases. The same goes for Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma,” Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog,” Bong Joon-ho’s “Okja,” and Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story.” It’s striking that Apple is even more protective of its content than Netflix.
For now, if you want “Killers of the Flower Moon,” your only options are the Region 2 copy available in Europe or select online stores. There really isn’t another choice.
This is part of a broader decline in physical media, a trend that will only accelerate in the coming years. It’s not just Apple — Disney, despite passionate online petitions, still refuses to release Zach Cregger’s “Barbarian” on physical formats. The goal for companies like Disney, Netflix, and Apple is clear: make physical media obsolete.
This shift comes just a year after Best Buy announced it would stop selling physical media in stores, and only a few months after Sony revealed it would cease production of Blu-ray discs and other physical formats. The era of owning movies in your hands is coming to an end.
For now, we can only hope the “CODA” release means more Apple titles are to come.