Criterion U.K.

[rapta]

December:
I Know Where I'm Going! 4K
Pee Wee's Big Adventure 4K
His Girl Friday 4K

First one a huge surprise, as it was assumed by everyone that ITV would never give up the UK rights. I suppose one of three things may turn out be the case: a) Criterion managed to bag UK rights alongside the US ones, b) ITV are finally coming round to licensing individual titles, or c) this will be cancelled as A Matter of Life and Death was previously.

[reaky]

[places all chips on letter c]

[ryannichols7]

I would be stunned if that actually gets released. the BFI would be absolutely furious if it does

[rapta]

I would be stunned if that actually gets released. the BFI would be absolutely furious if it does

Quite the opposite actually, Ben Stoddart at BFI seems very happy about the news of it being available in its home country. BFI have had no luck with ITV up until now, as had all other UK boutiques.

[dwk]

UK releases for January 2026
Captain Blood UHD/BD
Dead Man UHD/BD
Yi Yi UHD/BD
The Dead UHD/BD

[Tuppence]

The Dead is with ITV in the UK, yes? So with this, and I Know Where I'm Going!, it seems like that fortress has been breached.

[dwk]

ITV is who Park Circus lists.

[MichaelB]

The Dead is with ITV in the UK, yes? So with this, and I Know Where I'm Going!, it seems like that fortress has been breached.

I suspect as far as ITV is concerned, the deal is with a US company, just as their deal with Imprint is with an Australian company.

The fortress will only have been truly breached when a UK-based company manages to license an ITV title - and I understand from a recent conversation with someone who's very keen to breach that fortress that it remains firmly unbreachable for now.

[Tuppence]

Except The Dead is owned by Lionsgate in the US, and ITV in the UK. So it's two separate deals, one specifically for the UK only, rather than just adding another territory to an existing one. That's why it's surprising.

[MichaelB]

But it's still a US-based company.

I don't know why ITV doesn't want to do business with UK-based companies, but right now that very much seems to be the position.

[rapta]

I'd be curious to see if they could go back and release The Red Shoes 4K and A Matter of Life and Death in the UK, and perhaps Meantime and the David Lean films too.

[dwk]

February 2026:
Birth UHD
Kiss of the Spider Woman UHD
Life is Sweet Blu-ray
and the previously delayed House Party UHD

[rapta]

Very happy about Birth in particular, figured we might not get it as EiV still seemed to have streaming rights. Shame we didn't get Eyes Wide Shut but I assume Warners will announce their own release for that, like they did for Barry Lyndon.

[dwk]

March 2026 UK releases:
The Man Who Wasn't There 4K
3:10 to Yuma 4K
The Breakfast Club 4K

[dwk]

April 2016
The Blade UHD
Trouble in Paradise UHD
Gilda UHD

[dwk]

Possible May titles:
Point Blank UHD
My Beautiful Launderette Blu-ray
The Big City Blu-ray

[MichaelB]

Why My Beautiful Laundrette, which is still available in a perfectly good BFI edition?

[domino harvey]

Wasn’t one of the very first Criterion UK titles something already in print locally?

[dwk]

Peter Hujar's Day ( also seems to be coming in May.

[dwk]

June 2026:
Body Heat UHD
Charade UHD
Five Easy Pieces UHD

[dwk]

July 2026 :
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore UHD
Hairspray UHD
​​​​​​​Desperate Living UHD

[rapta]

Ben Stoddart seemed quite sure BFI still have rights to Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, so we'll see if that gets cancelled or not...I would expect them to lose the rights soon though as it has been almost a decade since their DVD (and cancelled Blu-ray release).

[dwk]

Paris is Burning appears to be the lone August 2026 release.

[TMDaines]

A quiet year. It doesn't help that I overlooked the announcement in February of The Big City being released here and included it my March import order from the Criterion store.

[Prickly]

HMV newsletter has details for K-Pop Demon Hunters without release date.

https://hmv.com/Store/Film-TV/4K-Ultra- ... Collection