10 Movies Disney Should Release on Physical Media

In very happy news for physical media aficionados, it was announced last week that 20th Century Studios' Barbarian was finally getting a physical release later this summer. Given Barbarian's status as a low budget horror film that found both critical and box office success, it was odd it hadn't gotten a disc back in 2022, but thankfully that's now being remedied, in the wake of the film's director, Zach Cregger, proving he was far from a one hit wonder with last year's Academy Award-winning Weapons.

But Barbarian getting the physical media treatment it's long deserved has me pondering several other Disney-owned titles from the past few years that likewise would be worthwhile for a Blu-ray and/or 4KUHD disc (or even a DVD if you're more old school). Whether they debuted on Disney+, Hulu, or in theaters, they're notable by their current absence in any format but Digital or streaming (and in at least one case, currently notable by their absence in any format at all). So let's dig into ten movies worthy of a physical media release they haven't gotten one yet.\

Oh, and while there are certainly plenty of recent streaming series that also come to mind, I'm sticking to movies here, although in one case there's a bit of a cheat...

No One Will Save You

Original Release: Hulu (September 19, 2023)

The cool and stylish No One Will Save You definitely stood out when it debuted on Hulu, with many quickly impressed by the skillful and gripping manner in which writer/director Brian Duffield told his nearly entirely dialogue-free story about a town outcast (the always awesome Kaitlyn Dever) who discovers an alien invasion has begun. 20th Century Studios obviously saw Duffield's talent, hiring him again to direct their upcoming theatrical release, Whalefall. And Dever, already an acclaimed young actress, has continued to build up accolades, Emmy nominations. and fans thanks to her work in projects like The Last of Us. Visually bold and filled with terrific sound design, No One Will Save You is just the sort of a movie begging for a 4K disc, if only we had one to purchase...

The Princess

Original Release: Hulu (July 2, 2022)

The winking, winning The Princess takes its high concept -- a medieval princess turns out to be a badass fighter who has to stop the bad guy intent on taking over her father's kingdom -- and runs with it. In the title role, Joey King is great as the unnamed Princess, giving a fierce, credible, highly physical performance as a Princess who just so happens to be decidedly combat ready. It's campy, silly, fun, and easy to cheer for and it was a bummer when The Princess was among many movies removed from the streaming service it was produced for a couple years back. Still, Disney continues to sell the movie digitally, indicating they know there is an audience there for it. An audience who'd be happy to be able to have a permanent physical copy of the film as well, I might note.

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers

Original Release: Disney+ (May 20, 2022)

Smashing together the comedic vibes of the SNL-honed The Lonely Island with beloved Disney characters made for a very funny combo with this live-action/animation hybrid that offered a meta take on the proliferation of Hollywood reboots we're now very familiar with. Directed by The Lonely Island's Akiva Schaffer, the Rescue Rangers movie feels like a spiritual sequel to Who Framed Roger Rabbit, as Chip 'n Dale reunite years after a bitter falling out that led to the cancellation of their TV show. Like Roger Rabbit, the film has a ton of non-Disney animated characters among its population and its humor operates at a level that can be funny in different ways for both kids and adults. All of which makes it perfect for the shelf of Disney animation fans and The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast listeners alike! (and for those of us who fall into both categories, obviously).

Palm Springs

Original Release: Hulu/Limited Theatrical (July 10, 2020)

Continuing on the Lonely Island front, released summer 2020 on Hulu (along with at a smattering of mostly drive-in theaters), Palm Springs received a ton of adoration from critics and viewers with its new take on a time loop scenario. Here, two strangers (Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti) meet at a wedding and then keep being stuck on that day, at that wedding, over and over again. Given the film debuted at the height of the pandemic, with many still isolating at home, there was very much an extra resonance at the time to a story about being trapped in the same place, doing the same thing, over and over. But Palm Springs would have been well received regardless, because it's funny, sweet, and poignant and led by two very charismatic, likable stars. The film was actually a co-distribution between Neon and Hulu, who acquired it together at Sundance, so perhaps there is a bit more complexities to a physical release in the US (there was a European Blu-ray). But they should figure it out, because this movie is great and deserves a full bells and whistles disc, complete with the audio commentary eventually released on Hulu.

The Empty Man

Original Release: Theatrical (October 23, 2020)

Long delayed thanks to being stuck in limbo during the Disney acquisition of 20th Century Fox, The Empty Man ultimately became the final film to kick off with the 20th Century Fox logo (before the full changeover to 20th Century Studios) when it was at last released into mostly empty theaters in October 2020, during a time when barely any theaters were open at all thanks to the pandemic. Given it was met with both its fair share of bad reviews and a dismal D+ CinemaScore grade from the few that turned out to see it in theaters, The Empty Man might feel like an odd film to push for a physical release... Except for the fact that once it debuted on Digital, it began to find an increasingly appreciative cult fanbase, who were taken with its offbeat, sometimes surreal story about a secret cult. Even if they didn't want to put it out themselves, this feels like the kind of title readymade for a boutique label like Shout or Arrow to release, should Disney be willing to license it out for a physical release.

Hellraiser

Original Release: Hulu (October 7, 2022)

The eleventh film in the Clive Barker-created franchise, the 2022 Hellraiser served as a reboot, anchored by a new take on the film's iconic character Pinhead, here embodied by Jamie Clayton as "The Priest." After the fourth entry, Hellraiser was plagued by a number of straight to video sequels that were mostly quite bad, and while mileage will vary on whether the 2022 film lives up to high bench mark of the first two movies from the 1980s, it was clearly the best Hellraiser in quite some time. With a core horror fanbase out there for all things Hellraiser, and a central performance from an actress (Odessa A'zion) whose star has been on the rise in the years since, Hellraiser 2022 feels like a no brainer to get a physical release. But outside of a UK-only DVD from Paramount (who had international distribution), there's been nothing for collectors stateside so far. What's funny is Disney technically released several of those terrible VHS/DVD only movies in early 2000s, back when they owned Miramax/Dimension, who held the rights to the franchise at the time. So it feels like they should balance the scales with a disc for an actual good new entry!

Togo

Original Release: Disney+ (December 20, 2020)

Poor Togo! Here you have one of the very first movies released by Disney+ (okay, not a Day 1 launch release, but just a month after) starring an acclaimed actor and met with solid reviews, and yet as I type this, it's not available anywhere, in any format, in the United States. The story of a man and his sled dog who fought to survive the elements to get an antitoxin serum to those who needed it during a 1925 epidemic, Togo was eventually dropped from Disney+. And though it was on some other services for a time, right now, it's nowhere to be found. That's no way to treat an emotional story featuring the awesome Willem Dafoe and one of the best good boys ever! Seriously, it's hard not to tear up watching this one, but right now, you can't watch it at all. If only we had a Blu-ray and/or 4K UHD to circumvent the need for it to be streaming again...

Hocus Pocus 2

Original Release: Disney+ (September 30, 2022)

A modest success in theaters way back in 1993, Hocus Pocus has turned into quite the longterm sensation for Disney, as proven by the notable amount of modern day merchandise the movie has generated, and it was a big deal when it finally got a sequel decades later, via 2022's Hocus Pocus 2. And the multi-generational fanbase was certainly ready for it, with the film drawing large viewership when it debuted on Disney+. That's led to a third movie now in the works, with the plan set for Hocus Pocus 3 to return the franchise to theaters. All of which is to say, given how passionate Hocus Pocus fans are, how can there not be a physical release of Hocus Pocus 2!? Granted, this may be the film on this list whose eventual physical release seems most inevitable - once the third movie is out, they'll want to release that trilogy box set, right? -- but there's no time like the present!

Predator: Killer of Killers

Original Release: Hulu (June 6, 2025)

There was great rejoicing among Predator fans when Prey got released on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD in October 2023, over a year after that film debuted on Hulu. The fifth entry in the Predator franchise, Prey had been incredibly well received by critics and fans alike, with the most common lament being that it had bypassed theaters for a Hulu release. But hey, at least it eventually got a much-asked for physical release. The reaction to Prey led 20th Century Studios to not only hire the film's director, Dan Trachtenberg, to bring the franchise back to theaters with 2025's Predator: Badlands, but also to make yet another film for Hulu, the animated anthology, Predator: Killer of Killers. As a big theatrical release, Badlands got its expected physical release, but so far, there's been nothing for Killer of Killers, despite that movie also getting strong critical reaction. Which means of the seven Predator movies so far, there's still one that fans can't put on their shelves alongside the others and it's this one. Come on, Disney, let's remedy that!

Werewolf By Night

Original Release: Disney+ (October 7, 2022)

Okay, this one is the one where I'm stitching things a bit to include on this list. Because, let's be real, Werewolf By Night is technically not a movie. But then again, it's not a TV Series either. It's a Marvel "Special Presentation," a format that allows for more experimentation that they should continue to take advantage of. And look, I'd love to buy discs of all three of the Marvel Specials so far, including The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and the recent The Punisher: One Last Kill. But if I could only have one, it would be the awesome, terrific-looking black and white macabre delight that is Werewolf by Night. Sure, it's not quite an hour in length, but between the special itself, the color version of the special, and the Director By Night accompanying documentary, there's already enough material on Disney+ alone to justify a 4K disc. Add in, say, an audio commentary from writer/director/composer Michael Giacchino and you'd have a stellar release for an MCU Standout. Fingers and claws crossed it happens eventually...