For most of 2021, if you wanted to see a major blockbuster that was coming to theatres, there was some kind of at-home option. Even this week you don’t have to go see The Matrix Resurrections in theatres; it’s streaming on HBO Max. However, as the year went on, some options began to go away and one of the biggest movies you simply could not have seen if you didn’t go to a theatre was Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife was released by Sony, one of the few studios to stick solely to the theatrical experience. It’s a strategy that’s worked very well for the studio, not just on Ghostbusters, but Venom: Let There Be Carnage and something called Spider-Man: No Way Home too. Nevertheless, fans who may not have been comfortable going to theatres have not yet been able to see Afterlife in their own home and that’s about to change.
Sony just announced that Afterlife will be released for digital download on January 4 followed by a physical media release on February 1. The January 4 release will be available in SD, HD, and 4K UHD versions while the physical release will have Blu-ray, 4K Blu-ray, and DVD versions.
And when that happens, you should really check it out. I’m a huge Ghostbusters fan and was eagerly anticipating the film, especially since it was co-written and directed by Jason Reitman. Besides being a talented filmmaker in his own right, Jason is the son of original director Ivan Reitman and I figured there was no way Jason would endanger his father’s legacy. Then I saw the film and he didn’t — but also, the film feels like it’s trying to please every single audience member imaginable, and it sacrifices some of the interesting story being told as a result. You can read much more about that, both in my review and the interviews I did with Reitman and his co-writer, Gil Kenan.
Either way though, the film sits right above the Fresh line at Rotten Tomatoes, so most people like it more than I did. Which means, when the film comes home, you should check it out for yourself. Plus, then we can talk about that wild, spoiler-filled ending.
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Editor’s Note: Release dates within this article are based in the U.S., but will be updated with local Australian dates as soon as we know more.