One of the biggest talking points ahead of Sinners‘ theatrical release was the formatting and aspect ratios. Shot on film, Ryan Coogler’s period vampire epic is one of the first films to combine two proprietary film formats into one: scenes shot on Ultra Panavision 70 and IMAX 15-perf film were both used in the final IMAX cut of the movie. The aspect ratio expands from Ultra Panavision 70 2.76:1 to IMAX 1.90:1 or 1.43:1 during select scenes, creating a more immersive environment in key moments.
If this all sounds confusing, it’s because it kind of is. Luckily, Coogler filmed an explainer for Kodak with all of the film and formatting available for Sinners. Just know this: if you buy the movie on Blu-ray you’ll be seeing it as the creators intended.
Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw has confirmed that the physical release of Sinners will contain the shifting 1.90:1 IMAX aspect ratios, so even at home, you’ll have a chance to see the movie the way it was meant to be seen.
Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan in dual roles as identical brothers Smoke and Stack, who return home to Mississippi for a fresh start, only to find that a great evil force is lurking to welcome them back. Miles Caton, Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, and Delroy Lindo co-star.
The Sinners 4K Blu-ray and limited-edition Steelbook don’t yet have release dates, but as we noted above, they’re available for pre-order now and will ship as soon as possible.
Amazon pre-orders often get delivered on a release date for Amazon Prime subscribers. These pre-orders are also subject to Amazon’s Savings Pre-order Price Guarantee; you’ll be charged the lowest price to date upon shipment, even if the product is not on sale when you actually purchase it.
The Walmart pre-order of the limited-edition steelbook of Sinners comes with, among other bonuses, a digital code to redeem the movie on a VOD platform of your choosing. The retailer offers the same pre-order price guarantee as Amazon.
There is no concrete date for when Sinners will leave movie theaters across the country, but the first step toward that is happening this week: beginning Thursday, May 1, Sinners will be pulled from some premium formats, including IMAX and Dolby, to make way for Marvel’s Thunderbolts*. The movie could remain in theaters through June or even into July.
Recent blockbusters like Wicked and Twisters had 12-week theatrical runs, and we could see a similar timeframe for Sinners considering its box office success.
Warner Bros. movies such as Sinners will hit video-on-demand platforms like Prime Video before heading to Max.
The window for a release like this is typically at least one month, if not more, so late May is likely the earliest Sinners will be on streaming to buy or rent.
The wait to stream it on Max will be longer; Warner Bros. typically holds movies anywhere from 100 to 150 days before debuting them on the Max platform, and successful movies such as Sinners often fall on the longer end of the spectrum.
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Writer/Reporter for Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, how to watch your favorite sports teams and movies on each streaming service and the very best in tech, like soundbars, to enhance your viewing experience. Not only does Angela test and compare the services, devices and merch she writes about, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech and pop culture. Prior to joining Decider and the New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
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