The Stranger Things Blu-ray box set is worth braving the Upside Down for
Stranger Things is available to watch on Netflix whenever fans of Hawkins hijinks desire, but physical media fans are getting a special treat. The streaming giant is teaming up with Arrow Media on a 25-disc special edition Blu-ray set covering the entire run.
We miss a good, old-fashioned box set and the new Blu-ray HD/4K editions of Stranger Things: The Complete Series arrive in the United States on July 27, delivering every episode and a whole lot more.
There’s a Special Edition and a Deluxe Edition with masses of special features and exclusive swag, including a double-sided fold-out map of Hawkins and a 148-page artbook. The Deluxe edition also includes a pair of Hellfire Club d20 dice. Nice.
The special edition costs $200 on Blu-ray and $220 for the 4K version. If you want to spring for the full deluxe version it’s $250 and $270 respectively. Here’s the full rundown of the features, with the asterisks marking those exclusive to the Deluxe version:
- High-Definition (1080p) Blu-ray / 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of all forty-two episodes across five series and twenty-five discs
- Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround and stereo audio for all episodes plus Dolby Atmos for Seasons 4 & 5
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Optional audio description tracks
- Deluxe packaging including brand new wraparound box artwork by Juan Ramos*
- Interviews with the cast and crew
- Behind-the-scenes featurettes
- Set tours
- Bloopers
- Palace Arcade alloy-zinc coin-token*
- Self-adhesive Hellfire Club patch*
- Exclusive Hellfire Club d20 dice*
- Twenty-five art cards from all five seasons*
- Five double-sided posters featuring original artwork by Kyle Lambert*
- Reversible sleeves featuring brand new artwork by Juan Ramos and original artwork by Kyle Lambert*
- Double-sided fold-out Hawkins map*
- 148-page perfect-bound artbook including original design sketches, concept art, storyboards and new writing on the making of the series from the Duffer Brothers, Shawn Levy, Andrew Stanton, Kyle Dixon, and more*
The show creators, the Duffer Brothers, are pitching this as a means of preserving the show, but it’s unlikely that Netflix ever removes it. We suppose there could be some stuff that doesn’t age well and is withdrawn, but given the content of the show I’d say that’s highly unlikely. If you want to make sure it’s preserved as the Brothers D intended, and get a ton of swag in the process, this is the smart play.
“We always dreamed that Stranger Things could be owned in its entirety,” the pair said in a press release. “Not just as a collector’s set, but as a way to preserve the show for decades to come.”
If the Duffer Brothers really had the cahones, they would release the collection on VHS too, just for authenticity’s sake too. The box-sets can be pre-ordered now.
Chris Smith
