The BFi reveals its second quarter UHD and Blu-ray release slate
The BFI has revealed its slate of 4K UHD and Blu-ray releases for April, May and June 2026. Highlights include the darkly comic debut from director Peter Weir, a sci-fi cult classic in 4K, and a landmark of queer and experimental cinema.
27 April: THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER on Blu-ray
Following its opening in UK cinemas on 6 February, the BFI will release Kristen Stewart’s critically acclaimed directorial debut The Chronology of Water (2025) on Blu-ray. Based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir, the film is a portrait of a woman who, after an abusive childhood, escapes into competitive swimming, sexual experimentation, toxic relationships, and addiction, before finding her voice through writing. The Chronology of Water features a powerful and career best performance from Imogen Poots, with support from Thora Birch, Earl Cave, Jim Belushi and Kim Gordon.
11 May: INVADERS FROM MARS on 4K UHD and Blu-ray, and RED BEARD on Blu-ray
“From three hundred million miles away… invaders from Mars!” – the celebrated original tagline introduces our first May release, Invaders from Mars. This 1953 US science fiction classic has proved popular across generations and inspired filmmakers as wide-ranging as Don Coscarelli (Phantasm), Brad Bird (The Iron Giant) and John Carpenter (The Thing). Directed by William Cameron Menzies (Things to Come), Invaders from Mars has been newly restored and will be available on 4K UHD and Blu-ray.
The same date sees the Blu-ray release of Kurosawa Akira’s Red Beard [Akahige]. Produced in 1965, this poignant tale of humanity and responsibility features a powerhouse performance by Mifune Toshirō in his final collaboration with the director. As with other recent BFI Kurosawa releases, Red Beard features new artwork by designer Matt Needle.
25 May: THE CARS THAT ATE PARIS on 4K UHD and Blu-ray
Also in May, the BFI will release Peter Weir’s debut feature The Cars That Ate Paris (1974). A key film in the Australian New Wave of the 1970s and newly restored by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), The Cars That Ate Paris was one of Stanley Kubrick’s favourite films and famously went on to influence George Miller’s Mad Max series. This limited edition two-disc set is available in both 4K UHD and Blu-ray editions and includes Weir’s 1979 rarity The Plumber.
The films of Peter Weir will be celebrated throughout April 2026 with a retrospective at BFI Southbank, including screenings of both of these films alongside his Hollywood films such as The Truman Show and Dead Poets Society.
8 June: ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS on 4K UHD
We are delighted to release Rocco and His Brothers [Rocco e i suoi fratelli] on 4K UHD for the first time in the UK. Luchino Visconti’s 1960 film is universally regarded as a masterpiece of neorealism. This 4K restoration was released in UK cinemas by the BFI in 2025, and the iconic cast includes Alain Delon (Le Samouraï) and Claudia Cardinale (Once Upon a Time in the West, The Leopard).
15 June: PINK NARCISSUS on Blu-ray
Our second release in June is Pink Narcissus. A milestone of experimental cinema and a landmark of queer representation, James Bidgood’s visionary film has gone on to influence artists such as John Waters, Pierre et Gilles and Charli XCX.
This new restoration by the UCLA Film & Television Archive will receive its UK premiere at the 40th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival in March 2026.
22 June: TOOMORROW on Blu-ray
The final release in June is Tomorrow, coming to Blu-ray for the first time in the UK. The film stars Australian pop legend Olivia Newton-John as a singer in a band that becomes entangled with a group of aliens. Set in the still-swinging London of 1970, this pop-sci-fi hybrid has been newly scanned and remastered by the BFI and US distributor Deaf Crocodile.
All these titles will contain a selection of extra features and an illustrated booklet (first pressing only) to provide contextual information. Full details of each release will be posted closer to the individual release dates.