Barbie, the film that has taken the world by storm, is finally making its way to UK digital platforms, and will be available to watch on TV via digital streaming – less than two months after its release in local cinemas.
Directed by Oscar-nominated Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, the film has shattered records, earning more than $1.345 billion worldwide.
It has become the highest-grossing film in Warner Bros.’ 100-year history and the largest film release of 2023 to date in the UK and Ireland.
Barbie will become available to buy or rent via all the major VOD stores in the UK, on September 12, 2023, and it is already available to pre-order on Amazon.
The pre-order price is currently £19.99 – and that’s for a full purchase, and not a limited-time rental.
The film will also become available to rent (digitally) at some point – but the price for that version hasn’t been made public yet.
Barbie was released in UK cinemas on July 21, 2023. Therefore, its streaming release date is just 53 days after its theatrical release – which is quite a short cinema-to-home window.
In the US, the film will also, at a later date, stream on Max (formerly HBO Max), the subscription-based streaming service, at no extra cost to subscribers.
In the UK, it’s still unclear where it will end up – but Warner Bros. films usually show up on Sky (see more on that below).
Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig, has become the highest-grossing film in Warner Bros.’ 100-year history, and the highest-grossing film ever from a female filmmaker at the domestic box office.
The film has been lauded for its groundbreaking narrative and has sparked conversations about gender roles and societal expectations.
Set in the idyllic Barbie Land, the film explores the existential crises that unfold in this seemingly perfect world.
Barbie, portrayed by Margot Robbie, and Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, go on a journey of self-discovery, questioning their existence and the societal norms of their world.
The film boasts a star-studded ensemble cast that includes America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren, among others.
How To Watch Barbie Online In The UK
Barbie will become available to stream on digital platforms in the UK on September 12, 2023.
You will be able to buy and stream it on Amazon’s Prime Video store, Apple’s iTunes, Rakuten TV, Sky Store and other streaming video stores, by using a streaming device (or a Smart TV) to watch the film on your telly.
The price is currently £19.99 for a Digital Purchase – meaning you get to own it, and watch it as many times as you want.
Less than two months after the film’s theatrical release (in the UK), Barbie’s digital release window is quite short – as some other recent hit films took quite a while longer to reach home streaming.
Top Gun: Maverick which was also very popular in cinemas, came to streaming 91 days after its original release date – and Avatar 2 took 109 days.
Physical editions (DVD and Blu-ray) of Barbie will also be released sometime in the near future – you can already preorder them on Amazon, and the release date currently states December 31, 2023 – but it’s possible that date would change.
Will Barbie Come To Netflix/Disney+/Sky in the UK?
Typically, films tend to jump from digital VOD stores to subscription-based streaming services a few months after they’re released for purchasing (though sometimes it takes even longer).
In the US, Barbie will be coming to the Max streaming service soon (a date hasn’t been announced yet) – but alas, Max isn’t available in the UK (that is, unless you use a VPN).
However, in the UK, new WarnerBros films tend to end up on Sky and their streaming service, NOW – and not on Netflix or Disney+.
That was the case with The Suicide Squad, Dune, The Matrix Resurrections and others.
Therefore, it’s likely we will see it on Sky and NOW in a few months – but that is yet to be confirmed.
It’s on Sky this week.
On Sky Store – which means you have to pay extra for it (same as the Prime Video store, iTunes, etc.)