Criterion Collection opens 2026 with eight January releases that span classic Hollywood, modern auteurs, and world-cinema restorations. The slate includes six new 4K UHD + Blu-ray editions, one Criterion Premieres debut, and the fifth volume of Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project.
Release Schedule at a Glance
January 6, 2026
- Dead Man (4K UHD + Blu-ray)
January 13, 2026
- Yi Yi (4K UHD + Blu-ray)
January 20, 2026
- The Dead (4K UHD + Blu-ray)
- Caught by the Tides (Blu-ray – Criterion Premieres)
- Captain Blood (4K UHD + Blu-ray)
- World Cinema Project No. 5 (Blu-ray Set)
January 27, 2026
- Kiss of the Spider Woman (4K UHD + Blu-ray)
- Birth (4K UHD + Blu-ray)
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Dead Man (1995) — 4K UHD + Blu-ray
Cover art by Greg Ruth
Jim Jarmusch’s surreal western follows accountant-turned-outlaw William Blake (Johnny Depp) on a hallucinatory trek through the frontier. Featuring a score improvised by Neil Young, it has grown from cult favorite to one of Jarmusch’s signature works.
Tech Specs
- 4K digital restoration approved by Jim Jarmusch
- 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio
- UHD + Blu-ray combo
Extras
- New interviews with Jim Jarmusch and Gary Farmer
- Archival scoring footage with Neil Young
- Deleted scenes
- Theatrical trailer
- Booklet essay
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Yi Yi (2000) — 4K UHD + Blu-ray
Cover art by Leanne Shapton
Edward Yang’s multigenerational Taipei portrait captures the joys and quiet heartbreaks of middle-class life. The film won Best Director at Cannes and remains one of the defining dramas of its era.
Tech Specs
- New 4K restoration
- Original 2.0 surround and alternate 5.0 DTS-HD Master Audio
- UHD + Blu-ray combo
Extras
- Commentary by Edward Yang and critic Tony Rayns
- New interview with Tony Rayns
- Theatrical trailer
- Booklet essay
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The Dead (1987) — 4K UHD + Blu-ray
Cover art by David Talaski
John Huston’s final film adapts James Joyce’s classic story of love and regret set at an Epiphany feast in Dublin. Anjelica Huston and Donal McCann lead a cast that embodies Huston’s elegant farewell to cinema.
Tech Specs
- 4K restoration approved by cinematographer Fred Murphy
- Dolby Vision HDR presentation
- 4.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio
- UHD + Blu-ray combo
Extras
- Interview with author Colum McCann
- 1987 behind-the-scenes documentary
- Audio excerpts from Anjelica Huston’s memoir Watch Me
- Booklet essay
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Caught by the Tides (2023) — Criterion Premieres (Blu-ray)
Cover art by Neil Kellerhouse
Jia Zhangke’s latest feature traces a woman’s two-decade search for a lost love against China’s rapid transformation. Mixing new footage with material from earlier films, it becomes a meditation on time and memory. This marks its physical debut under Criterion Premieres, dedicated to contemporary festival titles.
Tech Specs
- Director-approved HD master
- 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio
- Blu-ray edition
Extras
- “Meet the Filmmakers” interview with Jia Zhangke
- Theatrical trailer
- Essay by Carlos Aguilar
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Captain Blood (1935) — 4K UHD + Blu-ray
Cover art by David Talaski
Michael Curtiz’s adaptation of Rafael Sabatini’s novel made Errol Flynn a star and defined the studio swashbuckler. With Olivia de Havilland and a rousing Korngold score, this pirate adventure returns in a new 4K restoration.
Tech Specs
- 4K restoration
- Original mono soundtrack
- UHD + Blu-ray combo
Extras
- Commentary by film historian Alan K. Rode
- 2005 making-of documentary
- Lux Radio Theatre adaptation with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland
- Theatrical trailer
- Booklet essay
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Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project No. 5 — Blu-ray Set
Cover art by Neil Kellerhouse
The fifth volume in Martin Scorsese’s initiative to preserve global cinema features four newly restored films: Chronicle of the Years of Fire (1975, Algeria), Yam Daabo (1987, Burkina Faso), Kummatty (1979, India), and The Fall of Otrar (1991, Kazakhstan). Each was restored in 4K through The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project.
Tech Specs
- 4K restorations for all titles
- Three-disc Blu-ray set
Extras
- New introductions by Martin Scorsese
- Filmmaker and scholar interviews
- Making-of featurette for The Fall of Otrar
- Booklet essays and restoration notes
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Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) — 4K UHD + Blu-ray
Cover art by Leanne Shapton
Héctor Babenco’s adaptation of Manuel Puig’s novel stars William Hurt and Raúl Juliá as cellmates in a repressive regime — one a political prisoner, the other a romantic dreamer. Hurt’s Oscar-winning performance anchors this Dolby Vision restoration.
Tech Specs
- 4K restoration
- Dolby Vision HDR
- 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and optional mono track
- UHD + Blu-ray combo
Extras
- Interview with Suzanne Jill Levine
- 2008 documentary Tangled Web: Making Kiss of the Spider Woman
- Feature on author Manuel Puig’s literary legacy
- Theatrical trailer
- Booklet essay
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Birth (2004) — 4K UHD + Blu-ray
Cover art by Neil Kellerhouse
Jonathan Glazer’s enigmatic drama stars Nicole Kidman as a widow confronted by a boy claiming to be her reincarnated husband. With Harris Savides’ cinematography and Alexandre Desplat’s score, the film receives a director-approved 4K presentation.
Tech Specs
- 4K restoration supervised by Jonathan Glazer
- 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
- UHD + Blu-ray combo
Extras
- 2004 Charlie Rose interview with Jonathan Glazer and Nicole Kidman
- New making-of documentary
- Program on Harris Savides’ cinematography
- Theatrical trailer
- Booklet essay
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This announcement follows recent coverage of other upcoming boutique label releases including Indicator’s January 2026 Blu-ray releases, Radiance Films’ January releases, and Imprint Films’ January releases of The Beastmaster and The Sword and Sorceror on 4K.
