The Killer (1989) 4K UHD and Blu-ray Coming in April from Arrow Video
By Lio Renwick
Arrow Video is releasing the classic Hong Kong action film The Killer (1989) in the UK in April. The release is a 3-disc Limited Edition featuring the original theatrical film, the Taiwan extended cut, new commentary tracks, and a brand-new feature length documentary on John Woo's career.
Film Overview
The Killer (1989) stars Chow Yun-Fat as Ah Jong, a hitman who accidentally blinds a singer named Jennie during a shootout. Ah Jong attempts to fund a cornea transplant for her while evading a former boss and a police detective.
Video and Audio
The feature film is presented in 4K Ultra HD (2160p) resolution with Dolby Vision and HDR10.
Audio options include the original lossless Cantonese mono, a new Dolby Atmos track, and lossless English mono.
Arrow Video provides newly translated English subtitles for the Cantonese audio and English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English audio.
Bonus Features
DISC ONE - FEATURE AND EXTRAS (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)
- Brand new commentary by director John Woo and film journalist Drew Taylor
- Brand new commentary by critic David West
- Two archival commentaries by John Woo, one with producer Terence Chang
- Deleted and extended scenes
- Theatrical trailers
- Image gallery
DISC TWO - EXTRAS (BLU-RAY)
- The Hero of Heroic Bloodshed, a brand new feature-length documentary on John Woo's career
- A Bullet Ballet, a brand new interview with director John Woo
- My Kind of Hero, a brand new interview with producer Terence Chang
- Editing The Killer, a brand new interview with editor David Wu
- Hong Kong Confidential, a new appreciation by author Grady Hendrix
- American Cinematheque 2025 introduction with Woo
- Archival interviews with cinematographer Peter Pau and actors Sally Yeh and Kenneth Tsang
- Four archival featurettes from 2001 with Woo and producer Tsui Hark
DISC THREE - EXTENDED CUT (BLU-RAY)
- Option to view the Extended Cut with additional scenes from the Taiwan VHS release
- Unrestored print of the Extended Cut (standard-definition with burnt-in subtitles only)
Packaging and Extras
The Limited Edition includes a reversible sleeve and a double-sided foldout poster. The poster features original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella.
Six postcard-sized reproduction artcards are included as well as a collectors' perfect-bound booklet features writing by Priscilla Page, Frank Djeng, and Rafik Djoumi.
Release Date
The Killer (1989) is scheduled for release on April 20, 2026.
Pre-order links (no commissions earned)
- 4K UHD (Arrow Video)
- 4K UHD (DiabolikDVD)
- 4K UHD (Orbit DVD)
- Blu-ray (Arrow Video)
- Blu-ray (DiabolikDVD)
- Blu-ray (Orbit DVD)
Physical media enthusiast covering Blu-ray & 4K UHD releases.