Shout Factory continues its slate of action films with the Hong Kong Cinema Classics collection. Blu-ray.com has now passed along the news of two John Woo films that are having an epic 4K Blu-ray release in early 2026. Bullet in the Head will make its way into retailers on January 6, 2026. And the Chow Yun-Fat film, Once a Thief, is due to hit retailers on January 27, 2026.
The description for Bullet in the Head reads,
“In 1967, on the way to the wedding of a friend, a young man is accosted by a local gang member. Later, the three friends administer justice, in the process of which the gang member is killed, and they leave Hong Kong to avoid the police and the gang. They run black market supplies to Saigon and get embroiled in the war, ultimately becoming captured by the Viet Cong. Their friendship is tested to the limits as they try to escape. Directed by John Woo, and starring Jacky Cheung, Simon Yam, and Tony Leung.”
Disc One (4K UHD, Feature Film):
- NEW 4K Scan From The Original Camera Negative
- Presented In Dolby Vision
- NEW Optional English Subtitles Newly Translated For This Release
- NEW Audio Commentary With Film Critic Frank Djeng
Disc Two (Blu-ray, Feature Film):
- NEW 4K Scan From The Original Camera Negative
- NEW Optional English Subtitles Newly Translated For This Release
- NEW Audio Commentary With Frank Djeng
Disc Three (Blu-ray, Special Features):
- “Festival Cut” Of Bullet In The Head
- Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
- English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
- Alternate Boardroom Ending
- NEW “Brilliance With A Bullet” – Interview With Director/Writer John Woo
- NEW “Head Case!” – Interview With Actor Waise Lee
- NEW “Army Of One” – Interview With Producer Terence Chang
- NEW “Apocalypse Woo” – Interview With Editor David Wu
- NEW “Tumultuous Times” – Interview With Production Planner Catherine Lau
- NEW “Hong Kong Confidential” – Inside Bullet In The Head With Author Grady Hendrix
- NEW “Apocalypse How?” – Interview With Professor Lars Laamann
- Trailers
- Image Gallery
Technical specs:
- Video
- Codec: HEVC / H.265
- Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
- Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
- Disc
- Playback
- 4K Blu-ray: Region free
- 2K Blu-ray: Region A (B, C untested)
The “Festival Cut” of Bullet in the Head is a Holy Grail special feature as it has not been seen outside of film festivals in any kind of commercial release. The Festival Cut is reported to have a runtime of around 136 minutes (approx. 2h 16m). The Festival Cut reportedly includes scenes that are absent in the widely available theatrical cut. For example, some accounts mention the “urine drinking” scene (during a POW-camp sequence), which appears only in the Festival Cut. The film has more than one ending. One ending is a car-chase shootout finale (supposedly Woo’s originally intended ending); another is a boardroom confrontation ending (reportedly added to satisfy runtime/distributor demands). The Festival Cut is said to include the “car chase” ending.
As for Once a Thief, stay tuned for more details on its release. The description reads, “Once a Thief is an action/comedy/romance movie involving the plight of three master thieves (a la Pink Panther). All three were raised by the same father as street orphans. After a successful art heist followed by a pledge to make it the last crime ever for the trio, the plot revolves around the theft of a mysterious ‘cursed’ painting and how its obsession affects the family. Directed by John Woo, and starring Cherie Chung, Chow Yun-Fat, and Leslie Cheung.”
For now, the technical specs can be viewed below:
- Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1 - Audio
TBA - Subtitles
English - Disc
4K Ultra HD
Blu-ray Disc - Playback
4K Blu-ray: Region free
2K Blu-ray: Region A (B, C untested)
