Cinemas haven’t seen an in-theater phenomenon like Barbie — or, more accurately, “Barbenheimer” — since Avengers: Endgame released in 2019.
Part of that is due to the COVID-19 pandemic, of course, but also due to a general fatigue felt among audiences. Lackluster releases increasingly fail to bring viewers to theaters, since it’s much easier (and less expensive) to patiently await their release on streaming.
Inevitably, there will be at least a few audience members who fail to make it out for Barbie‘s theatrical run. These viewers, and many of those who enjoyed their viral Barbenheimer experiences, are already looking ahead to the film’s eventual arrival on streaming.
Barbie‘s digital release
For those fans willing to shell out some cash, their in-home Barbie experience is officially available. The film arrived on digital platforms on Sept. 12, leaving viewers with the option to purchase or rent the pink-soaked flick from the comfort of their homes. On sites like Prime Video and Vudu, Barbie is currently available to rent for a painfully high price tag that ranges between $18.99 and $24.99, so we recommend you simply shell out the extra few bucks to own it outright. It’ll only run you between $23.99 and $29.99.
Barbie‘s streaming release
It’s not available quite yet, but fear not — Barbie is most definitely headed to streaming. The timeline for her arrival is still a few months out, but rest assured — Margot Robbie’s perky adventure will be available from your living room by the end of the year.
Barbie is slated to arrive exclusively on the official Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service: Max (formerly HBO Max), in late 2023. Initially, viewers expected the film to arrive on streaming in the Fall, but Barbie’s popularity seems to have prompted the powers that be to extend the wait time between theatrical and streaming release.
As such, we’re expecting Barbie to arrive on Max before the year comes to a close — but not by much. With an extended release window, it likely won’t be on streaming before early November, which leaves us with a bit more time to kill before we can watch the film to our hearts’ content.