John Woo fans, it’s time to clear shelf space. Once a Thief is finally getting the 4K treatment it deserves, with a newly restored Ultra HD Blu-ray that brings the director’s 1991 action-caper classic back into print — and looking better than ever.
Shout! Studios is releasing the film under its Hong Kong Cinema Classics banner as a 4K UHD + Blu-ray combo set in North America on January 27, 2026. That means both a 2160p UHD disc and a 1080p Blu-ray in one package, making it friendly for collectors at any upgrade stage.
The film itself is peak Woo in playful mode: action, comedy, and romance swirl around three orphaned master thieves (Chow Yun-fat, Leslie Cheung, and Cherie Chung) chasing a supposedly cursed painting. The new edition comes from a 4K scan of the original camera negative and features Dolby Vision HDR, promising richer color and punchier contrast than past HD releases.
Extras lean into film-nerd heaven, including commentary by critic James Mudge, a John Woo interview (Handling a Heist), and screenwriter Clifton Ko’s Thoughts About Thievery. After a pricey 2024 Asian mediabook, this release makes Woo’s stylish caper far more accessible — and finally, easy to own.
