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Blockbuster drops huge hint it could be returning
Home>Entertainment
Published 16:29 23 Mar 2023 GMT

Blockbuster drops huge hint it could be returning

The much-loved video rental store went bust in 2013 but might be making a return...

Katherine Sidnell

Katherine Sidnell

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Thought Blockbuster was gone forever? Think again.

Everyone's favourite childhood staple is dropping some serious hints it may be returning to the high street and fans can’t wait.

The high street chain was a must for all movie fans from the early eighties onwards, with the nostalgic yellow and blue shops holding the promise of a good night in with your favourite flick.

While its motto might have been 'be kind, rewind', time has been anything but kind to the now-defunct VHS shop which closed in 2013, breaking the hearts of movie buffs everywhere.

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Just like a Hollywood action hero though, the film store has teased its return.

The much-loved US store began trading in 1987 and quickly grew to become one of the biggest brands in America, gaining over $1 billion (£812m) in late fees alone.

As well as VHSs and DVDs, customers could also rent video games and buy sweets in the one-stop-shop which was a must for all movie fans.

Like your favourite film though, things came to an end with the emergence of streaming sites such as Netflix, Prime Video and BBC iPlayer.

The company declared bankruptcy back in 2010, with all UK stores closing shortly after this.

However, one branch continues to serve the film buffs in the small US city of Bend, Oregon with the nostalgic blue and yellow shop becoming a tourist attraction.

The company shared a cryptic message hinting at their return.
Blockbuster

However, the video rental store is possibly returning with fans speculating about the nostalgic store after it posted a cryptic message.

On the mobile version of the website, there's a mysterious message saying ‘be kind while we rewind’ – in a nod to the brand's famous slogan.

With no official word from owners Dish Network, it’s unclear whether the store will rent physical DVDs or offer a streaming service similar to Netflix.

However, others have theorised that this could be a gorilla marketing campaign for an upcoming Netflix series about the last branch.

Netflix recently released a comedy series about the last store.
Netflix

While many things remain unclear, fans have been delighted by the news and taken to Twitter to share their excitement.

One wrote: “Whaaaaat is happening?! ls this the return of @blockbuster?! Oh how we’ve missed you!”

Others quickly followed, adding that they were frustrated by the lack of information about the nostalgic store.

They wrote: “Something is going on with the @blockbuster website… Do we get a little piece of our high school lives back? Is it just a tease? What’s the plan? Does anyone know?”

However, not everyone was so thrilled, with many former fans hesitant about a possible on-demand service replacing the physical shop.

One user even tweeted: “Is Blockbuster coming back? I hope so, but it could just be some kind of streaming service. I would rather see the return of brick-and-mortar stores!”

Featured Image Credit: Buddy Mays / Alamy Stan Pritchard/Alamy

Topics: TV and Film, US News, Twitter

Katherine Sidnell
Katherine Sidnell

Katherine is an entertainment journalist with a love of all things nerdy. Starting out writing Doctor Who fan fiction as a kid, she has gone on to interview the likes of Matt Damon, James May and Dua Lipa to name a few. Published in The Sun, The Daily Mail and Evening Standard - she now joins Ladbible as resident nerd in chief.

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@ksidnell

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