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):
Disc Two (Blu-ray, Feature Film):
Disc Three (Blu-ray, Special Features):
Technical specs:
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: