Star Wars: The Force Awakens Will Stream on Canadian Netflix in 2016

Video-on-demand plays a big part in any film's release, and even though the new Star Wars film won't hit VOD until later in 2016, there is already some news about its home entertainment future. Variety have reported that the streaming rights to Episode 7: The Force Awakens have been secured by Netflix Canada, and that the movie is unlikely to play in any other region in 2016.

The reason that JJ Abrams' forthcoming blockbuster will only be available to Canadian subscribers is down to the timing of deals made between the streaming giant and Lucasfilm owners Disney. The premium cable channel Starz currently has the exclusive rights to stream Disney content in the US, a deal that covers all releases up to the end of 2015, when the deal expires and the one with Netflix begins. The December 18 release date of The Force Awakens means that it comes under this, and so will screen on Starz next year.

However, Netflix's deal for the Canadian rights to Disney movies began at the start of 2015, meaning they will be able to stream The Force Awakens in the second half of 2016.

In addition, Netlix's chief content officer Ted Sarandos recently suggested that his company were in talks with Disney to stream the previous Star Wars movies at some point in the future. "It's up to Disney how they want to manage access to those assets before, during, or after the release of Star Wars VII. So it's certainly an ongoing discussion," he said.

While Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012, 20th Century Fox remains the owners of the original Star Wars "in perpetuity." This means that no deal to release the 1977 classic alongside the other films can occur without Fox's involvement.

The Force Awakens opens on December 18, 2015. It stars John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Max von Sydow, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill