'Hidden Figures' Keeps On Killing It

There are some movies that get released in theaters and then kind of drop off the face of the earth. Sometimes people talk about a film for a week, and then the news cycle moves on, and everyone stops paying attention. Hidden Figures, it's safe to say, is not that kind of movie. The film has been a topic of conversation for months now, from its limited December release date that allowed it to be considered for the 2017 Oscars (where it earned three nominations), to its lasting box office domination (it's earned more in domestic gross than big action movies like Jason Bourne, X-Men Apocalypse, and Star Trek Beyond), to its awesome free screenings during Black History Month. I think it's clear that the film will not be forgotten any time soon, especially once it makes its way to Netflix. That is, if, in fact, Hidden Figures will ever be on Netflix.

Unfortunately, the mostly likely response you'd get from a Magic 8-Ball if you asked it whether Hidden Figures will be on Netflix is "outlook hazy, ask again." That's because, so far, there's been no official word on when or even if Hidden Figures will be making a jump to your in-home (or on-the-go) Netflix movie streaming collection. But of course, that doesn't mean we can't do some informed speculation.

So here's what is known: Right now, you can buy Hidden Figures for $14.99 on Fox Digital HD from iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Video, Vudu, Fandago Now, and Cinema Now. Digital HD is definitely less of a deal, money-wise, than streaming something on Netflix, but it gives you advanced access to popular movies before they get released on Blu-ray and DVD. The Blu-ray and DVD release for Hidden Figures is coming soon though, too. According to Amazon as well as a number of other sources, that release date is set for April 11.

So, once Hidden Figures out on DVD and Blu-ray, how long until it makes its way to Netflix? Well, that depends. A number of the movies Netflix is currently advertising as "new releases" came out in early or late summer in 2016, such as Captain America Civil War, Finding Dory, and Sausage Party. Based on that loose observed timeline, Hidden Figures might be expected to hit Netflix streaming sometime around July or August of 2017. However, there's an interesting complication: Hidden Figures was released by 20th Century Fox, and not a single movie released by Fox in the last two years can be found on Netflix (with the exception of 2015's Home, which actually was distributed by Dreamworks in the U.S., which might explain that).

So, while it might be reasonable to expect an incredibly successful and beloved movie like Hidden Figures to be on Netflix soon, it's not seeming like a sure thing by any means. Fortunately, the VOD, Blu-ray, and DVD options are available in the meantime, and heck, Hidden Figures is even still in theaters in some places because of how successful it's been. So, my advice would be to keep an eye on Netflix but to look elsewhere to get your Hidden Figures fix.