After gathering some critical buzz but failing to catch on with audiences in theaters, "Hyde Park on Hudson" hits the home market in another slow week for new releases, with Bill Murray starring in the historical drama about President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Also getting launched this week will be Criterion Blu-ray editions of David Cronenberg's "Naked Lunch," influential Japanese film "Gate of Hell" and Laurence Oliver's "Richard III."
Fans of TV series "Merlin" can also checkout the fifth season of the popular British show, and the second season of Starz' "Boss" also makes its way onto DVD and Blu-ray. Other audiences might turn to "Reincarnated," a documentary that follows rap legend Snoop Dogg's transition to the Rastafarian culture.
Though "Hyde Park on Hudson" wasn't without a few lashings from major critics, Bill Murray was mainly lauded for his charismatic transformation into famed president FDR. "Hyde Park on Hudson" follows the story of Roosevelt and his dealings with Britain's King George VI in the years leading up the U.S. joining World War II. But even with the overall popularity of Murray, "Hyde Park" had trouble finding awards season crowds against "Silver Linings Playbook," "Lincoln" and "Les Miserables," among others, leading to a weak box office run followings its December release. Without the same level of competition, though, it could generate more buzz outside of theaters over the next couple of weeks.
Also hitting DVD and Blu-ray for the first time is Snoop Dogg documentary "Reincarnated," which struggled to find theatrical distribution and didn't have an impact at all in theaters. "Reincarnated" tells the story of Snoop's evolution from internationally famous gangster rapper to the full embrace of the peace-loving Rastafarian culture, inspiring him to put together his first reggae album and even change his name to Snoop Lion.
While some music fans check out "Reincarnated," film buffs have a few special edition Blu-ray sets to choose from starting this week. Long before director David Cronenberg reemerged with critically acclaimed thrillers "A History of Violence" and "Eastern Promises," he made drama "Naked Lunch," a disturbing adaptation of a famous novel from William S. Burroughs. Though "Naked Lunch" didn't have much of a chance at appealing to mainstream audiences when it was launched in the early 1990s, it has developed enough of a cult following to make a Criterion Collection set a must-have for Cronenberg fans.
Also hitting stores starting this week in a Criterion Collection will be "Gate of Hell," a famous 1953 Japanese film about samurais and court intrigue in medieval Japan. "Gate of Hell" had a minimal release in the U.S., though it had enough buzz for it to win best film at Cannes and grab an honorary Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film in the years before the category was officially created. Director Teinosuke Kinugasa never had the international reputation of Japanese icons like Akira Kurosawa or Yasujiro Ozu, but he was still one of the most influential filmmakers of his time, with "Gate of Hell" marking one of his crowning achievements.
A director who was much more well-known to U.S. audiences in the 1950s was Sir Laurence Olivier, who had already played the lead role in adaptations of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and "King Henry V" by the time he made "Richard III." Released in 1955, "Richard III" received much less fanfare than Olivier's earlier Shakespearean efforts, though he still grabbed an Oscar nomination for his take on the tragically flawed King of England.
Aiming at a mostly different audience will be British show "Merlin," which launches its fifth season on DVD and Blu-ray starting this week. "Merlin" follows the adventures of the mythical sorcerer from his days of youth, fleshing out the fantastical version of England in the years leading up to the King Arthur legend. Also hitting stores on DVD and Blu-ray will be the second season of "Boss," a Starz drama starring Kelsey Grammar as the mayor of Chicago after he was diagnosed with a major neurological disorder. "Boss" was actually canceled due to low ratings, though Starz reportedly hasn't ruled out a movie that would flesh out storylines left open during season two.
Next week, the release schedule will pick back up with the release of "Django Unchained," director Quentin Tarantino's most successful film to date and winner of multiple Academy Awards. The following week, we'll get the release of period drama "Gangster Squad," the 3D Blu-ray version of "Jurassic Park" and inspirational drama "The Impossible," starring Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Entertainment News
June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.