Could Blockbuster be poised for a comeback? Inquiring minds want to know after a cryptic message was discovered on the brand’s official website.
If you head over to Blockbuster.com, you’ll see a single sentence just below the telltale “Blockbuster” logo: “We are working on rewinding your movie.” The mobile version of the site has a different message: “Be kind while we rewind.”
For those born after the turn of the century, the teasing message is a callback to the “Be kind, rewind” glory days of the storied video rental chain, where many of us oldsters whiled away countless hours browning isles lined with VHS boxes.
Blockbuster’s website isn’t the only sign of activity from the all-but-dormant brand, with Blockbuster’s regularly updated Twitter feed cracking wise about this month’s financial turmoil. “New business idea: We’re going to come back as a bank and use VHS and DVDs as currency,” the recent tweet reads.
So, what’s the deal? Is Blockbuster about to awake from its long slumber?
Before we get too excited, we should note that the “new” message on the Blockbuster website may actually have been up for months, with 10tv.com dating its arrival back to November.
The Blockbuster brand is now owned by Dish Network, which scooped up the name back in 2011 for $320 million.
That may sound like a lot, but back in 1994 when physical video rentals were still a thing, Blockbuster was valued at a staggering $8.4 billion, with the company running more than 2.800 brick-and-mortar locations worldwide.
The global number of Blockbuster stores is now (famously) down to a single location in Bend, Oregon. That store served as the inspiration for a short-lived series on Netflix, which was once David to Blockbuster’s Goliath.
For now, there’s no indication whether the messages on Blockbuster.com are just for fun or actually the start of a new venture–hopefully something more imaginative than just another cookie-cutter streaming site with a recognizable old name.
