The film adaptation of Stephen King’s classic sci-fi novel The Dead Zone is getting a display-worthy new 4K edition next month. The Dead Zone’s Limited Edition Steelbook is exclusive to Amazon and available to preorder for $45 ahead of its June 10 release. The steelbook case features artwork inspired by the the 1983 film’s eerie promotional poster.
Collectors of King movies should keep in mind that The Dead Zone’s Amazon exclusivity means it may not be available for very long after its launch. If you preorder now, you’ll be eligible for any price cuts Amazon offers until your copy ships. And if The Dead Zone has you thinking about expanding your King collection, you’ll find a list of 4K Blu-ray editions of other adaptations of King’s novels and stories at the bottom of this story.
$45 | Releases June 10 exclusively at Amazon
Amazon’s exclusive Steelbook Edition of The Dead Zone was remastered from the original 1983 film negatives. The 4K remaster first released in 2023, so if you already have that one, the only difference here is the eye-catching steelbook case.
Like The Shining and numerous other Stephen King adaptations from its era, The Dead Zone’s 4K remaster offers a noticeably improved visual and audio experience with Dolby Vision HDR10 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. If you want to watch this King classic in 2025–more than 40 years after its theatrical release–the Steelbook Edition or 2023 Collector’s Edition would be your best bets. The 4K release also comes with a standard Blu-ray disc, and both discs are loaded with special features, which we’ve outlined below.
The Dead Zone Steelbook Edition Special Features
On the 4K disc you’ll find several audio commentary tracks–sadly, Cronenberg himself hasn’t recorded a track–with one of them containing insight from the movie’s director of photography Mark Irwin. Mike Flanagan, whose adaptation of the King novella The Life of Chuck hits theaters next month, joins Eric Vespe and Scott Wampler of the Kingcast for one of the other tracks, and you can also watch the movie with commentary from several film and film music historians.
The 1080p Blu-ray disc comes with the same audio commentaries as well as several additional featurettes and trailers from prior Blu-ray releases.
The Dead Zone: Disc One (4K Blu-ray)
- Audio commentary with filmmaker Mike Flanagan and Eric Vespe and Scott Wampler of The Kingcast
- Audio commentary with director of photography Mark Irwin
- Audio commentary with film historian Michael Gingold
- Audio commentary with film historian/author Dr. Steve Haberman and Filmmaker/Film Historian Constantine Nasr
- Audio commentary with film music historian Daniel Schweiger with isolated score selections
The Dead Zone: Disc Two (1080p Blu-ray)
- Audio commentary with filmmaker Mike Flanagan and Eric Vespe and Scott Wampler of The Kingcast
- Audio commentary with director of photography Mark Irwin
- Audio commentary with film historian Michael Gingold
- Audio commentary with film historian/author Dr. Steve Haberman and Filmmaker/Film Historian Constantine Nasr
- Audio commentary with film music historian Daniel Schweiger with isolated score selections
- Interview With Actress Brooke Adams
- Cold Visions: Producing The Dead Zone interviews with production manager John M. Eckert and associate producer Jeffrey Chernov
- Trailers From Hell : Mick Garris on The Dead Zone
- Memories From The Dead Zone featurette
- The Look Of The Dead Zone featurette
- Visions Of The Dead Zone featurette
- The Politics Of The Dead Zone featurette
- Theatrical trailer
- TV spots
- Behind-the-scenes still gallery
Directed by David Cronenberg and written by Jeffrey Boam, The Dead Zone stars Christopher Walken as Johnny Smith, a schoolteacher who wakes from a coma with psychic powers that allow him to see the future of people he makes physical contact with. There is a limit to Johnny’s visions–he refers to gaps in his readings as being in the “dead zone”–and as he gains mastery over his powers, he soon finds himself burdened with terrible knowledge of the future.
More deals from The Dead Zone
As mentioned, the Steelbook Edition is a reissued version of the 2023 Collector’s Edition, which comes with a standard plastic case and cardboard sleeve. You can get the Collector’s Edition for $28 at Amazon.
Nearly two decades after the film’s release, The Dead Zone was adapted into a long-running TV series starring Anthony Michael Hall. The anthology series used the premise as a springboard, but it was a much looser adaptation. Instead of following the novel’s plot beats, the series saw Johnny use his psychic abilities to solve crimes in a police procedural format. It’s a pretty good show in its own right, and you can get the full six-season, 80-episode run of The Dead Zone on DVD for only $18 (was $30).
If you want a really good spoof as well, you can pick up The Simpsons Season 15 on Blu-ray and check out “The Ned Zone” segment in Treehouse of Horror 15.
Of course, if you haven’t read King’s original 1979 novel, we’d recommend reading it before watching the film or TV adaptations. One of King’s earliest novels, The Dead Zone showed off the horror writer’s range. It’s a gripping sci-fi thriller that was named Runner-up for the Locus Award in 1980. You can pick up a trade paperback copy of The Dead Zone for $11.15 (was $20) at Amazon.
Stephen King Movies on 4K Blu-ray
If you’re interested in watching more adaptations of Stephen King novels and stories, we put together a list of all of the notable 4K Blu-rays you can buy now at Amazon and Walmart. Many of the movies listed below are on sale, and several other King adaptations have received the steelbook case treatment, including Stand by Me, Creepshow, and Carrie.
Stephen King’s latest novel, Never Flinch, will be published by Scribner on May 27. Constant Readers can save big on hardcover preorders at Amazon.
