It looks like Lav Diaz’s Magellan could be joining the collection soon with a Blu-ray release.
The auteur filmmaker’s historic epic was recently added to the official Blu-ray website, where it’s set to be released as a single disc. Blu-ray.com is a reference for forthcoming releases, while Criterion announces its own releases monthly. As of now, Criterion has not announced whether there is a Magellan release.
However, there is a likelihood of this release since Magellan is distributed in the U.S. by Janus Films, which premieres films on the Criterion Channel (such as Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cloud and Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light). The exclusive Criterion Channel premieres are released on the Criterion Premieres Blu-ray, which is separate from the Criterion Collection Blu-rays.
We have reached out to Lav Diaz’s team regarding this, but there is no confirmation yet.
There are currently two Filipino films in the Criterion Collection: Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag and Insiang by Lino Brocka. The Criterion Channel, its streaming platform, offers more extensive coverage of Philippine Cinema, including a Lino Brocka spotlight (featuring Bona), a New Independent Philippine Cinema collection, and two of Kidlat Tahimik’s films, Turumba and Perfumed Nightmare.
Magellan, starring Gael García Bernal, follows the Portuguese explorer on his journey from Europe to the islands that would eventually become the Philippines. It made its global premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it was lauded by critics as an “arthouse epic” and one of Diaz’s “most approachable films.”
Although the film was the Philippines’ official submission to the 98th Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film category, it ultimately did not make it into the Oscars’ 2026 shortlists.
It is currently playing in U.S. theaters.
