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Explorers (1985)

6.4/10 IMDb 58/100 MC
IMDb Trailer

Middle schooler Ben spends his free time watching sci-fi films, playing video games and reading comic books. Surprisingly, his affinity for all things fantastical yields a real result – when he has a vivid dream about technology, his prodigy best friend Wolfgang manages to create a working spacecraft. Joined by their buddy Darren, the boys take off into outer space and encounter some very odd extraterrestrial life.

Director

Joe Dante

Box Office

$9,873,044

Cast

Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, Jason Presson, Amanda Peterson, Bobby Fite, Dana Ivey, James Cromwell, Dick Miller, Bradley Gregg, Georg Olden

Runtime

1 hour and 49 minutes (109 minutes)

More movies under 2 hours

Upcoming Release May 26, 2026

Label

Vinegar Syndrome

Edition

Limited Edition

Street Date

May 26, 2026

What's confirmed

Packaging
Special case · Deluxe magnet box + slipcover (designed by JJ Harrison), limited to 8,000 units
In the box
40-page perfect-bound book (Max Evry, Michael Almereyda, Gabe Klinger, Patrick Dahl)
Discs
3 discs — 1 x 4K UHD + 2 x Blu-ray
HDR
Dolby Vision
Audio
English 5.1 Surround
English 2.0 Stereo
Subtitles
English HoH

Restoration

Newly scanned and restored in 4K from the 35mm original camera negative.

Special features

Audio commentary with the Movie Oubliette podcast (theatrical version)
The Thunder Road: Making Explorers (NEW 77-min Elijah Drenner documentary) (77 min)
A Science Fiction Fairy Tale (2021 making-of documentary) (64 min)
Deleted scenes with Joe Dante commentary (34 min)
Original 1985 Electronic Press Kit (5 min)
The Tale of the Farmer and the Wise Man (Eric Luke's 1976 UCLA student film) (10 min)
Still gallery (5 min)
Theatrical trailer
Teaser trailer

Editor's Notes

Note

The first 4K of Joe Dante's 1985 cult favorite, with Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix in their first roles. Vinegar Syndrome's Limited Edition runs 8,000 numbered copies with a magnet box, slipcover, and 40-page book. Direct-from-VS only, no major retailers carrying it. Both the theatrical and home-video cuts get the new 4K scan from the 35mm OCN, plus an exclusive 77-minute Elijah Drenner documentary with Dante, Eric Luke, Mike Finnell, and ILM. Flash pre-order at $41.99 USD reverts to $69.98 USD by Monday night.

noted May 1, 2026

Releases of Explorers

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