How to watch ‘King Richard’

By Michael Balderston
published

After the initial release for Will Smith's ‘King Richard,’ here's what you need to know on how to watch the movie.

King Richard
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

One of the world’s biggest movie stars, Will Smith, had a brand new movie in 2021, King Richard. Want to know exactly how you can watch it?

King Richard is based on the real-life story of Richard Williams, who through clear vision and an unconventional approach raised Venus and Serena Williams to become two of the greatest tennis players ever. The film is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and in addition to Smith stars Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwynn and Jon Bernthal. Watch the trailer below.

Also: ‘King Richard’ Review

King Richard received six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Will Smith and Best Supporting Actress for Aunjanue Ellis. So where can you watch the Oscar-nominated movie right now?

How to watch ‘King Richard’

King Richard's reign in movie theaters is nearing its end, if it hasn't already, but you can certainly double check your local theaters to see if it is still playing near you. If it's not though, King Richard is readily available to watch at home.

One option option to watch King Richard is to purchase the movie digitally. The movie is available to purchase on Prime Video ($19.99), Apple TV ($19.99) Google Play ($19.99) and Vudu ($19.99).

King Richard is also now available 4K/Blu-ray and DVD if physical media is still something you enjoy.

Is 'King Richard' streaming?

King Richard was available for streaming for the first 31-days of its release on HBO Max, but now viewers will have to be patient for that option to return.

All of the Warner Bros. movie that had simultaneous theater and streaming releases in 2021 were or are going to be added back to HBO Max for all subscribers to stream at some point. The question for King Richard is when that is going to be?

Warner Bros./HBO Max haven't given a confirmed date, but we can look at some recent examples to make a best guess. Malignant and Reminiscence both had simultaneous releases in theaters and on HBO Max in late August and early September, then were pulled from HBO Max around October. Both movies are slated to return to HBO Max at the end of January. That's about a three-and-a-half or four month gap. Other movies that used this strategy had a similar time frame.

So, based on that, King Richard's return to streaming on HBO Max could be as soon as March or April.

'King Richard' on DVD

As mentioned above, King Richard is now available on 4K/Blu-ray/DVD. Like most DVDs, King Richard will come with a number of bonus features for viewers to enjoy. Here is a breakdown of what to expect:

  • "Following the Plan - The Making of King Richard"
  • "Becoming Richard" - interviews with Will Smith and others on how the actor channeled the title character
  • "Champions on Screen" - detailing how the Williams sisters were depicted in the movie
  • Deleted scenes
Michael Balderston
Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.