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New titles announcing March 17th!

The Substitute – VESTRON Collector’s Series 4K (#37)

4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray™ + Digital Copy

Rating: R      Run time: 114 minutes

Release Date:

Regular price $29.99
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  • Number 37 of the Vestron Collector’s Series, this hard-edged 1996 action-thriller – starring Tom Berenger as a mercenary turned substitute – returns in its 4K debut
  • Art by Vance Kelly is a study in contrasts, with a rifle barrel’s shadow, a schoolhouse chalkboard, and the substitute teacher’s blood-red profile encapsulating the film’s plot
  • New Lionsgate Limited Extras include behind-the-scenes content that digs into the film’s themes, visual grit, and the mechanics behind its most brutal moments, with a new Director’s Commentary featuring director Robert Mandel (exploring the motifs and impact of The Substitute); a raw look at how the story moved from idea to execution (and why it still packs a punch); and the film’s Theatrical Trailer

This item is available to pre-order and is releasing on March 17, 2026.

Please note that your payment will be taken immediately, and that the item will be dispatched on or around the release date.

Should you order any of the already released items from our catalogue at the same time as this pre-order item, please note that your purchases will all be shipped together when this pre-order item becomes available.

Please place a separate order for pre-orders if you wish to have in-stock items shipped sooner.

FRAME THE SHOT

Description

In this action-thriller favorite, now on 4K for the first time, a mercenary faces off against one of his most formidable enemies: a high school gang. Shale (Tom Berenger) is an ex-Vietnam vet reeling from a botched covert operation. Returning home, he reunites with his girlfriend, Jane (Diane Venora), a high school teacher who’s hospitalized after a beating by the Kings of Destruction gang. Hunting Jane’s attackers, Shale goes undercover as a substitute teacher, and uncovers a cocaine highway running through the school involving gang leader Lacas (Marc Anthony) and the school’s shady principal, Rolle (Ernie Hudson). Summoning his mercenaries, Shale goes to war with the Kings of Destruction – and rival guns for hire – on the unusual battleground of a high school, but for the usual stakes: life…and death.

ZOOMING IN

WHAT'S INCLUDED

  • The Substitute in 4K, with Dolby Vision®
  • Vestron Video Collector’s Series #37
  • Art by Vance Kelly

  • Lionsgate Limited Extras:
    • Power Achieved Is Power Perceived: Director Robert Mandel on The Substitute
    • Color Grade Is in Session
    • Bullet Points: Storyboard-to-Film Exploration
    • Theatrical Trailer


    ARTISTIC RENDERING ONLY, INTERIOR DISC PACKAGING MAY VARY

BEHIND THE CAMERA

CREDITS & CAST

Directed by Robert Mandel

Written by Roy Frumkes & Rocco Simonelli and Alan Ormsby

Cast:
Tom Berenger (Shale)
Ernie Hudson (Rolle)
Diane Venora (Jane)
Glenn Plummer (Sherman)
Marc Anthony (Lacas)
Luis Guzmán (Rem)
and William Forsythe (Hollan)

IN THE CAN

Film SpecS

Number of Discs: 2 (4K & Blu-ray)

Rating: R for Strong Violence, Language and Brief Nudity

Screen Format: Widescreen (1.85:1) in Dolby Vision®

Subtitles: Spanish, English SDH

Audio: English Dolby Atmos

Run Time: 114 Mins.

Color: Yes

Disc Size: 100GB

Copyright: The Substitute © 1996 Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

All 4K UHD Discs are All Region and will play worldwide. Blu-ray™ Discs are Region A only and will only play in North America.

Digital Codes are for U.S. only and will not work worldwide.

DEPTH OF FIELD

BEYOND THE FILM

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The Substitute – VESTRON Collector’s Series 4K (#37)

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