(NEXSTAR) — Are Blockbuster nights about to make a return?
Fans of the once-ubiquitous video rental store Blockbuster are keeping an eye on the blue-and-yellow company after its website quietly came back online over the weekend. A visit to Blockbuster.com now directs to a message reading simply, “We are working on rewinding your movie.”
Fondness for Blockbuster has increased over the past couple of years, as ’80s and ’90s nostalgia has permeated TV and movies. Last year, streaming giant Netflix even released a now-canceled sitcom based on employees of Blockbuster’s last store. The company’s actual last real-life store, located in Bend, Oregon, has become a popular attraction, and even briefly an Airbnb rental.
Given the latest resurrection of the company’s website — and reactivation of its Twitter account — many are now abuzz about a potential Blockbuster reboot.
“Whaaaaat is happening?! ls this the return of @blockbuster?! Oh how we’ve missed you!” one Twitter user said over the weekend. Meanwhile, user Shaun Stackhouse wrote: “Is Blockbuster coming back? I hope so, but it could just be some kind of streaming service. I would rather see the return of brick-and-mortar stores!”
Blockbuster is currently owned by Dish Network. The TV provider purchased the Blockbuster brand for a reported $228 million back in 2011. Dish Network announced it was closing all remaining Blockbuster stores in November 2013. Nexstar has reached out to Dish Network for more details about the Blockbuster message and will update if we hear back.