1917 Netflix release date? Here's exactly when you can stream it online

1917 looks poised to sweep the 2020 Oscars. The single-shot war movie from director Sam Mendes is best experienced on the big screen, but if you can't make it to a theater, you're likely wondering when 1917 will release on Netflix, Amazon, or whatever your streaming service of choice might be.

Guess what? We already know the answer. Here's what you need to know.

We've got good news and bad news, so let's get the bad news out of the way first: 1917 isn't coming to Netflix anytime soon, if ever. The good news, however, is that it will likely be coming to another popular streaming service: HBO Now/Go.

That's because 1917 is a Universal movie, and Universal has a deal with HBO. That deal, which lasts at least through 2022, ensures that the network gets first streaming rights to new films.

So when exactly will 1917 release on HBO Go? Let's look at Universal's last big December release to figure it out. Welcome to Marwen released in December 2018 and got a DVD/Blu-ray/digital launch in April 2019 (that's when you could rent it on Amazon). Then, in September 2019, Marwen finally landed on HBO's streaming service.

1917 premiered in December 2019 (a year after Welcome to Marwen). So you can expect its streaming release date to be in September 2020 on HBO Go and HBO Now.

Of course, if you really want to get the full 1917 experience, your best option it catching it in theaters. And if you're more of a Netflix fan than an HBO watcher, you might as well see it now while you have the chance.

1917 tells the story of two young British soldiers in World War I tasked with delivering a life-saving message to another group of soldiers. The movie is designed to look like a single shot, though it's actually many 20-minute clips seamlessly edited together. (Still super impressive, right?)

Here's the official synopsis:

At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers, Schofield (Captain Fantastic’s George MacKay) and Blake (Game of Thrones’ Dean-Charles Chapman) are given a seemingly impossible mission. In a race against time, they must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers—Blake’s own brother among them.

The movie stars two young actors (George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman) but also features plenty of cameos, including Richard Madden, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andrew Scott, and more.

1917 is in theaters now.