New Netflix comedy series Blockbuster lands on the streaming platform on November 3, 2022. The 10-episode series follows Blockbuster manager Timmy Yoon (Randall Park), who discovers he is operating the last Blockbuster Video in America. But is the Blockbuster store featured in the show real, where is it, and is it still open?
Where is the last Blockbuster store?
The last Blockbuster store can be found in Bend, Oregon, at the intersection of U.S. Route 20 and Revere Avenue. It became not only America’s last remaining Blockbuster, but the world’s last remaining retail store using the brand in 2019. While Park’s character in the Netflix show is called Timmy Yoon, the real-life Blockbuster is owned by a man called Ken Tisher. The Netflix series is loosely based on this final remaining Blockbuster.
Is the last Blockbuster still open?
The last Blockbuster is still open to this day, though there’s no word on whether the store will be holding physical copies of the Netflix comedy series. Owner Ken Tisher continues to license the trademark on a yearly basis from Dish Network, which allows him to sell merchandise using the name. Sandi Harding serves as the store manager, and is thought to serve an estimated 4,000 members, who regularly rent movies from the Blockbuster’s catalog of around 1,200 titles.
People come from all over the world to celebrate the store, and it has been featured in several different mediums. The Ellen DeGeneres Show filmed a prank there in 2019, while the store became the focus of the 2020 documentary The Last Blockbuster, and featured a number of celebrities including Kevin Smith, and Brian Posehn. Since the documentary aired, Blockbuster fans sent flowers from around the world to the store, and some have even called up to let their appreciation be known. It’s also hosted sleepovers via Airbnb, and featured as a plot point in an episode of Family Guy Season 21.
