Upcoming 2012 Home Video Releases

[Kosty]

Wow.

Act of Valor opening weekend at $25 Million.

That's above expectations. Should do well on home video with the real Navy Seals action sequences.

Hoaah!

BOX OFFICE: ‘Act Of Valor’ #1 With $24.7M Weekend, ‘Good Deeds’ $16M, ‘Wanderlust’ And ‘Gone’ Bomb

By NIKKI FINKE | Sunday February 26, 2012 @ 1:01pm PST
Tags: Act of Valor, Hollywood box office, Tyler Perry's Good Deeds, Wanderlust

COMMENTS 237

SATURDAY PM/SUNDAY AM, 2ND UPDATE: Appropriately enough for Oscars Sunday, it’s another up weekend for the 8th straight week in 2012. Overall moviegoing is at $135M, which is a whopping +24% over last year. Needless to say, Hollywood is ecstatic (though not at the prospect at sitting through the interminable Academy Awards only to watch Harvey Weinstein gloat). Relativity’s R-rated Act Of Valor has stayed No. 1 all weekend. It’s the the Bandito Brothers’ independently financed low-budget U.S. Navy fighting force tale using actual SEALs from an original screenplay by Kurt Johnstad (300). (FYI, there was a novelization of that script, “Tom Clancy Presents Act of Valor”, written by Dick Couch and George Galdorsi and released in paperback by Clancy’s publisher.

Relativity acquired the rights to the project last June for $13 million and a $30 million in prints and advertising commitment - the biggest money paid for a finished film with an unknown cast at that time. But Relativity didn’t spend $30M on P&A. That may have been the studio’s minimum legal commitment but it spent a lot more. Ryan Kavanaugh et al took out 4 wildely expensive Super Bowl game day ads. Yes, 4. That cost between $12M-14M alone (though Relativity claims it was $6.5+M). Educated guess is that they spent $45M-$50M total to hawk this actioner. Yes, they acquired domestic rights for cheap and aggressively pre-sold foreign. And, yes, the budget was only $12K. Looks like Relativity will recoup. Marketing-wise,

Relativity launched an aggressive 400 screening program in over 40 markets as part of a multi-pronged strategy that spoke to gamers, action fans, sports fans, ethnic audiences, country music fans, patriots, military, women, and the faith-based community. It was all about word of mouth then and now: audiences are complying by giving it an ‘A’ CinemaScore.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/02/box-...-wanderlust-5/

[Kosty]

‘Act of Valor’ #1 At The Box Office


Posted by Just a Grunt on Feb 26, 2012 at 8:20 pm



Hollywood insiders claim you can’t make a movie about American troops in which you portray them as heroic figures unburdened by some sort of social ill.

Well, Act of Valor just blasted that meme all to hell. It grossed close to $25 million on this it’s opening weekend. I was curious to see how that would rank against all of the anti-war, paint the GI’s as social misfits stream of movies that Hollywood has deemed to grace us with. I was pleasantly surprised. Now don’t be surprised if you don’t recognize some of the movies on this list, judging by the numbers not too many people bothered to go see them.

Green Zone – Budget $100,000,000 Opening Weekend $14 million

Body of Lies – Budget $70,000,000 Opening Weekend $12 million

Lions for Lambs – Budget $35,000,000 Opening Weekend $6 million

In the Valley of Elah – Budget UNK Opening Weekend $133,000

Rendition – Budget $27,500,000 Opening Weekend $4 million

For comparison, Act of Valor cost $12 million to make.

Of all the reviews that came out ahead of the movie, most of which in general panned the movie for not being some sort of Lifetime channel feature full of angst and troubled characters, this is my favorite from a USA Today writer:

Employing Navy troops as stars is a clever idea for an action thriller. But the soldiers’ awkward line readings are glaring enough to distract from the potency of the story.

It isn’t because she panned the acting but for her inability to distinguish the differences between the services. Something those who have served take great pride in. Let me help her out. Marines are gonna be pissed, though, you see ‘Navy troops’ are Marines. Technically. Soldiers are members of the Army. SEAL’s are members of the Special Forces community from the Navy and Green Berets are part of the Special Forces community from the Army.

Soldiers are not sailors, and not even I would dare to call Marines ‘Navy troops’. Marines are a part of the Navy and can therefore be SEAL’s. Soldiers cannot be SEAL’s but they can be Green Berets or Delta.

http://www.jammiewf.com/2012/act-of-...he-box-office/

A globe-trotting and violent story of heroism, Act of Valor (* * 1/2 out of four, rated R, opens Friday) excels when it focuses on daring exploits performed by real-life active U.S. Navy SEALs.


Relativity Media
Quiet warriors: Active-duty Navy SEALs perform their own stunts in 'Act of Valor.'
Enlarge
Relativity Media
Quiet warriors: Active-duty Navy SEALs perform their own stunts in 'Act of Valor.'
These special-ops warriors impressively perform their own stunts. But when the movie attempts to humanize them, the dialogue feels forced.

Terrorists, smugglers and drug traffickers are played by real actors, but don't come off much better. But the real disappointment is that the heroes are almost as featureless.
The featured team of Navy SEALs initially rescues a kidnapped CIA agent (Roselyn Sanchez) in a brilliantly coordinated effort from air, water and land. The perilous chase that follows is breathtaking. It turns out that the abducted agent had begun to uncover a jihadist plot in which suicide bombers planned to attack several American cities. The SEALs must find the terrorists before they sneak into the United States via Mexico.
While the film's distinguishing element is the daring missions pulled off by real-life soldiers, the cinematography polishes their efforts to a glossy sheen. Seemingly inspired by classic war films like Platoon, the stunning photography and evocative musical score compensate somewhat for the acting deficiencies.

The global threat feels believable enough, but the dialogue by Kurt Johnstad verges on cliché: "This will make 9/11 look like a walk in the park," says a Russian smuggler assisting the jihadists.

Initially, the battlefield technology and visceral quality heighten the film's sense of realism. But so many people are shot in the head, with blood spurting, that it grows numbing.

The weakest aspect is the voice-over narration in the form of a letter from a soldier to his soldier pal's infant son. Veering from emotional to heavy-handed, it lauds the way of the warrior with overblown verbiage and concludes with a painfully long funeral scene.
Employing Navy troops as stars is a clever idea for an action thriller. But the soldiers' awkward line readings are glaring enough to distract from the potency of the story.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/...iew/53228052/1

[Kosty]

‘Hugo’ Disc Well-Timed to Capitalize on Oscar Wins


27 Feb, 2012
By: John Latchem



After taking home five Oscars during the 84th Academy Awards ceremony Feb. 26, Hugo finds itself in a fortuitous spot in the home entertainment market, with Paramount Home Entertainment releasing the film on DVD and Blu-ray Feb. 28.

Not surprisingly, the Martin Scorsese-directed 3D family film won mostly for technical categories: Best Cinematography, Visual Effects, Art Direction, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing.

Hugo tied with The Weinstein Co.’s The Artist with five awards, though The Artist took home the more coveted prizes of Best Picture, Best Actor for French superstar Jean Dujardin, and Best Director for Michel Hazanavicius, in addition to Best Costume Design and Best Original Score. The Artist will be released on disc by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, though a final street date has not been finalized.

The only other film with multiple wins, with two, was The Iron Lady, which makes its way to DVD and Blu-ray April 10 from Anchor Bay Entertainment. The Margaret Thatcher biopic won Best Actress for Meryl Streep (her third trophy) and Best Makeup.

In the other acting categories, DreamWorks’ Civil Rights drama The Help, on disc from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, won Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer, while Christopher Plummer, at 82 the oldest person to win an acting Oscar, won Best Supporting Actor for Beginners, on disc from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

In the writing categories, Best Original Screenplay went to Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris, on disc from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Best Adapted Screenplay went to The Descendants, which 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment releases on DVD and Blu-ray March 13.

March 20 sees the release of two Oscar winners on DVD and Blu-ray: Disney’s The Muppets, which won in the Best Original Song category for “Man or Muppet,” and Sony Pictures’ The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, which won for Best Film Editing.

The only other winner already on disc is Paramount Home Entertainment’s Rango, which won Best Animated Feature Film. Best Animated Short Film went to The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, which is available for download on iTunes with the other nominees in the category.

Best Foreign Film winner A Separation, from Iran, and Best Documentary winner Undefeated have yet to be announced for home video release.

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/awa...car-wins-26523

[Kosty]

'The Complete Indiana Jones Blu-ray Collection' Announced for Fall 2012

Wed Feb 29, 2012 at 02:30 PM ET

The long-awaited adventures of Dr. Jones will be heading to high-definition in a four-film boxed set this fall! Amazon's current pre-order price is just $74.99!

In an early announcement to retailers, Paramount has slated 'The Complete Indiana Jones Blu-ray Collection' for Blu-ray release sometime later this year.

The man with the hat is back – and looking better than ever! The world’s favorite globe-trotting archaeologist is, at long last, embarking on his greatest adventure – when 'The Complete Indiana Jones Blu-ray Collection' comes to Blu-ray Disc from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Paramount Home Media Distribution. 'The Complete Indiana Jones Blu-ray Collection' will be excavated in the fall of 2012 and will include all four of Indy’s thrilling adventures, using the highest possible high definition picture and audio presentation – along with a “best of” collection of documentaries, interviews, featurettes and a few new surprises.

Specs and supplements have yet to be detailed, and suggested list price looks to be $99.99.

You can find the latest specs for 'The Complete Indiana Jones Blu-ray Collection' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under PENDING.

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh...all_2012_/8890

‘Indiana Jones’ Films Due on Blu-ray in Fall 2012

29 Feb, 2012
By: John Latchem


Paramount Home Media Distribution has confirmed what most industry watchers had suspected: The Complete Indiana Jones Blu-ray Collection is coming in fall 2012.

The set will include all four films. Though 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released already as a standalone Blu-ray, this will be the first time 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1984’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade will be available for the high-def format.

According to Paramount, the set will include a “best of” collection of documentaries, interviews, featurettes and a few new surprises.

Paramount hasn’t confirmed a release date, box art or pricing, so the announcement likely was just to whet our anticipation a bit. The timing makes sense, though, since Lucasfilm released its Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-ray set in fall 2011.

With this being the 100th anniversary year of the studio, there is speculation that Paramount will release more of its catalog classics on Blu-ray, such as James Cameron's Titanic, which is being re-released in theaters in 3D in April to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ocean liner’s sinking.

Related Links :

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/age...-ray-fall-2012

Paramount Announces Complete Indiana Jones Blu-ray Collection

Posted February 29, 2012 01:48 PM by Josh Katz

Later this year, Paramount Home Media Distribution will bring The Complete Indiana Jones Collection to Blu-ray. Director Steven Spielberg's beloved adventure series stars Harrison Ford (Blade Runner) as the title character, an archaeologist and college professor whose perpetual search for rare and mysterious treasures puts him in great danger.

From Paramount's official press release:

"The man with the hat is back – and looking better than ever! The world's favorite globe-trotting archaeologist is, at long last, embarking on his greatest adventure – when The Complete Indiana Jones Blu-ray Collection comes to Blu-ray Disc from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Paramount Home Media Distribution. The [set] will...include all four of Indy's thrilling adventures, [including]":

Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The collection will mark the Blu-ray debut of the first three pictures; only Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is now available on the format.

Paramount has yet to provide a complete list of technical and supplementary details, though the studio noted in the Indiana Jones press release that the package would "us[e] the highest possible high definition picture and audio presentation – along with a 'best of' collection of documentaries, interviews, featurettes, and a few new surprises."

While Paramount has not set a formal release date, The Complete Indiana Jones Blu-ray Collection "will be excavated in the fall of 2012."

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=8283

[Kosty]

Video: Hey, who’s up for another “Avengers” trailer?


POSTED AT 9:29 PM ON FEBRUARY 29, 2012 BY ALLAHPUNDIT


The bad news: This is the third different “Avengers” video I’ve posted in the past four months. The good news: At the rate they’re putting these things out, we’ll be able to stitch together the entire film from YouTube clips and watch it that way before it hits theaters on May 4. The better news: This is the best trailer yet. No foolin’. The first one was “meh” but intriguing because it was our first look at the film; the second one, which ran during the Super Bowl, was really just atmospherics. This is more of a meal. I might actually dial it up on Netflix when they add it to the server circa 2015.

Exit question for “Red Eye” fans: Isn’t that TV’s Andy Levy as “Hawkeye”?

[electricloseyland]

I think this represents a crucial turning point for Blu Ray. With Indiana Jones now officially coming in 2012 (plus the widely expected Jaws, ET and Lawrence of Arabia), that pretty much does it for big blockbuster pictures and major franchises. So the big question now is whether the studios will say, "Mission accomplished," and sit back, or whether they'll divert their resources to properly restoring, remastering and releasing the deeper catalog titles in 2013 and beyond.

Being an optimist, I'm expecting the latter (for most studios, at least). But it'll be interesting to see how the studios pivot from here.

[Kosty]

I think this represents a crucial turning point for Blu Ray. With Indiana Jones now officially coming in 2012 (plus the widely expected Jaws, ET and Lawrence of Arabia), that pretty much does it for big blockbuster pictures and major franchises. So the big question now is whether the studios will say, "Mission accomplished," and sit back, or whether they'll divert their resources to properly restoring, remastering and releasing the deeper catalog titles in 2013 and beyond.

Being an optimist, I'm expecting the latter (for most studios, at least). But it'll be interesting to see how the studios pivot from here.

Lots of stuff still to release even when the biggest stuff is released.

Blu-ray will continue to be supported for as long as the studios and retailers still make money on it which will be for a long long time.

As household penetration increases and more and more new owners get Blu-ray devices less powerful titles can find more unit sales over time as well. More sales means more investment can be made to clean up deeper studio titles for release.

The release of the bigger releases last year and this year really signals that the studios felt that the Blu-ray user base was large enough to make sense in having those titles released. The larger the user base the bigger the initial burst of sales. But many of those marque titles are evergreen for retailer inventory and of course if you are an new owner to Blu-ray all the released inventory of Blu-ray titles is new to you.

The sooner the good stuff gets released the more chances us consumers can find it on sale as well.

[Kosty]

‘Hunger Games’ Comes On Tracking Huge

By NIKKI FINKE | Thursday March 1, 2012 @ 7:03am PST
Tags: Hollywood box office, Lionsgate, movie tracking, The Hunger Games




BREAKING… EXCLUSIVE: Hollywood was buzzing early this morning over the first set of tracking numbers for Lionsgate’s film series The Hunger Games. With 23% ‘First Choice’ and 54% ’Definite Interest’, those are numbers every film studio can only dream about. One studied provided me with a guesstimate that the first film based on the Suzanne Collins bestselling books could open to $70+M — which would make this bigger than the the Twilight debut. “It’s every bit as strong As Twilight and, numerically, stronger,” one rival studio told me this morning. Seasonality may play a factor because The Hunger Games is opening in March, not summer. “But the numbers, while they definitely skew to young females, look strong across all quadrants.” Said another studio: “It’s a great start.”

These huge numbers now justifies Lionsgate pulling out all he stops in terms of promoting the movie. Immediately, author Suzanne Collins endorsed the film on the official Facebook page:

Dear Readers,

I’ve just had the opportunity to see the finished film of The Hunger Games. I’m really happy with how it turned out. I feel like the book and the film are individual yet complementary pieces that enhance one another. The film opens up the world beyond Katniss’ point of view, allowing the audience access to the happenings of places like
the Hunger Games control room and President Snow’s rose garden, thereby adding a new dimension to the story.

Director Gary Ross has created an adaptation that is faithful in both narrative and theme, but he’s also brought a rich and powerful vision of Panem, its brutality and excesses, to the film as well. His world building’s fantastic, whether it be the Seam or the Capitol. It’s amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.

And, my God, the actors. The cast, led by the extraordinary Jennifer Lawrence, is absolutely wonderful across the board. It’s such a pleasure to see how they’ve embodied the characters and brought them to life.

So I’d like to sincerely thank all the many people who devoted their time and talents to the film, especially producers Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik, and the excellent teams at Color Force, Larger Than Life, and Lionsgate.

I hope you enjoy the film!
Suzanne Collins

http://www.deadline.com/2012/03/hung...tracking-huge/

hattip to PSound for noticing this first.

[Kosty]

If Hunger Games gets order of magnitude Twilight that's a huge success if it can capture that female movie going watching home video buying demographic.

Last years summer releases were strong and having three tentpoles like Hunger Games, The Dark Knight Rises and Avengers do well will be nice this year as well. Plus wildcards like John Carter and others.

[electricloseyland]

If Hunger Games gets order of magnitude Twilight that's a huge success if it can capture that female movie going watching home video buying demographic.

Last years summer releases were strong and having three tentpoles like Hunger Games, The Dark Knight Rises and Avengers do well will be nice this year as well. Plus wildcards like John Carter and others.

Seems to me 2012 is well-positioned for consistently decent home video performance throughout 2012. The beginning of the year is never great, but discs like Twilight, family pictures like Tintin, Muppets and Puss in Boots, plus the crop of late-2011 Oscar pictures (Artist, Hugo, Dragon Tattoo, Tinker Tailor, etc.) should keep things afloat. Not great, but healthily above last year's levels.

Later in the year, those summer blockbuster pictures you mentioned above -- I'd also throw Prometheus into the mix -- will provide a stronger slate of releases than we saw last year. And towards the end of 2012 -- lining up discs for early 2013 -- are Spiderman, The Hobbit, and the new James Bond.

There's no huge title along the lines of Avatar. But most, if not all, of those films should do really well, and that's not even mentioning the big-name catalogs that are coming. So I anticipate solid, but not remarkable, growth throughout 2012.

[Kosty]

Just getting news now of the titles to be released at the tougher comparison period at the start of the 2Q which last year had the good weeks of Tangled, Tron:Legacy and Harry Potter 7.1 in the first few weeks of 2Q 2011 and last week of 1Q 2011 around Easter.


This year will have the long delayed Hop, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Muppets, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked released a few weeks before the Easter weekend period (Sunday April 8, 2012). Easter week always gives a burst of seasonal sales (it fell in 1Q 2010 and 2Q 2011 in a statistical mismatch last year) so this year its in the same 2Q period as last year.

War Horse and We Bought a Zoo get the Easter week release and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (April 17, 2012) so far is the big action adventure thriller with over $207 M box office to go against the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I $295 M box office head to head slot. (April 15, 2011)

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows with its $185 M box office is also lurking around for probable 2Q 2012 May release which was pretty modest in the 2Q 2011 period.





http://www.dvdreleasereport.com/

dvdreleasereport.com







xpost in sales metrics thread

[cakefoo]

Marvel Studios announced today that the new trailer has been viewed over 13.7 million times in the first 24 hours of its debut, setting a new iTunes record. It should be noted that the first trailer for The Avengers broke the previous iTunes record for views in a 24 hour period, which itself was eclipsed by the first trailer for The Dark Knight Rises. It’s probably safe to assume that this 13.7 million views record will be broken by the next trailer for The Dark Knight Rises, which itself will most likely be broken by yet another comic book property. This is the digital age and nerds are king.

http://collider.com/avengers-trailer...cord-2/149781/

[Kosty]

Looks cool.

[Kosty]

Here’s the official synopsis for The Avengers:

Marvel Studios presents in association with Paramount Pictures “Marvel’s The Avengers”–the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012. In “Marvel’s The Avengers,” superheroes team up to pull the world back from the brink of disaster when an unexpected enemy threatens global security.

BURBANK, CALIF. (March 2, 2012) — Marvel Studios announced today that its new trailer for this summer’s most highly anticipated movie, “Marvel’s The Avengers,” has been viewed over 13.7 million times in the first 24 hours of its debut, setting a new record for the most viewed trailer on iTunes (http://www.apple.com/trailers) and the iTunes Trailers app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

The new trailer, unveiled Wednesday, February 29, exclusively on iTunes, gives fans an exciting look at “Marvel’s The Avengers”—an action adventure of a lifetime—based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since.

In “Marvel’s The Avengers” the world’s greatest Super Heroes assemble when Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) join S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to protect the world from the dangerous and powerful villain, Loki (Tom Hiddleston).

An exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is from Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures, produced by Kevin Feige and directed by Joss Whedon from a story by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon with the screenplay by Joss Whedon.

“Marvel’s The Avengers” will be released on May 4, 2012.

http://collider.com/avengers-trailer...cord-2/149781/

[Kosty]

Hit the jump to re-watch the trailer once more and to check out the full press release regarding the record breaking. For all your Avengers needs, be sure to check out 40 new high-resolution images from the film, the new poster, and this feature in which the cast talks about their characters. The Avengers opens in 3D on May 4th.

http://collider.com/avengers-trailer...cord-2/149781/