‘Madagascar’ Sequel Has Second Wind

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

By : Thomas K. Arnold | Posted: 15 Apr 2009
tarnold@questex.com

Fueled by price promotions at major retailers, Paramount Home Entertainment’s release of the DreamWorks hit Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa vaulted to the top of the national home video sales chart for the third time, after 10 weeks in stores.

The animated family film beat a high-octane newcomer, 20th Century Fox’s The Day the Earth Stood Still, which rode a $79.4 million box office gross to debut at No. 4 on the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert sales chart.

Also outselling the sci-fi feature its first week in stores: Walt Disney Studios’ Bedtime Stories, No. 2, and Bolt, also from Disney, which in its fourth week in stores took the No. 3 spot.

The previous week’s top seller, 20th Century Fox’s Marley & Me, slipped to No. 5.

The Day the Earth Stood Still did capture the top spot on Home Media Magazine’s video rental chart for the week ended April 12. The previous week’s top renter, Marley & Me, slipped to No. 2, although it still generated 67.8% as much rental activity as the week’s No. 1 rental.

The Day the Earth Stood Still easily topped the Nielsen VideoScan Blu-ray Disc chart, selling twice as many copies as second-ranked Bedtime Stories. Nielsen data shows 21% of the sci-fi hit’s total sales were on the Blu-ray Disc format.