'Ghost in the Shell' Sets First-Week Mark for UHD Blu-ray Sales Share

2 Aug, 2017 By: Thomas K. Arnold

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Just weeks after 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc received a big boost when lone studio holdout Walt Disney Studios jumped aboard, the fledgling format has achieved a significant sales milestone.

Paramount Home Media Distribution reports that Ghost in the Shell generated a higher percentage of first-week disc sales from 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc than any other theatrical release with a domestic gross of more than $5 million.

According to NPD VideoScan data, the ultra-high-definition version of the film accounted for 11.4% of its total first-week unit sales.

“This is an outstanding performance for 4K UHD and clearly demonstrates consumers’ desire to own high quality and visually stunning content to maximize the capabilities of their Ultra HD televisions,” said Steve Siskind, president of worldwide marketing, home media, for Paramount Pictures. “Based on consumer surveys we knew that [the film’s] spectacular visual effects were a major purchase driver and these impressive 4K UHD sales bear that out.

“Feedback from our retail partners, coupled with strong sales like this, underscore the positive outlook for 4K UHD and we are responding by ramping up the number of catalog titles planned for release on the format.”

Ghost in the Shell, a sci-fi action film starring Scarlett Johansson and based on the Japanese manga of the same name, earned just under $41 million in U.S. theaters.

It’s the third theatrical film to generate more than 10% of its first-week sales from UHD, according to VideoScan. Logan, from 20th Century Fox, debuted with 10.1% UHD sales the week ended May 28. Lionsgate's John Wick Chapter 2 debuted with 10% UHD sales the week ended June 18.

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