'Gods of Egypt' Reigns Over Home Video Sales

8 Jun, 2016 By: Thomas K. Arnold

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Four new releases debuted among the top 10 sellers on the national home video sales charts the week ended June 5.

One of them, Lionsgate’s Gods of Egypt, bumped 20th Century Fox’s Deadpool out of the top spot on both NPD VideoScan’s First Alert sales chart, which tracks combined DVD and Blu-ray Disc unit sales, and the dedicated Blu-ray Disc sales chart. The superhero movie landed at No. 2 on both charts, after three weeks at No. 1.

Gods of Egypt, an actioner about feuding Egyptian deities, grossed just $31.1 million in U.S. theaters, against a budget estimated at $140 million. The film was criticized for its white cast but it went on gross more than $142 million worldwide.

The other new releases that made it into the top 10 are Sony Pictures’ Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which debuted at No. 3 on both sales charts, and two from Universal Pictures — Triple 9, which bowed at No. 6 on both charts, and Race at No. 10 overall and No. 8 on the Blu-ray chart.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombie is a mashup, ala Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, that adds a zombie attack to Jane Austen’s classic 1813 tale of romance and manners. The film earned less than $11 million in U.S. theaters.

Triple 9 is a crime drama involving dirty cops, the Russian mob and an impossible heist. The film, which stars Casey Affleck and Woody Harrelson, earned $12.6 million at the domestic box office.

Race is a biopic about 1936 Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens and earned $19 million at domestic theaters.

Rounding out the Top 5 on the overall disc sales chart are Risen, a Biblical epic from Sony Pictures that slipped to No. 4 after bowing at No. 2 the prior week, and Walt Disney Studios’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Both films also rounded out the top five on the Blu-ray Disc sales chart, in reverse order.

All four new releases generated nearly half their total unit sales from Blu-ray Disc, which celebrates its 10th birthday this month. The high-definition format generated 49% of Triple 9 sales, 47% of Pride and Prejudice and Zombie sales, 45% of Gods of Egypt sales and 42% of Race sales.

On Home Media Magazine’s rental chart, Gods of Egypt debuted at No. 1, bumping the previous week’s top rental, Universal Pictures’ Ride Along 2, to No. 2

Fox’s Joy shot up to No. 3 now that its 28-day holdback from Redbox is over, while Lionsgate’s Dirty Grandpa slipped a spot to No. 4.

Rounding out the top five was Fox's The Revenant. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies debuted at No. 6.

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