‘Tron’ Commands the Charts

13 Apr, 2011 By: Thomas K. Arnold

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In a three-way race between newly released theatrical sequels, it was Tron: Legacy by a mile.

The adrenaline-charged sci-fi actioner from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment debuted at No. 1 on all three home video charts its first week in stores, riding off a domestic box office gross of $172 million and a worldwide theatrical take of more than $390 million — as well as a ‘PG’ rating.

The week’s two other blockbuster theatrical releases, Universal Studios’ Little Fockers ($148.4 million domestic gross), installment No. 3 in the comedy franchise, and 20th Century Fox’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader ($104.4 million), also a three-quel, just couldn’t compete.

On the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert sales chart, Fockers finished a distant third, outdone by sophomore Tangled, from Walt Disney Studios, at No. 2. Nielsen data indicates Tron: Legacy outsold ‘PG-13’-rated Fockers by a 2-to-1 margin, although Nielsen numbers don’t include Walmart or Sam’s Club. Dawn Treader (‘PG’) followed close behind at No. 4.

Tron: Legacy and Tangled finished in the first two spots on Nielsen’s dedicated Blu-ray Disc chart, as well, generating a respective 68% and 33% of their unit sales from the format during the week ended April 10. Dawn Treader, which debuted on a Friday instead of the usual Tuesday and thus had three fewer days to make an impact on the charts, bowed at No. 3, while Little Fockers entered the chart at No. 5. Dawn Treader generated 44% of its first-week unit sales from Blu-ray, while for Little Fockers just 24% of units sold were in high-definition.

On Home Media Magazine’s rental chart, Fockers debuted at No. 19 because Universal holds back its new releases from Netflix and Redbox for 28 days. Following Tron: Legacy at No. 1 was the previous week’s top rental, The Tourist, from Sony Pictures, which slipped to No. 2 after two weeks on top.

On the sales front, Tron-mania was so strong that a re-release of the original 1982 film popped up at No. 5 on First Alert and No. 4 on the Blu-ray Disc sales chart — while a combo pack with both films bowed at No. 9 on First Alert and No. 6 on the Blu-ray Disc chart.
 

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