21 Hits Jackpot on Disc

31 Jul, 2008 By: Thomas K. Arnold

The Sony Pictures Home Entertainment drama 21 aced the DVD and Blu-ray Disc sales and rental charts the week ended July 27, debuting at No. 1 in a relatively slow week for hot new releases.

With a box office gross of $81.2 million, 21 was the only new theatrical feature to be released to the home entertainment market its first week in stores. Not surprisingly, then, the film easily captured the top spot on the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert sales chart, outselling Walt Disney Studios' Step Up 2 The Streets, the previous week's No. 1, by a margin of nearly 4-to-1.

Warner's Batman Begins, recently re-released as a limited-edition gift set, remained in high demand; it was still at No. 3, buoyed no doubt by the theatrical success of The Dark Knight.

On Home Media Magazine's rental chart, 21 was the only new release among the week's top rentals. The previous week's top rental, Lionsgate's The Bank Job, slipped to No. 2 but still generated 81% as much action in rental stores as 21.

The Blu-ray Disc First Alert chart also was topped by 21 for the week, with Warner's Batman Begins a solid No. 2. New Blu-ray Disc editions of The Mummy, The Mummy Returns and The Scorpion King, all from Universal Studios, bowed at No. 3, No. 5 and No. 8, respectively.