Tag: Downton Abbey

‘Downton Abbey’ Sequel Climbs to Top Spot on Disc Sales Chart

A vacuum on the new-release calendar means an opportunity for some shifting on the national DVD and Blu-ray Disc sales charts.

The week ended July 16 saw Universal Pictures’ Downton Abbey: A New Era take over the top spot on the NPD VideoScan First Alert chart, which tracks combined DVD and Blu-ray Disc unit sales. It had been No. 1 a week earlier in its debut.

However, with only 37% of its sales coming from Blu-ray Disc formats, the Downton Abbey sequel actually slipped a spot on the dedicated Blu-ray Disc sales chart, to No. 4.

The top Blu-ray seller, in its third week, was Warner’s Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. It had debuted in the top spot before slipping to No. 2 in its second week. It was No. 2 on the overall disc sales chart after two weeks in the top spot.

The previous week’s top Blu-ray Disc, Lionsgate’s multiverse action-fantasy Everything Everywhere All at Once, dropped to No. 2 on the Blu-ray chart and No. 3 on the overall disc chart.

Follow us on Instagram

The No. 3 Blu-ray and No. 4 overall seller was Warner’s The Batman.

The week’s top new release, at No. 8 overall and No. 7 on the Blu-ray chart, was Disney’s The Beatles: Get Back boxed set of Peter Jackson’s multipart documentary about the famed British band, finally release after a delay due to technical issues. It had 66% of its unit sales come from Blu-ray formats.

Subscribe HERE to the FREE Media Play News Daily Newsletter!

The Media Play News rental chart for the week ended July 17 had Universal’s Liam Neeson actioner Memory in the top spot for a second week (it was No. 11 on the sales chart).

In the fact, the top six rentals were all unchanged from the previous week: Vertical Entertainment’s Last Seen Alive, a Redbox kiosk disc exclusive for the next few weeks, remained No. 2; Universal’s The Bad Guys was No. 3, Sony Pictures’ Morbius was No. 4, and Dumbledore was No. 5.

Top 20 Sellers for Week Ended 7-16-22
Top 20 Rentals for Week Ended 7-17-22
Top 20 Selling Blu-ray Discs for Week Ended 7-16-22
Top 20 Blu-ray Market Share for Week Ended 7-16-22
Sales Report for Week Ended 7-16-22
Digital Transactions Snapshot for Week Ended 7-18-22

‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ Available for Digital Purchase and on Peacock June 24, on Disc July 5

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment will release Downton Abbey: A New Era for streaming on Peacock and digital purchase starting June 24, and on Blu-ray Disc, DVD and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray July 5.

The second film based on the popular PBS period drama, and a sequel to the 2019 “Downton Abbey” movie, A New Era follows the Crawleys and their staff as they welcome a movie crew and their glamorous stars to Downton for the filming of a new silent movie, while other members of the family go on a grand adventure to a villa in the south of France to uncover a mystery about the Dowager Countess and her past.

Written by series creator Julian Fellowes and directed by Simon Curtis, Downton Abbey: A New Era earned $40 million at the domestic box office.

Subscribe HERE to the FREE Media Play News Daily Newsletter!

Extras include commentary with Curtis and several featurettes:

  • “Good To Be Back” — The cast discusses returning to their roles and their characters’ continuing story arcs.
  • “Return to ‘Downton Abbey’: The Making of A New Era” — An in-depth look at the making of the film and the contributions from each department.
  • “A Legendary Character” — A look back at the legendary character that is the Dowager Countess of Grantham played by Maggie Smith.
  • “Creating the Film Within The Film” — A deep dive into the making of the film within the film, highlighting the extra research and details that were taken into consideration, from set design and vehicles to the plethora of period-accurate film equipment and props.
  • “Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia” — A look at the history behind the queen’s royal yacht, and why it was a perfect vessel to play the cross-channel ferry in the film.
  • “Spill The Tea (Time)” — A sitdown with Allen Leech (Tom Branson) and Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith) as they spill all the details of what life on the set of Downton Abbey: A New Era was really like.

 

Follow us on Instagram!

The film will also be available as a Blu-ray/DVD combo gift set with digital code and exclusive packaging containing vintage-style postcards, a photo book and a collectible “Downton Abbey” branded stainless steel tea strainer with a velvet bag.

Big Week for DVD, Blu-ray Disc Topped with ‘Bill & Ted’ Sequel, ‘Mulan’ and Trio of ‘Complete Season’ TV Series Sets

It’s a big week for DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases, with Warner Bros. releasing the comedy sequel Bill & Ted Face the Music on both disc formats and three complete series sets of popular TV series “Schitt’s Creek,” “The Office” and “Downton Abbey” arriving on disc as well.

Meanwhile, new digital offerings available Nov. 10 include Sony Pictures’ The Broken Hearts Gallery, Lionsgate’s Words on Bathroom Walls and Paramount’s Jungleland.

Bill & Ted Face the Music is the third film in the “Bill & Ted” franchise, following 1989’s Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and 1991’s Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. The film, from MGM and Orion Pictures, was slated for a wide theatrical release over the summer. But because of the coronavirus pandemic, it was released via PVOD and in a handful of theaters that opened after quarantine restrictions were lifted, earning $3.3 million at the domestic box office.

The film was released  via standard digital sellthrough Oct. 20 in advance of its Nov. 10 release on disc and standard VOD.

“Schitt’s Creek” concluded its six-season run in April. All 80 episodes are now available in a DVD-only collection from Lionsgate. The irreverent character-driven comedy centers on the reversal-of-fortune story of the once-rich Rose family. Suddenly finding themselves broke, the Roses are forced to rebuild their empire in Schitt’s Creek, a small town they had purchased earlier as a joke. The Canadian show received 19 Emmy nominations during its run, with 15 for its sixth season, setting a record for most nominations for a comedy series in its final season.

Subscribe HERE to the FREE Media Play News Daily Newsletter!

“The Office,” which makes its Blu-ray Disc debut on Nov. 10, is an American sitcom that depicts the everyday work lives of employees of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Co. in Scranton, Penn. The show lasted nine seasons, airing on NBC from March  2005 to May 2013, and features an ensemble cast centered for the first seven seasons around wacky boss Steve Carell. Other notable cast members include Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Mindy Kaling and Creed Bratton, best known as a member of the classic pop-rock band the Grass Roots. The complete series has been available on DVD since 2014.

Follow us HERE on Instagram!

“Downton Abbey” is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th Century. The series ran for six seasons on PBS and inspired the 2019 movie Downton Abbey. The complete series is being released for the first time on DVD only by Universal on Nov. 10. Individual season sets were previously issued by PBS Distribution.

Other notable new releases available Nov. 10 include Disney’s live-action Mulan remake, Lionsgate’s Guest House and Mortal and Paramount’s Spontaneous.

The live-action Mulan, about a girl who poses as a boy to serve in her father’s place in the army in ancient China, arrives on Blu-ray Disc, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, and DVD. Disney is also releasing a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray of the original animated Mulan from 1998. The two films also will be available together in a Blu-ray Disc and DVD combo pack that also includes digital editions. The live-action Mulan made headlines over the Labor Day weekend when it bypassed theatrical distribution for in-home premium VOD. Disney announced the disc version just four days before its street date.

Guest House is a comedy starring Pauly Shore as a party animal who lives in a guest house. When the main house is purchased by an engaged couple, he refuses to leave. The film is available on both DVD and Blu-ray Disc.

Mortal is a thriller in which a sleepy Norwegian town erupts after an American backpacker is arrested. Witnesses claim a teen died after touching the stranger, and that he inexplicably started a fire that engulfed a farm. He warns a psychologist, Christine, that he has supernatural powers, and that anyone who gets too close to him dies. The film is being released on DVD and Blu-Disc Nov. 10, four days after its digital debut.

And Spontaneous, also available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, stars Katherine Langford and Charlie Plummer as seniors at a high school where the students begin literally exploding. Realizing each moment may be their last, they begin a romance and start living for today. The film was initially released for premium video-on-demand viewing and digital sellthrough Oct. 6, four days after it began showing in select movie theaters.

A complete list of new disc and digital releases, compiled each week by the Media Play News market research team, can be found here.

Docs ‘Secrets of Highclere Castle,’ ‘Hudson River School’ Coming to PBS Living in July

The documentaries Secrets of Highclere Castle and The Hudson River School: Artistic Pioneers begin streaming on PBS Living in July from PBS Distribution.

The subscription rate for the PBS Living Channel is $2.99 per month with an Amazon Prime or Prime Video subscription. PBS Living is also available on Apple TV Channels in the Apple TV app at a subscription rate of $2.99 per month with no additional annual fees.

In Secrets of Highclere Castle, viewers get the insider story about the famous mansion from the multi Emmy award-winning series “Downton Abbey.” Viewers step inside one of Britain’s best-known manor houses. It may be more famous now than any time in its 1,300-year history as the setting of “Downton Abbey,” but England’s Highclere Castle has its own stories to tell. In its heyday, Highclere was the social epicenter of Edwardian England. Viewers see how all the inhabitants of Highclere lived, from the aristocrats who enjoyed a life of luxury to the army of servants toiling “below stairs.” They also find out how the current inhabitants, Lord and Lady Carnarvon, spend their $1 million in annual upkeep funds, and what life in the castle is like today.

Subscribe HERE to the FREE Media Play News Daily Newsletter!

In The Hudson River School: Artistic Pioneers, viewers learn about a group of artists who captured images of 19th century America in their lifelike landscape paintings.

Follow us on Instagram

In the vicinity of New York’s Hudson River Valley, the Adirondack Mountains, Catskill Mountains and the White Mountains of New Hampshire, a group of American painters led by British born artist Thomas Cole forged an artistic vision of the American wilderness. This was the first American school of landscape painting that emerged between 1825 and 1880. In addition to Cole, men with the names of Asher Durand, Jasper Cropsey, Albert Bierstadt and Frederic Church would impress the world with their creative brilliance and wondrous vision. On canvas they would bring to life 19th century America through imagination, interpretation, color and conviction. The Hudson River School: Artistic Pioneers focuses on the story of these men and their message, its founder Cole, and other influential celebrants of this movement.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Q1 Revenue Falls

Universal Pictures’ home entertainment unit April 30 reported first-quarter (ended March 31) revenue of $171 million, down 36% from revenue of $267 million during the previous year period.

The decline reflected the retail success of The Grinch, Halloween and Night School in last year’s first quarter, compared with the relative lower performance from 1917, Downton Abbey and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw in this year’s first quarter.

The revenue did not include Universal’s premium VOD hit Trolls World Tour, which was released on April 10.

Subscribe HERE to the FREE Media Play News Daily Newsletter!

Total studio revenue decreased 22.5% to $1.4 billion, reflecting decreases in theatrical revenue, content licensing, home entertainment and other revenue. Theatrical revenue decreased 28.8%, underscoring difficult comparison to the success of films in the first quarter of 2019, including How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Us and Glass, offset by the performance of films in this year’s first quarter, including 1917, Dolittle and The Invisible Man.

Indeed, The Invisible Man saw its theatrical run cut short by exhibitor shutdowns due to the coronavirus.

Content licensing revenue decreased 15.4%, driven by the timing of when content was made available under licensing agreements, partially offset by the performance of certain 2020 releases that were made available on premium video-on-demand after theater closures due to COVID-19, including Emma and The Hunt.

Follow us on Instagram

‘Downton Abbey’ Tops Disc Sales; Rambo Leads in Blu-ray Sales

Downton Abbey: The Motion Picture, distributed by Universal Pictures, debuted at No. 1 the week ended Dec. 21 on the NPD VideoScan First Alert chart, which tracks combined DVD and Blu-ray Disc unit sales.

A continuation of the popular PBS TV series, Downton Abbey was the No. 2 Blu-ray. It earned $97 million at the domestic box office.

The No. 1 Blu-ray for the week and No. 2 overall sellers was Lionsgate’s Rambo: Last Blood. The fifth “Rambo” movie earned $44.8 million in U.S. theaters. The latest “Rambo” sequel sold 80% as many copies as Downton Abbey.

Another new release, DreamWorks Animation’s Abominable, distributed by Universal, was No. 3 on both charts after a $60.7 million domestic box office haul.

The previous week’s top seller, Warner’s It: Chapter Two, dropped to No. 4 for the week.

The No. 5 overall seller was Sony Pictures’ Overcomer, a faith-based sports film that earned $35 million at U.S. theaters. It was No. 8 on the Blu-ray chart.

The No. 5 Blu-ray was Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, also from Sony Pictures, which was the No. 6 overall seller.

The only other newcomer to land on the top 20 charts was 20th Century Fox’s sci-fi drama Ad Astra, which was No. 7 on the overall sales chart and No. 6 on the Blu-ray chart.

Subscribe HERE to the FREE Media Play News Daily Newsletter!

Blu-ray Disc formats accounted for 43% of Downton Abbey sales, compared with 58% for Rambo: Last Blood, 52% for Abominable, 38% for Overcomer and 64% for Ad Astra. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray made up 13% of Rambo: Last Blood‘s total and 18% of Ad Astra‘s.

Follow us on Instagram!

On the Media Play News rental chart for the week ended Dec. 22, Rambo: Last Blood debuted at No. 1, followed by Abominable at No. 2 and Ad Astra as No. 3.

Universal’s Hustlers dropped to No. 4, while Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was No. 5.

The previous week’s top rental, It: Chapter Two, slid to No. 6 in its second week.

Top 20 Sellers for Week Ended 12-21-19
Top 20 Rentals for Week Ended 12-22-19
Top 20 Selling Blu-ray Discs for Week Ended 12-21-19
Top 20 Blu-ray Market Share for Week Ended 12-21-19
Sales Report for Week Ended 12-21-19
Digital Sales Snapshot for Week Ended 12-23-19

‘Downton Abbey’ Feature Film Gets Home Release Dates

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has announced home release dates for Downton Abbey, the hit movie based on the celebrated PBS TV series.

The film, which earned $94.5 million in North American movie theaters, will be available digitally Nov. 26, and on Blu-ray Disc, DVD and on demand on Dec. 17, the studio said.

Aimed at holiday gift-givers, the home versions come with a broad variety of bonus features, including exclusive conversations with the cast, deleted scenes and a recap of the Emmy Award-winning TV series, from Carnival Films.

The Downton Abbey film will also be available in a Deluxe Limited Edition, featuring the Blu-ray Disc, DVD, and digital code, presented in exclusive packaging along with a collectible photo book and recipe cards.

The feature film stars original cast members from the TV series as well as a host of newcomers.  The film chronicles the Crawley family one year after the conclusion of the series, as they prepare for the most important moment of their lives: an impending visit from the Royal Family.

Subscribe HERE to the FREE Media Play News Daily Newsletter!

  • Blu-ray, DVD and digital extras include:
  • Deleted scenes
  • Cast conversations – exclusive roundtable interviews with the cast.
  • “The Royal Visit” – A look at how the royal visit proved to be an ambitious event both on and behind the camera.
  • “True to the Twenties” – A look at how Downton Abby was loyal to the grandeur of the 1920s.
  • “Welcome to Downton Abbey” – A behind-the-scenes look at the grandeur of Highclere Castle and how it serves as a cornerstone in the Downton Abbey franchise.
  • “The Brilliance of Julian Fellowes” – A feature on writer Julian Fellowes.
  • Feature commentary with director Michael Engler

A recap of the TV series will be included on the Blu-ray Disc and iTunes digital versions only.