U.K. – Media Play News

‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Tops U.K. Home Entertainment Chart in Debut

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife launched at No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Film Chart, which tracks packaged-media and digital retail sales, for the week ended Jan. 19.

Afterlife knocked Sony’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage off the pole position, with the Tom Hardy sequel dropping down to the No. 3 spot behind MGM’s No Time to Die (distributed by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment) at No. 2.

In the latest Ghostbusters release, the group has long since disbanded, but when a single mother (Carrie Coon) and her two kids (Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace) move into their late grandfather’s farm, and with the help of teacher Mr. Grooberson (Paul Rudd), they discover the secret legacy their grandfather, Ghostbuster Egon Spengler, left behind.

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At No. 4, Disney/Marvel Studios’ Eternals, which follows a group of ancient aliens, who have been secretly living on earth, who are forced out of the shadows following an unexpected tragedy.

Disney’s Encanto – the soundtrack to which is currently set to claim an Official Number 1 single this week in the U.K., – takes another week in the Top 5 at No. 5, finishing ahead of yet another new chart entry, Universal/Dreamworks Animation’s The Boss Baby 2: Family Business at No. 6.

Universal’s spooky sequel, The Addams Family 2 climbed nine spots to No. 7, a new peak for the animated title, while Paramount Home Entertainment’s Paw Patrol: The Movie held on at No. 8.

The 2006 Bond film Casino Royale (Daniel Craig’s first as Agent 007) re-entered the chart at No. 9 following the release of a new 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc Steelbook edition, and finally, Warner Home Video’s The Suicide Squad rounded off the chart at No. 10.

The Official Film Chart Top 10 – Jan. 19, 2022

Last Week	Position	Movie	Distributor
NEW	1	GHOSTBUSTERS – AFTERLIFE	SONY PICTURES HE
2	2	NO TIME TO DIE	UNIVERSAL PICTURES
1	3	VENOM – LET THERE BE CARNAGE	SONY PICTURES HE
NEW	4	ETERNALS	MARVEL FILMS
3	5	ENCANTO	WALT DISNEY
NEW	6	THE BOSS BABY 2 – FAMILY BUSINESS	DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
16	7	THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2	UNIVERSAL PICTURES
8	8	PAW PATROL – THE MOVIE	PARAMOUNT
RE	9	CASINO ROYALE	MGM
6	10	THE SUICIDE SQUAD	WARNER HOME VIDEO

DEG International, BASE Bow U.K., France Home Entertainment Retail Campaigns

Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man: No Way Home is still generating millions at the box office, but the webslinger’s home entertainment journey would appear to be just around the corner, according to a new home entertainment campaign in the United Kingdom.

While there’s been no official retail release date given for the movie, Amazon U.K. has been teasing a June 15, 2026, packaged media release date — with the ludicrous year likely to be changed at a moment’s notice.

FindAnyFilm.com, the website launched by the U.K. Film Council in 2009 to jumpstart local home entertainment retail interest in British movies, now primarily markets Hollywood releases. The latest YouTube promotional campaign cleverly leads with No Way Home footage, while previous releases Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man 2 both rank among the projected top 10 best-selling movies on disc and digital through Jan. 18, according to the Official Film Chart.

Per FindAnyFilm.com:

“Get ready to experience one of the most-talked-about movies of 2021, with Spider-Man: No Way Home battling his greatest foes yet or prepare to journey into whole new worlds — with sci-fi epic Dune. Catch up ahead of awards season and witness Lady Gaga in true to life revenge drama, House of Gucci, or discover the trials and tribulations of tennis icons, the Williams sisters — in King Richard. The kids will go barking mad for an adventure with Clifford the Big Red Dog or get back to business with The Boss Baby 2.”

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Separately, in France, the DEG International and the Syndicat de l’Edition Vidéo Numérique (SEVN), launched “Les VODays,” a new week-long digital campaign across nine of the top digital retailer platforms in France.

Digital retailers include Apple TV, CanalVOD, Filmo, Microsoft Movies & TV, VOD from Orange TV, Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, UniversCine and Netgem.

The promotion includes movies from Universal Pictures Video France, Sony Pictures Entertainment France, SND Films and WarnerMedia France. The digital retailers will be offering a selection of new and catalog titles at promotional retail and rental prices across both electronic sellthrough and video-on-demand (VOD).

“Les VODays” is the first campaign in France to be delivered by the DEGI following the success of the Mega Movie Week U.K., Germany, Nordics and Australia campaigns over the last few years.

The consumer-focused campaign, backed by a nationwide media campaign, includes social media posts across Facebook and Instagram, Catch-up TV on MyTF1, 6 Play, France Television, and display advertising across the ALLOCINE network.

“The DEGI team is thrilled to be working with SEVN in France, and to share the expertise we have developed over the last few years across the wave of digital-growth, driven by the promotional and educational campaigns we have delivered internationally,” James Duvall, head of business insights and intelligence U.K. and international at DEG International, said in a statement. “Our insights around constantly evolving consumer behavior continue to drive our activity and recommendations, and we hope for many more opportunities with distributors and retailers in France, and internationally in the near future.”

Yves Elalouf, president of SEVN, said the main objectives around the promotional campaigns are generating new customers and bringing back lapsed home entertainment consumers.

“Creating awareness of the benefits of buying movies digitally is the primary goal,” Elalouf said.

‘No Time to Die’ Tops U.K.’s First 2022 Weekly Home Entertainment Chart

James Bond is off to a good start in 2022. MGM/UA Releasing’s No Time to Die was the top-selling retail movie release in the U.K. for the week ended Jan. 5, according to new data from the Official Film Chart.

Distributed by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment in the U.K., the movie marks the fifth (and reportedly) last film with actor Daniel Craig playing Agent 007. The title ended 2021 as the top-selling retail release in the world’s No. 2 home entertainment market.

No Time to Die generated 294,000 sales, with two-thirds (67%) of the week’s total made up of digital formats. Despite the significant unit sales, the movie’s biggest retail was actually the last week of 2021 when it racked up 780,000-unit sales across disc and digital.

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With 621,000 Blu-ray Disc and DVD copies sold in its opening week, it became the biggest week one release on disc since 2017, and additionally was the biggest-selling title of the year in digital downloads.

Separately, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage debuted at No. 2. The sequel to 2018’s Venom claimed the biggest new entry of the week on digital downloads only. Warner Bros. Pictures’ The Suicide Squad climbed three spots to No. 3, while Disney’s latest animated musical Encanto was the week’s second brand new entry at No. 4.

Paramount Home Entertainment’s Paw Patrol: The Movie rebounded two spots to No. 5, landing ahead of 20th Century Studio’s The Last Duel, up seven spots to a new peak at No. 6. Disney-owned Searchlight Pictures’ The French Dispatch jumped 13 spots to No. 7.

Finally, three more entries are back in the top 10 post-Christmas; Spider-Man: Far From Home (No. 8), Harry Potter: The Complete Collection (No. 9) and Peter Rabbit 2 (No. 10).

The Official Film Chart Top 10 – Jan. 5, 2022

Rank	Previous Week	Movie	Distributor
1	1	NO TIME TO DIE	UNIVERSAL
2	NEW	VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE	SONY PICTURES
3	6	THE SUICIDE SQUAD	WARNER
4	NEW	ENCANTO	DISNEY
5	7	PAW PATROL: THE MOVIE	PARAMOUNT
6	13	THE LAST DUEL	20TH CENTURY
7	20	THE FRENCH DISPATCH	SEARCHLIGHT
8	15	SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME	SONY PICTURES
9	18	HARRY POTTER: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION	WARNER
10	21	PETER RABBIT 2	SONY PICTURES

James Bond Actioner ‘No Time to Die’ Tops Weekly U.K. Home Entertainment Chart

MGM/United Artists Releasing’s latest James Bond actioner, No Time to Die, easily topped the Official Film Chart in its first retail week through Dec. 28 in the United Kingdom.

Actor Daniel Craig’s reported last go-around as Agent 007 ranks among the top-grossing theatrical releases in 2021 with more than $774 million at the global box office. The title easily topped other new retail releases that included Disney-owned 20th Century Studios’ Ron’s Gone Wrong at No. 16 and Searchlight Pictures’ The French Dispatch at No. 20, and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment’s Respect at No. 26.

Meanwhile, veteran Christmas-themed titles The Grinch (Universal), Elf (Warner Bros.), The Polar Express (Warner), the live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Universal) and Arthur Christmas (Sony Pictures) all factored in the weekly Top 10.

Other chart toppers included Warner’s The Suicide Squad at No. 6, Paramount Pictures’ Paw Patrol: The Movie at No. 7, Disney/Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings at No. 9, and Universal’s F9: The Fast Saga at No. 10.

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Rank	Previous Week	Movie	Peak Position	Weeks on Chart
1	New	NO TIME TO DIE MGM	1	1
2	3	HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (2000) UNIVERSAL	2	25
3	2	ELF WARNER	1	28
4	1	THE GRINCH (ANIMATED) UNIVERSAL	1	35
5	4	THE POLAR EXPRESS WARNER	4	24
6	6	THE SUICIDE SQUAD WARNER	1	8
7	8	PAW PATROL: THE MOVIE PARAMOUNT	1	8
8	9	ARTHUR CHRISTMAS SONY PICTURES	8	7
9	10	SHANG-CHIAND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS DISNEY/MARVEL	1	6
10	11	F9: THE FAST SAGA UNIVERSAL	1	12

Weekly British Home Entertainment Chart Lands on Comcast-Owned Sky Store

Sky satellite TV subscribers in the United Kingdom will now get an assist on what DVD, Blu-ray Disc or digital copy to buy or rent with the addition of the Official Charts on the Comcast-owned Sky Store platform.

The British Association for Screen Entertainment (BASE) and the
Official Charts Company (OCC) Dec. 17 announced that the Official Film Chart will now feature on Skystore.com, to capture consumer attention when deciding what to watch.

The Official Film Chart ranks the U.K.’s best-selling films of the week on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download, compiled by the Official Charts Company.

The U.K. is the second-largest home entertainment market in the world for Hollywood studios.

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Skystore.com/Chart will launch just in time for Christmas and will be updated with the Official Film Chart top 10 films each Wednesday, so consumers can browse the most popular titles and simply click on an easy link to purchase. This partnership marks the first automated integration of OCC data with Sky Store and will help drive awareness of the new release slate as well as legacy titles that week.

The new launch follows a period of marketing and communications activity around the Official Film Chart in the last three months of 2021, a campaign that has aimed to inform audiences and amplify the retail sales of movies.

Marketing includes an editorial-style national radio campaign reaching more than 11 million consumers with weekly top five chart messaging, as well as calling out the strengths of the visual category, including franchise releases, TV boxed sets and physical gifting.

“We’ve seen a wealth of activity letting consumers know exactly what is
available and where to buy it,” Louise Kean-Wood, head of communications and marketing at BASE, said in a statement.

Another ‘Grinch’ Week Atop U.K. Home Entertainment Chart

The sneaky Grinch kept his hold on the U.K. home entertainment market with two separate movies — Universal Pictures’ 2018 animated feature The Grinch and 2000 live-action How The Grinch Stole Christmas — holding the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on the Official Film Chart through Dec. 8.

Warner Home Video’s Elf leaped six spots to No. 3, underscoring consumer interest in Christmas-themed content. The movement pushed Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings down two spots to No. 4, and The Suicide Squad (Warner) to No. 5.

Universal’s F9: The Fast Saga sped up two spots to No. 6, and Paramount Pictures’ Paw Patrol: The Movie dropped three spots to No. 7. Animated catalog title The Polar Express (Warner) climbed three spots to No. 8, while Marvel’s Black Widow fell two spots to No. 9.

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Finally, Sony Pictures’ Arthur Christmas climbed six spots to No. 10. The animated film, released originally in 2011 has seen a new wind of popularity this year, cracking the Top 20, and now Top 10, for the very first time in 2021.

The Official Film Chart Top 10 – Dec. 8, 2021

Rank	Previous Week	Movie	Distributor
1	1	THE GRINCH (2018)	UNIVERSAL
2	5	HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (2000)	UNIVERSAL
3	9	ELF	WARNER
4	2	SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS	DISNEY/MARVEL
5	3	THE SUICIDE SQUAD	WARNER
6	8	F9: THE FAST SAGA	UNIVERSAL
7	4	PAW PATROL: THE MOVIE	PARAMOUNT
8	11	THE POLAR EXPRESS	WARNER
9	7	BLACK WIDOW	DISNEY/MARVEL
10	16	ARTHUR CHRISTMAS	SONY PICTURES

‘The Suicide Squad’ Defeats ‘Paw Patrol’ for U.K.’s Top-Selling Movie of the Week

Warner Bros.’ The Suicide Squad finished No. 1 on the Official Film Chart in the United Kingdom through Nov. 17, following its release on DVD, Blu-ray Disc and 4K Ultra HD.

With 88% of its total weekly unit sales made up of physical copies, the DC film outsold the top five combined titles, denying Paramount Pictures’ Paw Patrol: The Movie a third week at the top.

The week’s highest new chart entry was Disney/Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings at No. 3. Universal Pictures’ F9: The Fast Saga (No. 4) and Marvel’s Black Widow (No. 5) both dropped one spot, landing just ahead of Universal’s animated family film The Grinch, which became the chart’s first Christmas top 10 entry at No. 6.

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Disney’s Jungle Cruise sailed down two spots to No. 7, and Warner’s Space Jam: A New Legacy scored another week on the chart at No. 8.

Warner’s Harry Potter: The Complete Collection climbed six spots to No. 9 as consumers celebrated the 20th anniversary of the very first “Harry Potter” film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Sorcerer’s Stone in the U.S.) — which landed at No. 12. The following four “Harry Potter films” also feature in the top 40, charting chronologically: The Chamber of Secrets (No. 22), The Prisoner of Azkaban (No. 29), The Goblet of Fire (No. 33) and The Order of the Phoenix (No. 36).

Finally, Universal’s The Croods: A New Age rounded of the Top 10 at No. 10.

The Official Film Chart Top 10 – Nov. 17, 2021

Rank	Previous Rank	Movie	Distributor
1	2	THE SUICIDE SQUAD	WARNER
2	1	PAW PATROL: THE MOVIE	PARAMOUNT
3	NEW	SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS	DISNEY/MARVEL
4	3	F9: THE FAST SAGA	UNIVERSAL
5	4	BLACK WIDOW	DISNEY/MARVEL
6	13	THE GRINCH	UNIVERSAL
7	5	JUNGLE CRUISE	DISNEY
8	7	SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY	WARNER
9	15	HARRY POTTER: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION	WARNER
10	8	THE CROODS: A NEW AGE	UNIVERSAL

Universal’s ‘F9’ Remains Atop U.K. Home Entertainment Chart, Thanks to Disc

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment’s F9: The Fast Saga sped to its second week atop the Official Film Chart for the retail week ended Oct. 27. With 86% of its sales coming from DVD and Blu-ray Disc, the ninth installment in the car-themed franchise held off Universal’s animated sequel The Croods: A New Age, which climbed six spots on the chart — also due to packaged-media sales.

Disney’s Jungle Cruise (No. 3) and 20th Century Studios’ Free Guy (No. 4) dropped one spot each, while Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s Venom (No. 5) climbed the chart with consumer interest likely spiked by the current theatrical sequel.

Universal’s action-thriller The Forever Purge climbed eight spots to No. 6, entering the Top 10 for the first time following its release on disc. In the fifth installment in the “Purge” franchise, a group of insurrectionists decide to continue their murderous spree after the annual purge’s end time of daybreak.

Next up, Disney’s Black Widow ended the week at No. 7; Universal’s M Night Shyamalan thriller Old entered the chart at No. 8; and Warner Bros. Pictures’ Space Jam: A New Legacy remained in the Top 10 at No. 9.

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The week’s highest new entry: Warner’s Injustice, the new animated DC comics film based on an alternate earth. The Joker tricks Superman into killing Lois Lane, sending him into a deadly rampage as he decides to take control of the Earth for humanity’s own good. Batman gathers a team of heroes to try to stop him, pitting Justice League members against one another.

The Official Film Chart Top 10 – Oct. 27, 2021

Rank	Previous Week	Movie	Distributor
1	1	FAST & FURIOUS 9	UNIVERSAL
2	8	THE CROODS: A NEW AGE	UNIVERSAL
3	2	JUNGLE CRUISE	DISNEY
4	3	FREE GUY	20TH CENTURY
5	6	VENOM	SONY PICTURES
6	14	THE FOREVER PURGE	UNIVERSAL
7	5	BLACK WIDOW	DISNEY/MARVEL
8	7	OLD	UNIVERSAL
9	9	SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY	WARNER
10	NEW	INJUSTICE	WARNER

Universal’s ‘F9: The Fast Saga’ Speeds to No. 1 on U.K. Home Entertainment Chart

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment’s F9: The Fast Saga sped to No. 1 on the Official Film Chart in the U.K. for the weekly retail period ended Oct. 20. The actioner made the move thanks to its release on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, which helped it outsell the chart’s top five in combined unit sales.

As a result, Disney’s Jungle Cruise was denied a second week at the top, dropping to No. 2. Disney-owned 20th Century Studios’ Free Guy finished No. 3, while catalog James Bond title Spectre finished No. 4, and Disney/Marvel’s Black Widow ended the week at No. 5. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s original Venom moved up five spots to No. 6.

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The week’s highest new entry is M. Night Shyamalan thriller Old (Universal), which entered the chart at No. 7 on digital downloads only. A family vacation is turned into a nightmare when they head to a secluded beach for the day, only to discover it is causing them to age rapidly, reducing their entire lives into a single day.

Universal’s The Croods: A New Age dropped to No. 8, while LeBron James teaming up with the Tune Squad to save his son in Warner Bros. Pictures’ nostalgic sequel Space Jam: A New Legacy, finished No. 9 on just digital download sales.

Finally, Bond catalog title Skyfall dropped three spots to finish at No. 10.

The Official Film Chart Top 10 – Oct. 20, 2021

Rank	Previous Week	Movie	Distributor
1	4	F9: THE FAST SAGA	UNIVERSAL
2	1	JUNGLE CRUISE	DISNEY
3	2	FREE GUY	20TH CENTURY
4	3	SPECTRE	MGM
5	5	BLACK WIDOW	DISNEY/MARVEL
6	11	VENOM	SONY PICTURES
7	NEW	OLD	UNIVERSAL
8	6	THE CROODS: A NEW AGE	UNIVERSAL
9	NEW	SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY	WARNER
10	7	SKYFALL	MGM

Disney’s ‘Jungle Cruise’ No. 1 on U.K. Home Entertainment Chart — Thanks to Disc

Disney’s Jungle Cruise edged out previous chart topper Free Guy (20th Century Studios) to finish No. 1 on the U.K’s Official Film Chart through Oct. 13 — in its first week of retail release.

The action adventure, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, topped Free Guy by just 1,900 unit sales on DVD and Blu-ray Disc.

MGM’s James Bond catalog release Spectre climbed one spot to No. 3, joining other Daniel Craig titles in the Top 10: Skyfall (No. 7), Casino Royale (No. 8) and Quantum of Solace (No. 9).

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Universal Pictures Home Entertainment’s F9: The Fast Saga dropped one spot to No. 4 despite being the biggest digital download of the week. Disney’s Black Widow fell three spots to No. 5.

Universal’s The Croods 2: A New Age entered the chart in No. 6 spot — based on digital downloads only. Finally, Disney/Pixar’s Luca rounded off the week at No. 10.

The Official Film Chart Top 10 – Oct. 13, 2021

Rank	Previous Week	Movie	Distributor
1	NEW	JUNGLE CRUISE	DISNEY
2	1	FREE GUY	20TH CENTURY
3	4	SPECTRE	MGM
4	3	FAST & FURIOUS 9	UNIVERSAL PICTURES
5	2	BLACK WIDOW	DISNEY/MARVEL
6	NEW	THE CROODS 2: A NEW AGE	UNIVERSAL
7	7	SKYFALL	MGM
8	6	CASINO ROYALE	MGM
9	11	QUANTUM OF SOLACE	MGM
10	9	LUCA	DISNEY