Blu-ray Sales, August 5-11: Oblivion Conquers the HD Landscape

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Blu-ray Sales, August 5-11: Oblivion Conquers the HD Landscape

Posted August 16, 2013 11:36 AM by Josh Katz

For the week that ended on August 11th, Universal Studios scored a win on both the Blu-ray-only and overall home media charts with its release of Oblivion. The twisty, visually stunning film struggled somewhat in theaters last April, overcoming a lukewarm critical reception (its Metacritic totals currently stand at 54%) to just make back its estimated $120 million production budget - Oblivion grossed $89 million domestically and $286 million worldwide. Regarding its Blu-ray totals, the science-fiction epic had a strong HD market share of 60%.

The previous week's sales leader, Paramount Pictures' G.I. Joe: Retaliation, dropped to second place on the Blu-ray-only and overall home media rankings. This action blockbuster, a sequel to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, overcame lengthy reshoots and bad pre-release buzz to find theatrical success in March; despite its low Metacritic score of 41%, it went on to gross over $371 million worldwide on top of its $130 million production budget. G.I. Joe: Retaliation sold 23% as many Blu-rays as Oblivion and had an HD market share of 43%, and it sold 31% as many total units.

Finally, the big surprise of the week was the inclusion of Lionsgate's Mud, which closed out the third spot on the Blu-ray-only and overall home media lists. An intimate, low-key character study from Take Shelter director Jeff Nichols, Mud might not appear to hold the same viewer appeal as blockbusters like Oblivion or G.I. Joe: Retaliation, but it has endured in the public eye since its theatrical release last April. The small-scaled drama, which cost an estimated $12 million, has grossed over $21 million domestically. Furthermore, these figures come alongside solid critical appreciation - its Metacritic ranking is 76%. On the the Blu-ray-only chart, Mud sold 12% as many copies as Oblivion (and had a Blu-ray market share of 28%), and on the overall package media list, it sold 26% as many units as the Tom Cruise thriller.

Top Ten Blu-ray Sellers for Week Ending 08/11/13:
  1. Oblivion
  2. G.I. Joe: Retaliation
  3. Mud
  4. The Place Beyond the Pines
  5. Robin Hood
  6. Riddick Collection
  7. 42
  8. The Sword in the Stone
  9. Despicable Me
  10. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
Top Five Home Media Sellers for Week Ending 08/11/13 (% of Blu-ray's Market Share Noted):
  1. Oblivion (60%)
  2. G.I. Joe: Retaliation (43%)
  3. Mud (28%)
  4. Duck Dynasty: Season 3 (DVD only)
  5. The Place Beyond the Pines (46%)
Top Five Blu-ray 3D Sellers for Week Ending 08/11/13 (Per % of Total Unit Sales):
  1. Jack the Giant Slayer 3D (18%)
  2. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D (11%)
  3. G.I. Joe: Retaliation 3D (8%)
  4. Oz the Great and Powerful 3D (6%)
  5. Wreck-It Ralph 3D (5%)