Blu-ray Sales, May 25-31: American Sniper Stays at Number One

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Blu-ray Sales, May 25-31: American Sniper Stays at Number One

Posted June 4, 2015 04:47 PM by Josh Katz

For the week that ended on May 31st, Warner Home Entertainment's American Sniper again took the number-one position on the Blu-ray-only and overall package-media charts. Director Clint Eastwood's exploration of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's experiences as a sniper in the Iraq War ranks as one of the iconic filmmaker's most successful pictures. The controversial feature (the film currently has a 72% score on Metacritic, and that number reflects some of the divisive critical attitudes) was one of 2014's highest grossing films in the United States, earning just under $350 million domestically on top of its $58-million budget. This week, American Sniper had a Blu-ray market share of 41%.

Next up on the Blu-ray-only and overall package-media charts was Universal Studios Home Entertainment's Seventh Son. A reimagining of Joseph Delaney's YA novel The Spook's Apprentice, Seventh Son was a major critical and commercial flop for the studio; the film scored an anemic 30% on Metacritic and only grossed grossed $17 million domestically on top of its reported $95-million budget. On the Blu-ray-only ranking, Seventh Son sold 32% as many Blu-rays as American Sniper and had a higher HD market share of 51%. On the overall package-media chart, Seventh Son sold 26% as many total units as the Bradley Cooper-starring feature.

Finally, Universal's Fifty Shades of Grey rounded out the top three spots on the Blu-ray-only and overall package-media lists. This adaptation of E.L. James' bestselling erotic novel netted Universal a healthy profit despite unspectacular critical notices (a Metacritic score of 46%). Fifty Shades of Grey grossed over $569 million worldwide on top of a $40-million budget. On the Blu-ray-only ranking, Fifty Shades of Grey sold 21% as many Blu-rays as American Sniper and had a higher HD market share of 45%. Regarding the overall package-media chart, Fifty Shades of Grey sold 20% as many total units as the war drama.

Top Ten Blu-ray Sellers for Week Ending 05/31/15:
  1. American Sniper
  2. Seventh Son
  3. Fifty Shades of Grey
  4. Paddington
  5. Jurassic Park
  6. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
  7. Interstellar
  8. Big Hero 6
  9. The Loft
  10. Taken 3
Top Five Home Media Sellers for Week Ending 05/31/15 (% of Blu-ray's Market Share Noted):
  1. American Sniper (41%)
  2. Seventh Son (51%)
  3. Fifty Shades of Grey (45%)
  4. Paddington (35%)
  5. Taken 3 (29%)
Top Five Blu-ray 3D Sellers for Week Ending 05/31/15 (Per % of Total Unit Sales):
  1. Guardians of the Galaxy 3D (19%)
  2. Jurassic Park 3D (6%)
  3. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies 3D (6%)
  4. Penguins of Madagascar 3D (3%)
  5. Despicable Me 2 3D (2%)