Blu-ray Sales, May 15-21: XXX Squares Off Against Resident Evil

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Blu-ray Sales, May 15-21: XXX Squares Off Against Resident Evil

Posted May 27, 2017 09:40 PM by Josh Katz

For the week that ended on May 21st, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's xXx: Return of Xander Cage debuted at the top of the Blu-ray-only sales ranking. The latest installment in the high-octane xXx franchise, The Return of Xander Cage struggled to match star Vin Diesel's wildly popular Fast & Furious series. The Return of Xander Cage scored poor critical notices (a Metacritic score of 42%) and grossed only $44 million domestically on top of its projected $85-million production budget (in fairness, the film performed much better domestically, earning an additional $301 million). This week, xXx: Return of Xander Cage had a Blu-ray market share of 58%.

However, another Sony title proved stiff competition for the Vin Diesel-starring actioner: Paul W.S. Anderson's Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. Ostensibly the conclusion to the Resident Evil film series, this horror-sci-fi faced a very similar fate as The Return of Xander Cage. Like the xXx thriller, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter did not score highly with critics, garnering a 49% score on Metacritic, and its poor domestic grosses ($26 million earned on top of an estimated $40-million production budget) received a boost from a strong international showing (an extra $285 million grossed). On the Blu-ray-only list, The Final Chapter had an HD market share of 53% and sold 98% as many Blu-rays as The Return of Xander Cage. But on the overall package-media chart, the film debuted at number one - there, The Return of Xander Cage sold 93% as many total units as Resident Evil.

Finally, Universal Studios Home Entertainment's Fifty Shades Darker filled out the top-three spots on the Blu-ray-only and overall package-media sales rankings. This adaptation of E.L. James' bestselling erotic novel - and the sequel to the 2015 hit Fifty Shades of Grey - netted Universal a decent profit despite terrible critical notices (a Metacritic score of 33%); Fifty Shades Darker grossed over $378 million worldwide on top of a $55-million budget. On the Blu-ray-only sales chart, Fifty Shades Darker sold 71% as many Blu-rays as the xXx sequel (it also had a Blu-ray market share of 52%). And regarding the overall package-media chart, the erotic drama sold 74% as many total units as Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.

Top Ten Blu-ray Sellers for Week Ending 05/21/17:
  1. xXx: Return of Xander Cage
  2. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
  3. Fifty Shades Darker
  4. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
  5. Moana
  6. A Dog's Purpose
  7. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
  8. La La Land
  9. Sing
  10. Underworld: Blood Wars
Top Five Home Media Sellers for Week Ending 05/21/17 (% of Blu-ray's Market Share Noted):
  1. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (53%)
  2. xXx: Return of Xander Cage (58%)
  3. Fifty Shades Darker (52%)
  4. A Dog's Purpose (42%)
  5. Moana (57%)
Top Five Blu-ray 3D Sellers for Week Ending 05/21/17 (Per % of Total Unit Sales):
  1. Prometheus 3D (15%)
  2. Passengers 3D (11%)
  3. Guardians of the Galaxy 3D (6%)
  4. Assassin's Creed 3D (5%)
  5. The Secret Life of Pets 3D (4%)
Top Five UHD Blu-ray Sellers for Week Ending 05/21/17 (Per % of Total Unit Sales):
  1. John Wick 4K (30%)
  2. Fifty Shades of Grey 4K (20%)
  3. Patriots Day 4K (11%)
  4. Passengers 4K (11%)
  5. Hacksaw Ridge 4K (11%)