Blu-ray Sales: August 27-September 2: The Flash Races to the Top of the Charts

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Blu-ray Sales: August 27-September 2: The Flash Races to the Top of the Charts

Posted September 8, 2023 03:21 PM by Sean Greenwood

For the week that ended on September 2nd, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment's The Flash (2023) topped both the Blu-ray-only and overall packaged media charts in its debut. The theatrical version of the DC Comics character, not to be confused with the version from the 2014 TV series of the same name (which also saw both its final season and a complete series released on Blu-ray this week), first appeared in a cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016. Initially, a film starring the character had been set for 2018, but amid other DC Extended Universe films struggling at the box office, various delays caused The Flash to shift several times, until filming began in 2021. But, the film's release would be further complicated by the merger of of Warner Bros. parent WarnerMedia and Discovery into Warner Bros. Discovery in April 2022, as well as a series of high-profile arrests for the film's star, Ezra Miller, and the announced reboot of the entire DCEU franchise. This last event subsequently led to rumors that Warner Bros. Discovery could cancel The Flash altogether, as they had done with Batgirl in August 2022. Happily, however, following positive test screenings, The Flash was set for a June 2023 release..

Unfortunately, the many delays and controversies seem to have affected audience enthusiasm for The Flash, which opened below expectations to $55 million on its first weekend and has legged it to only $108 million so far. And unlike some "blockbusters" this year which have been saved by the international box office, the global haul for The Flash stands at just $268 million. Given the reported budget of $200 million or more, it is estimated that the film will lose Warner Bros. some $200 million and go down in history as a major box office bomb. This week, The Flash had an HD share of 70%, with 31% of units sold from the 4K UHD format. Note that The Flash continues a recent trend at Warner Bros. of single-disc 4K UHD releases, although the more expensive retailer exclusive versions, like the Best Buy Exclusive 4K UHD SteelBook and Walmart Exclusive 4K UHD Icon Edition DigiPack, contain both a 4K UHD disc and a Blu-ray.

Dropping to second place on both charts in its fourth week is Universal Pictures Home Entertainment's Fast X. The tenth sequel in the Fast and Furious franchise opened in May to decidedly mixed reviews and while it topped the box office on its opening weekend with over $67 million, it made the majority of its $700-plus million internationally. This week, Fast X sold 28% as many Blu-ray units as The Flash, with an HD share of 49% and 11% of units sold from the 4K UHD format.

Debuting in third place on both charts is Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's No Hard Feelings (2023). The romantic comedy marked the first wide release for star (and also producer) Jennifer Lawrence, since X-Men: Dark Phoenix in 2019 and received positive reviews, exceeding expectations with over $15 million on its opening weekend and over $50 million domestically and $86 million globally so far. This week, No Hard Feelings sold 25% as many Blu-ray units as The Flash, with an HD share of 54%. A 4K UHD edition was not made available.

Elsewhere on the charts, Decal Releasing's Infinity Pool, which received an uncut 4K UHD SteelBook release this week (the cut R-rated Blu-ray had been released in April), came in at No. 7 on the Blu-ray-only chart, while Universal's Battlestar Galactica (1978), which also received a 4K UHD release this week, came in at No. 14 and easily topped the UHD Market Share chart for the week, with over 99% of units sold from the 4K UHD format. Finally, the aforementioned Warner Bros. Blu-ray release of The Flash: The Ninth and Final Season came in at No. 17.

Top Ten Blu-ray Sellers for Week Ending 9/2/23:
  1. The Flash (2023)
  2. Fast X
  3. No Hard Feelings (2023)
  4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
  5. John Wick: Chapter 4
  6. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
  7. Infinity Pool
  8. Avatar: The Way of Water
  9. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
  10. 1923: Season One
Top Five Home Media Sellers for Week Ending 9/2/23 (% of Blu-ray's Market Share Noted):
  1. The Flash (2023) (70%)
  2. Fast X (49%)
  3. No Hard Feelings (2023) (54%)
  4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (54%)
  5. 1923: Season One (26%)
Top Blu-ray 3D Sellers for Week Ending 9/2/23 (Per % of Total Unit Sales):
  1. Avatar: The Way of Water 3D (4.93%)
  2. Pokémon: Detective Pikachu 3D (0.63%)
  3. The Meg 3D (0.17%)
  4. The Croods: A New Age 3D (0.07%)
Top Five UHD Blu-ray Sellers for Week Ending 9/2/23 (Per % of Total Unit Sales):
  1. Battlestar Galactica 4K (1978) (99.74%)
  2. Infinity Pool 4K (93%)
  3. The Nightmare Before Christmas 4K (46%)
  4. The Last of Us: The Complete First Season 4K (32%)
  5. The Flash 4K (2023) (31%)