Non-franchise films have received rave reviews at home — a welcome sign in an industry often dominated by a single IP blockbuster.
Three recent new theatrical releases, two of which have grossed more than $50 million, all shared the number one spot in this weekend’s top ten theatrical releases video on demand Chart points in our list of concerns. This rare split was accompanied by another never-before-seen event that may never happen again.
“Lost City” (Paramount), “northerner“(focus) and ” bad guy“(Universal) for $19.99, and it’s at the top of the list. It’s unusual. But unprecedented, only 11 movies — one more than the minimum — made it to the chart. Strange Movies Why This was done because of a $0.99 promotion for a website.
Two months later, the three new releases knocked Sony off the top spot. Since mid-March, Spider-Man: Nowhere, for $5.99, and Uncharted have topped all charts, except for one site’s week (Vudu, by revenue, Batman’s week) debut).
Sony could easily climb one or more charts again next week. “Möbius” hits theaters Tuesday, and “Uncharted,” now down to $5.99, could be back after a strong home run.
Of the three No. 1 spots, “Bad Guy” (still No. 2 in theaters) is the only one in the top three of all charts. The Lost City actually only made the top three at Vudu. Timing and alternatives explain this.
Vudu’s listings are for the entire week, while iTunes and GooglePlay only cover the day. Paramount released “Lost” on Tuesday, two days ahead of the other two new releases. Before anyone else came along, it was as high as #2 on iTunes. Google Play has a few days of lag, so its sweet spot may still be ahead.
“Lost City”
Paramount
But Sandra Bullock/Channing Tatum’s adventure/romance is also on Paramount+. The studio gave most of the marketing attention. It could be a competition, similar to Warner Bros. releasing Batman to HBO Max and VOD on the same day. As always, this is speculative since there are no concrete numbers, but the public seems to be increasingly aware that the monthly subscriptions of these streaming sites are more cost-effective compared to the higher one-time PVOD costs.
The limited range of films listed means that all but two of the films made it to three lists. Only “Batman” (there are two, lacking iTunes) and “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City” (Sony) also rank on Google Play. The latter is No. 9 on iTunes and is currently on sale for $0.99.
Of the three new films, it’s worth noting “Northern Man,” which was far lower in theaters than “Bad Guys” or “Lost,” but nearly flat on VOD. It’s a little surprising, since the “bad guys” as the new home movie are likely to dominate. Universal (Focus is their subsidiary) aggressively releases the most recent releases to home viewing, usually after three weeks. They even did it with “Sing” earlier last January. More than four months later, the animated sequel is still on all charts.
“Northern Man” looks like the type of movie that gets a big boost from exposure even when the theatrical returns are low. We’ll see if it can sustain long runs. If so, it would be a huge payoff for a movie reportedly worth $75 million or more. For “Bad Guys” and “The Lost City,” the new revenue is additional revenue after theaters are completed. (Paramount waited 47 days to release a “city” similar to their standard strategy.)
Netflix is back on a list dominated by original movies. Five of the top six, led by the comedy “Senior Years,” starring Rebel Wilson, are homegrown, and four of them are new this week.
As always, this is an eclectic list. Sperm donation documentary “Our Father” is currently No. 2. John Madden (“Shakespeare in Love”) was fourth for “Operation Mince” and fifth for Spanish comedy “The Perfect Family.” Their #6 animation “Marmaduke” is in its second week.
For subscribers, the early 2022 VOD version of “Borrego” (a botanist on the brink of extinction when kidnapped by a drug mule) could also be an original. This week is unusual. Of the four most-viewed theatrical productions, three were pre-2000. Often, streamers will stick with newer productions in screenings from established studios. It’s not clear yet, but they may be contacting them to expand what they offer.
iTunes and Google Play rank movies by transactions per day. These are the May 15 lists. The listed distributor is the current rights holder.
iTunes
1. Northerners (Focus) – $19.99
2. Unknown (Sony) – $5.99
3. Bad guys (Universal) – $19.99
4. The Lost City (Paramount) – $19.99
5. Spider-Man: Nowhere to Go (Sony) – $5.99
6. Dog (United Artists) – $5.99
7. Moonset (Lionsgate) – $5.99
8. Sing 2 (Universal) – $5.99
9. Home City: Welcome to Raccoon City (Sony) – $0.99
10. Ambulance (Universal) – $19.99
google play
1. bad guy (Universal) – $19.99
2. Unknown (Sony) – $5.99
3. Spider-Man: Nowhere to Go (Sony) – $5.99
4. Northerners (Focus) – $19.99
5. The Lost City (Paramount) – $19.99
6. Dog (United Artists) – $5.99
7. Sing 2 (Universal) – $5.99
8. Moonset (Lionsgate) – $5.99
9. Batman (Warner Bros.) – $24.99
10. Ambulance (Universal) – $19.99
Wudu
Vudu ranks by revenue rather than transactions, which boosts premium VOD titles.This list covers May 8-14
1. The Lost City (Paramount) – $19.99
2. bad guy (Universal) – $19.99
3. Northerners (Focus) – $19.99
4. Unknown (Sony) – $5.99
5. Ambulance (Universal) – $19.99
6. Dog (United Artists) – $5.99
7. Spider-Man: Nowhere to Go (Sony) – $5.99
8. Moonset (Lionsgate) – $5.99
9. Batman (Warner Bros.) – $24.99
10. Sing 2 (Universal) – $5.99
“Senior grades”
Netflix
Netflix movies
The current ranking of the most viewed on Netflix’s daily chart on Monday, May 16; originals including Netflix-made and acquired titles originally shown in the US Netflix releases its own weekly top 10 every Tuesday based on viewing time.
1. Senior year (2022 Netflix Original)
2. Our Father (2022 Netflix Original Documentary)
3. Borrego (VOD released in 2002)
4. Operation Mince (2022 Netflix UK original)
5. The perfect home (2022 Netflix original in Spanish)
6. Malmeduk (2022 Netflix animation original)
7. Thieves’ Den (2018 theatrical version)
8. Happy Gilmore (1996 theatrical version)
9. U.S. Marshal (1998 theatrical version)
10. Forrest Gump (Theatrical release in 1994)
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