SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 22, 2013 /CNW/ - The verdict is in and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, announced today that the home entertainment release of DREDD claimed the number one spot on the DVD sell-through and Blu-ray charts with 650,000 units sold, making it the best-selling new release title of the year. Blu-ray units accounted for nearly 50% of week 1 POS at retail. In addition, the critically acclaimed thriller, starring Karl Urban (Star Trek) as the titular character Judge Dredd, was the top film download for the week, outpacing all other titles in digital sales as well.
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Adapted by Alex Garland from John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra's legendary comic book and released in a stunning 3-D Blu-ray, DREDD adds to Lionsgate's long history of theatrical titles that have overconverted their box office performance on Blu-ray, DVD and digital. Lionsgate continues to lead the industry in DVD-to-box office conversion rates.
Hailed by audiences and critics alike, the post-apocalyptic thriller also stars Olivia Thirlby (Juno) and Lena Headey (HBO's "Game Of Thrones"). Blending pulse-pounding action with mesmerizing visual effects sequences, the sci-fi thriller directed by Pete Travis (Vantage Point) takes place in a vast, violent metropolis where criminals rule the chaotic streets. The only force of order lies with the urban cops called "Judges" who possess the combined powers of judge, jury and instant executioner. The Blu-ray Disc and DVD both contain multiple behind-the-scenes featurettes including a look back at the 35 years of Judge Dredd.
With a highly competitive landscape during its theatrical debut, the thriller's powerful home entertainment success underscores the importance of the market, allowing entertainment enthusiasts to enjoy their favorite films in a multitude of formats.
"DREDD's chart topping performance demonstrates the breadth of the home entertainment audience for this exciting, high caliber film as well as underscoring our ability to monetize theatrical titles across all home entertainment platforms through the highest packaged, VOD and digital conversion rates in the industry," said Ron Schwartz, Lionsgate Executive Vice President & General Manager, Home Entertainment. "We're also pleased that a film released on 3-D Blu-ray was able to top the sales charts, a clear reflection of how quality films in this up and coming format can find their audience."
Lionsgate recently announced a partnership with Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung to convert select Lionsgate action and thriller titles for the booming 3-D home entertainment market.
About Lionsgate
Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution, new channel platforms and international distribution and sales. The Company has built a strong television presence in production of primetime cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming and an array of channel assets. Lionsgate currently has 23 shows on 16 networks spanning its primetime production, distribution and syndication businesses, including the multiple Emmy Award-winning Mad Men, the critically acclaimed series Weeds, Nurse Jackie, the comedy Anger Management, which has been picked up for another 90 episodes by FX, the network series Nashville, picked up for a full season of 22 episodes by ABC, the syndication successes Tyler Perry's House of Payne, its spinoff Meet the Browns, The Wendy Williams Show, Are We There Yet? and the upcoming Orange Is The New Black, an original series for Netflix.
Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as the blockbuster first installment of The Hunger Games franchise, the 13th highest-grossing domestic box office release of all time, The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn – Part 2, which has grossed more than $800 million at the worldwide box office, Texas Chainsaw 3D, The Possession, Sinister, The Expendables 2, Cabin in the Woods, Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection and Arbitrage. With the January 2012 acquisition of Summit Entertainment, the Company has now added the blockbuster Twilight Saga, which has grossed more than $3.3 billion at the worldwide box office, to its current slate, giving the Company the two premier young adult franchises in the world. Recent Summit hits include Red, Letters to Juliet, Knowing and the Academy Award-winning Best Picture, The Hurt Locker.
Lionsgate's home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 15,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate and Summit brands remain synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.
For Press Inquiries Contact:
Jennifer Sandler
310.255.4072
jsandler@lionsgate.com
For Lionsgate Corporate Inquiries, Contact:
Peter D. Wilkes
310.255.3726
pwilkes@lionsgate.com
SOURCE: Lionsgate
