Paramount wraps summer hits for Christmas buying
Iron Man, Kung Fu Panda, Indiana Jones get re-releases
By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 10/24/2008
OCT. 24 | Seeking to push holiday sales of its biggest fourth-quarter releases near Christmas, Paramount Home Entertainment is shipping new basic SKUs of Iron Man, Kung Fu Panda and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in gift-wrapped packaging.
Paramount's re-wrapped discs will be priced at $19.99.
All three Paramount titles will street at retail between Nov. 30 and Dec. 7. The DVD cases will be gift-wrapped and inside a cardboard sleeve featuring art work distinct from the titles’ earlier releases. The sleeves show the films’ stars are tearing out of the packages.
The wrapped-and-ready single-disc packages will be priced at $19.99.
Iron Man, Indiana Jones and Kung Fu Panda were huge theatrical hits. But with their initial DVD releases earlier in the fourth quarter, on Sept. 30, Oct. 14 and Nov. 9, respectively, Paramount hopes the new discs will send consumers a gift-giving reminder near Christmas and Hanukkah.(Click for the full fourth-quarter new release list.) When Iron Man debuted on DVD and Blu-ray, it became the best-selling title of the year, according to Paramount.
Paramount will promote the new releases with coupon-bearing newspaper ads on Nov. 30. The ads will include $3 off on all single and two-disc standard DVD and Blu-ray titles, and $10 off standard DVD and Blu-ray box sets.
Separately, Warner Home Video is dressing up its Sex and the City film, originally released on Sept. 23, for the holidays. The four-disc limited edition Sex and the City: The Movie—The Wedding Collection bows on Dec. 9 and includes such exclusive features as a CD compilation and hardcover photo book. It will be priced at $69.98.
