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100,000 Sold: Chump Change for Standard. Jackpot for High Def
December 13, 2007

After most of the biggie fourth quarter high-def releases have streeted for 2007, a 'hit' barometer is getting established. If a title can pass the 100,000 units sold mark on one of the formats, it is a considered a success. Studio sources have been excited over that acheivement with BD titles Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Spider-Man 3 and Live Free or Die Hard. Paramount was the same way with Transformers on HD DVD. No self-respecting box office blockbuster on standard definition DVD wants to be caught dead selling 100,000-150,000 copies in its first several days on sale. Ideally, that is probably what you're shooting for with standard DVD in the first few hours on sale at Wal-Mart. 
But selling 100,000 copies of a title in formats that are just over one year-old should be considered a legitimate achievement. And after 300, it appears that a dual format high-def title needs to reach the 200,000 to 250,000 mark to be crowned a hit. 
A big question going forward is whether studio theatrical divisions can manage to pump out enough decent size films to churn out a good number of at least potential high-def hits in 2008. Most of the above films generated $200-300 million-plus in U.S. ticket sales. Probably with the exception of Enchanted and maybe Beowulf, winter theatricals are on the weak side so far with audiences. Well, Will Smith cruises into theaters tomorrow with I Am Legend, and that guy hardly ever lets you down.

Posted by Susanne Ault on December 13, 2007 | Comments (0)