The top news and charts for week ending September 17, 2007.
Target shelves in favor of Blu-ray Blockbuster hires bank managing director for CFO Warner remains loyal to dual high-def formats |
A family affairBrothers and Sisters star Rob Lowe (2nd from r.) partied with ABC’s Bruce Gersh (l.) and Disney’s Lori MacPherson and Gordon Ho at Disney’s Sept. 10 event, held at the San Antonio Winery in Los Angeles. See more industry photos. |
"BLADES OF GLORY" leads Top DVD Renters Chart "DELTA FARCE" leads Top DVD Sellers Chart "HEROES: SEASON 1" leads Top HD DVD Sellers Chart "300" leads Top Blu-ray Sellers Chart |
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SWEETING: Fueling the fire | |
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LAST WORD: Holding a mirror up to high-def |
Target shelves in favor of Blu-ray
SEPT. 14 | Target is shifting the balance of its high-definition software merchandising toward Blu-ray Disc, now devoting twice the amount of display space to that format than it does to HD DVD in some or all of its stores.
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Former Wal-Mart exec heads to DreamWorks
SEPT. 14 | David Porter, formerly head of video for Wal-Mart, has been hired by DreamWorks Animation SKG, where he will focus on distribution of the company’s product across all platforms and on creating value for the company’s content, according to a story in theLos Angeles Times.
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Blockbuster hires bank managing director for CFO
SEPT. 13 | Blockbuster has named former Deutsche Bank Securities managing director Thomas M. Casey chief financial officer for the rental chain, replacing Larry Zine who has resigned. Casey will be executive VP and CFO. Zine had said in June that he would leave Blockbuster at the end of the year, but with the hiring of Casey, Zine will will now leave at the end of this month.
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Movie Gallery defers more payments
SEPT. 12 | Movie Gallery is deferring more interest payments, the chain revealed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Redbox buys two kiosk technology patents
SEPT. 11 | No. 1 kiosk-based DVD rental company, Redbox says its purchase of two technology patents will protect its business model going forward.
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Blockbuster lays off COO in cost-cutting measure
SEPT. 11 | UPDATE: Blockbuster has eliminated chief operating officer and senior executive VP Nick Shepherd's position in a cost-savings measure. Shepherd, the retailer's No. 2 exec, will leave his job at the end of the month, the chain announced. He will remain a consultant to the company through the end of the year. .
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Former Wal-Mart exec heads to DreamWorks
SEPT. 14 | David Porter, formerly head of video for Wal-Mart, has been hired by DreamWorks Animation SKG, where he will focus on distribution of the company’s product across all platforms and on creating value for the company’s content, according to a story in theLos Angeles Times.
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Warner orders more Raw Feed
SEPT. 14 | FROM VARIETY: Warner Home Video has greenlit a second wave of Raw Feed fare. All three movies are being produced back to back for around $5 million each. Otis, a horror comedy starring Daniel Stern and Illeana Douglas, began lensing early this week and will be followed by Supermarket and Rest Stop 2.
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Jericho fan rescue touted
SEPT. 14 | FROM VARIETY: There’s something a little nutty about the way CBS Home Entertainment is tubthumping next month’s DVD release of Jericho.
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Koch to distribute Shrek browsers for kids
SEPT. 13 | Koch Entertainment Distribution is expanding its product range through a distribution deal with Children’s Educational Network, marketer of kid-friendly Web browsers.
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Warner remains loyal to dual high-def formats
SEPT. 12 | FROM TWICE: DENVER—Warner Home Video president Ron Sanders told VB sister publication TWICE at CEDIA Expo that the company has enjoyed strong sales in both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc and will likely continue to support both until that changes. Sanders also revealed that Warner will be releasing all four Harry Potter movies on high-definition discs in time for the holidays.
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Hairspray being released on Blu-ray exclusively in Q4
SEPT. 11 | New Line Home Entertainment will set holiday style Nov. 20, when it releases Hairspray in three standard DVD versions and on Blu-ray Disc, the studio’s first high-definition release. The studio also will release the musical on HD DVD, but not until the first half of 2008 due to the format's lack of regional coding, making the title a de facto Blu-ray exclusive in the fourth quarter.
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NBC Universal sues for Dean Martin Show DVD rights
SEPT. 10 | NBC Universal has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court to reassert its legal claim to The Dean Martin Show, a weekly variety program that aired on NBC for nine seasons from 1965 to 1974.
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Acorn Direct hires Sidar as president
SEPT. 10 | Thomas Sidar has been named president of Acorn Direct, the direct-to-consumer division of DVD supplier Acorn Media Group. Sidar replaces Miguel Penella, who was upped to CEO of Acorn Media in April.
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Lionsgate buys Mandate Pictures
SEPT. 10 | Online exclusive: Lionsgate has acquired independent production and distribution company Mandate Pictures, bringing former Lionsgate international distribution chief Joe Drake back to the studio.
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Warner, NHL extend DVD distribution deal
SEPT. 10 | Warner Home Video and the National Hockey League have extended their DVD production and distribution partnership for another five years.
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Image acquires Suburban Girl, Undead or Alive
SEPT. 10 | Re-confirming its drive to release higher-profile projects, Image Entertainment has snapped up U.S. theatrical, DVD and digital distribution rights to name features Suburban Girl and Undead or Alive. The films were acquired from Odd Lot Entertainment.
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Warner remains loyal to dual high-def formats
SEPT. 12 | FROM TWICE: DENVER—Warner Home Video president Ron Sanders told VB sister publication TWICE at CEDIA Expo that the company has enjoyed strong sales in both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc and will likely continue to support both until that changes. Sanders also revealed that Warner will be releasing all four Harry Potter movies on high-definition discs in time for the holidays.
Full Story
Hairspray being released on Blu-ray exclusively in Q4
SEPT. 11 | New Line Home Entertainment will set holiday style Nov. 20, when it releases Hairspray in three standard DVD versions and on Blu-ray Disc, the studio’s first high-definition release. The studio also will release the musical on HD DVD, but not until the first half of 2008 due to the format's lack of regional coding, making the title a de facto Blu-ray exclusive in the fourth quarter.
Full Story
NFL scoring in videogame sales
SEPT. 14 | FROM VARIETY: The NFL isn’t just having a big year on TV. Electronic Arts’ latest edition of its football franchise, Madden NFL ’08, dominated the videogame sales charts in August, taking three of the Top 4 and six of the Top 20 spots, according to new data from The NPD Group.
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Take Two shares up 5%
SEPT. 12 | FROM VARIETY: Shares in Take Two Interactive rose 5% Tuesday after the vidgame publisher announced improved earnings and that its highly lauded new game Bioshock has sold a very strong 1.5 million units in its first three weeks on sale.
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Game marketing adopts Hollywood methods
SEPT. 12 | FROM VARIETY: Hollywood is starting to rub off on the vidgame biz -- at least when it comes to pushing its biggest titles. Publishers have adopted the studios' obsession over opening weekend grosses and are looking to turn the releases of new titles into events worthy of a tentpole release.
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Videogame business shifts after Grand Theft Auto delay
SEPT. 10 | FROM VARIETY: Imagine finding out in April that the newest Spider-Man or Shrek movie is suddenly being removed from the summer schedule. That's the magnitude of the shock to the videogame industry last month when Take Two Interactive disclosed that Grand Theft Auto IV had been delayed from October to early next spring.
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CinemaNow trims free content offerings
SEPT. 14 | Online movie service CinemaNow has been changing how it offers free movie content, with an eye on driving more traffic to paid areas.
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Apple menu hints at entry into download rentals
SEPT. 14 | Reports that Apple is poised to move its iTunes into download rentals kicked into high gear, when blogger David Watanabe reported in his dwblog on www.newsfirerss.com that he had stumbled upon a menu pertaining to rental movies while attempting to report a problem on iTunes.
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Catacombs to premiere on Fearnet
SEPT. 12 | FROM VARIETY: Horror pic Catacombs will get its U.S. premiere on Fearnet, the video-on-demand movie service jointly owned by Comcast, Sony Pictures TV and Lionsgate.
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Apple sells 1 millionth iPhone 74 days after debut
SEPT. 10 | Online exclusive: Apple sold its 1 millionth iPhone on Sunday, just 74 days after the device’s June 29 debut. In a statement, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said iPhone achieved a milestone in 74 days that iPod took almost two years to reach.
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Apple sells 1 millionth iPhone 74 days after debut
SEPT. 10 | Online exclusive: Apple sold its 1 millionth iPhone on Sunday, just 74 days after the device’s June 29 debut. In a statement, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said iPhone achieved a milestone in 74 days that iPod took almost two years to reach.
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