Studios tie 2Q releases to recent box-office bonanzas - Video & DVD - upcoming releases - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

DSN Retailing Today, March 25, 2002 by Doug Desjardins

From box-office holiday hits to Oscar hopefuls, the slate of upcoming second quarter video and DVD releases promises to be monumental. And just in case home video fans need an added incentive to spark sales, some studios are signing with big-brand promotional partners to give the rollout a boost of marketing muscle.

Warner Home Video holds the strongest hand with the biggest hit of 2001, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," slated for release on May 28 at $26.98 on DVD and $24.98 on VHS. The two-disc DVD will be loaded with extras, and Warner will support the $320 million box-office smash with a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign.

"To paraphrase a line from the movie, we're expecting great things from Harry Potter," said Mike Saksa, vp of U.S marketing for Warner Home Video. "We're going to support Harry with our biggest promotional campaign ever that includes Coca-Cola as our worldwide promotional partner." Sales of "Harry Potter" are expected to be unusually strong overseas, where the film has pulled in more than $600 million in theaters since its release.

Warner also has the second-biggest money earner of the quarter with "Ocean's Eleven," which debuts May 7 at $26.98 on DVD and $22.98 on VHS. The remake of the 1960 Rat Pack classic starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts made $185 million at the box office. Also on tap is the "Friends" first season box set on April 30 for $69.98 on DVD and $49.98 on VHS.

"With 'Harry Potter' and 'Ocean's Eleven' leading the way, we expect the second quarter to be our biggest quarter ever," said Saksa.

Paramount Home Entertainment will go after a different audience with its Oscar-nominated hit "Vanilla Sky" on May 21 for $29.99 on DVD. The film that stars Tom Cruise and was directed by Cameron Crowe made $100 million at the box office and featured a much-talked-about surprise ending.

"Clearly, the fact that it's directed by Cameron Crowe and stars Tom Cruise is a real draw, but it's also something of an enigma that will reward a repeat viewing," said Paramount spokesman Martin Blythe. The studio also has the John Travolta thriller "Domestic Disturbance" due April 16 at $29.99 on DVD.

MGM Home Entertainment will open the quarter with the Bruce Willis comedy "Bandits" on April 2 at $26.98 on a special edition DVD that features an alternate ending and deleted scenes. Also on tap are the Oscar-nominated foreign film "No Man's Land" on April 9 at $26.98 on DVD and the special edition of "Blue Velvet" on June 4 for $24.98.

Dimension Home Video has one of the biggest titles of the quarter with "The Others," a supernatural thriller starring Nicole Kidman that earned $100 million in theaters and was the sleeper hit of 2001. It debuts May 14 on a two-disc DVD set for $29.99.

Buena Vista Home Entertainment's slate of new releases is headed by "Snow Dogs," the Cuba Gooding Jr. comedy that will hit stores on May 21 at $29.99 on DVD and $22.99 on VHS. The studio will follow in June with "Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch" on June 18 at $29.99 on DVD and $19.99 on VHS.

The quirky thriller "Mulholland Drive" earned David Lynch an Oscar nod for best director and will be released by Universal Studios Home Entertainment on April 9 for $24.95 on DVD. The studio also has the Brad Pitt action film "Spy Game" due on April 9 for $19.95 on DVD.

"Behind Enemy Lines" was a surprise hit last year, and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will bring the Gene Hackman film to DVD on April 23 for $27.98. Also coming from Fox are the Martin Lawrence comedy "Black Knight" on April 16 for $26.98 on DVD and the $70 million box-office comedy "Shallow Hal" on June 4 for $27.98 on DVD.

Artisan Home Entertainment will release the Steve Martin comedy "Novocaine" on April 23 at $24.98 on DVD and will roll out "The Rambo Trilogy" starring Sylvester Stallone on May 28 in a four-disc DVD set for $59.98 and three-tape VHS set for $34.98.

"The DVD set is loaded with extras, and it's really a great value," said Jose Belcher, senior vpof marketing for Artisan Home Entertainment. "And it's also timely and relevant, since 'Rambo 3' is set in Afghanistan and the DVD includes a short feature about the country."

Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment will enter the ring with its Oscar-nominated film "Ali" on April 30 for $27.96 on DVD and has the Richard Gere supernatural thriller "The Mothman Prophecies" slated for release on June 4. Its price is to be announced.

Rounding out the second quarter slate is the Miramax Home Video comedy "Serendipity," starring John Cusack, on April 9 for $29.99 on DVD and the cult horror classic "Re-Animator" from Elite Entertainment on April 30 for $29.95 on a two-disc DVD.