Harry Potter BD box set and Blade Runner coming in 4th quarter

[goodstuff]

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6461120.html



Harry Potter, others coming in Q4
By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 7/17/2007


JULY 17 | LAS VEGAS—Summer blockbusters get a lot of the buzz in the fourth quarter on DVD, but Warner Home Video believes retail also will find deluxe box sets particularly valuable because of their relatively richer profit margins—and at the studio’s Monday night reception here, retailers agreed.

At the event for key retailers, Warner showed off 14 such DVD collections that the studio will make available for retail this fourth quarter. Since many of these multiple-disc sets are lavishly packaged and include exclusive add-ons, they carry pricing of $100 to $200 or more. Sets will include Harry Potter Years 1-5 Limited Edition Gift Set and The Gilmore Girls: The Complete Series.

“There are opportunities in the marketplace at a time when there is erosion in pricing,” said Jeff Baker, Warner senior VP and general manager of theatrical catalog and sales. “We are moving upwards in price" with the upcoming collections.

The high-end collections fit a new merchandising scheme rolled out in Circuit City stores in April this year.

“We re-merchandised the highest margin product into the highest trafficked areas of the stores,” said Leigh Ann Moore, Circuit City merchandise manager. “There are great margin opportunities when you put your best foot forward [with deluxe product offerings]. We have sold Troy as low as $6.99. And now this is another way to invest" in that title.

A Target buyer also praised Warner’s premium pricing initiative, explaining, “DVD collections are a great part of the overall business.”

Such DVD collector sets represented more than $500 million in consumer purchases last year, according to Warner research. Year-to-date, the category is 7% higher in sales than the same 2006 frame, the studio believes.

Baker also singled out Warner’s upcoming 25th anniversary Blade Runner releases, which include four-disc and five-disc configurations, as especially critical for the studio.

Taking Blade Runner and Harry together, “this will mean $40 million in consumer sales,” estimated Baker.

Title details

The Harry Potter set, priced at $119.97 standard-definition and $149.99 Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD, will hold the first five films including the most recent theatrical installment, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It represents the first time Warner has enhanced a Potter collection with exclusive memorabilia, which includes bookmarks and collectible trading cards.

The five-disc Blade Runner set is $78.92 and four-disc is $34.99. Blu-ray and HD DVD versions of the five-disc configuration also will be available day and date.

At $258.82, Gilmore Girls carries all seven seasons of the show packed into a collectible retro doll case. It features a 60-page booklet, among other items.

Exact street dates for Potter, Blade Runner and Gilmore Girls sets haven’t yet been specified.

Warner also is touting upcoming new versions of catalog releases, including the Sept. 18 bow of Troy Ultimate Collector’s Edition Director’s Cut, not yet seen in theaters, for $39.92.

Other top-line Warner collections heading to shelves during the holidays include The O.C.: The Complete Series (street date not set), featuring all 92 episodes across 28 discs held in a keepsake box for $179.92; Full House: The Complete Series, Nov. 6, spanning 192 episodes across 32 DVDs, $169.72; Planet Earth/Blue Planet Box Set, Oct. 2, carrying 15 hours of programming on 10 discs for $119.99; and America’s Game: The Super Bowl Champions (street date not set), holding 40 episodes of the NFL TV series across 40 discs; pricing still to be determined.

[Genocide316]

thats what I'm talking about!

[aacosta]

Very nice I can't wait for both to come out I just hope WB doesn't skimp us on the PQ and AQ

[goku3]

aren't two more movies still left to be made for Harry? I would rather buy a boxset when it is complete.

[richteer]

Originally Posted by goku3

aren't two more movies still left to be made for Harry? I would rather buy a boxset when it is complete.

Yep and agreed. But oh the temptation! :-)

[Manco]

Originally Posted by Genocide316

thats what I'm talking about!

AMEN brotha.

According to Ken Graffeo at Uni, there's no money on the table for this kind of thinking. What a fool. Other studios are making HD work for their bottom line.

I think the Uni Board and Shareholders will start having second thoughts on going Blu soon.

[Blu Tiger]

Just saw Order of the Phoenix yesterday. Great movie! I want all these on blu-ray.

[MasterXeus]

I hope they just release a basic Box set of the Harry Potter movies too. I like the movies but I don't need all the extras.

$149.99 Harry Potter Box set, so that should cost about 104.99 on Amazon.

[KenO]

Originally Posted by MasterXeus

I hope they just release a basic Box set of the Harry Potter movies too. I like the movies but I don't need all the extras.

$149.99 Harry Potter Box set, so that should cost about 104.99 on Amazon.

Blu-ray Discs can be expensive so Amazon (and the occasional sale at other stores) is the best way to go if you don't want to rent them - at least 30% off.

[monkyman]

Great news!!! On the downside these will be huge sales for HD-DVD this year too, seeing as there won't be much else to buy in the holiday season.

[u_nick]

Sign me up for the Potter set!

Especially if I can get the setfor a decent price as discussed above. Otherwsie, I may consider getting 3-5 standalone, and worry about 1 & 2 later, since 3-5 are really my favorites.

[RedSnoddyBLU]

Anybody know if BLU's capable of putting out the 3D stuff from the IMAX version? Saw that last night, damn near 50 bucks for 3 tickets, but well worth it. Can't wait to see what Zemeckis does with Beowulf in 3D.

[WickyWoo]

Both sets will be out for Christmas, not January/Feb. If they meant that, they would have said Quarter 1 '08.

They are capable of putting it out, but very few TVs are capable of working with them as of yet. They need a sync port for the shutter glasses that only Samsung has right now

[Mr. Joshua]

Check this out Blader Runner Fans:

Home again Home again Jiggidy Jigg:

http://media.bladezone.com/contents/film/sound-library/

[Incog]

$150 for 5 movies, thats what, $28 each?

And it includes extras you can't get otherwise. This is really nice.

I'm sure you will be able to get at LEAST 10% off that, so more like $130-140 price.

I hope these will include the Directors Cut versions, and insert the deleted scenes back into the movie, extending each one. Much like LOTR did.

These are on my top 10 list of movies/series. I of course also can't wait for Star Wars series, LOTR, Indiana Jones, and Godfather all on Blu-Ray... some day.

[Incog]

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

Both sets will be out for Christmas, not January/Feb. If they meant that, they would have said Quarter 1 '08.

They are capable of putting it out, but very few TVs are capable of working with them as of yet. They need a sync port for the shutter glasses that only Samsung has right now

Yes, based on previos sales, Harry Potter 3 came out in the summer too, just like 5, and it was released on DVD a week before Xmas. I expect the same here.

[WickyWoo]

I hope these will include the Directors Cut versions, and insert the deleted scenes back into the movie, extending each one. Much like LOTR did.

There are no directors cut versions. Columbus pretty much included everything. Cuaron believed that less was more and convinced those that followed him to slice and dice the books as well.

More is More when it comes to Harry Potter

[resmonkey]

No separate movie releases? Oh well...I'll buy as soon as I see a good deal (Harry Potter, that is).

[xman]

This is so cool. I can’t wait.

[Banjo]

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

There are no directors cut versions. Columbus pretty much included everything. Cuaron believed that less was more and convinced those that followed him to slice and dice the books as well.

More is More when it comes to Harry Potter

Columbus definitely not include almost everything that was filmed. Not by a long shot. There's at least 30 minutes of unused footage for the first and second each.

The fourth, at least 15 minutes that I'm pretty certain of. The fifth, the director mentioned that he shot at least 3 hours worth of footage meaning there may be at least 40 minutes worth of deleted scenes.