Are PVOD Rental Prices Going Up? ‘Alien: Romulus,’ ‘The Wild Robot,’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’: All $24.99
The big news in home movie viewing this week isn’t that new-to-PVOD “The Wild Robot” (Universal) and “Alien: Romulus” (Disney) split the #1 positions on the iTunes and Fandango top 10 charts.
The significant development is that both, like “Deadpool & Wolverine” (Disney), rent for 48 hours at $24.99, not the standard $19.99. That’s a 25 percent increase for PVOD, an increasingly essential source of studio revenue.
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A few big hits have tested the $24.99 rental, including “Dune 2” and “Inside Out 2,” but “Robot” and “Alien” are successes of just over $100 million, not blockbusters. (“Robot” could end up around $150 million, still below the precedents). Studios get 80 percent of the cost after a small carrier fee; the $5 increase represents about $4 more for each rental.
DreamWorks Animation’s “Robot” arrives after its third weekend in theaters. That’s not unusual for Universal, although in recent months they sometimes held back another week or two for bigger titles.
Marketing for the home showings may boost theater attendance. “Robot” remained #2 this weekend and its 28 percent drop was the smallest for any holdover in the top 10. The next smallest was “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (Warner Bros.), also out on PVOD. It’s approaching $300 million in domestic box office, but it rents for $19.99.
“Robot” is currently #1 at iTunes; midweek, “Alien” was on top. It’s third there now, behind the “Beetlejuice” sequel. “Alien” leads Fandango (which ranks by revenue, not transactions), with “Robot” second. Those three films are joined by “Deadpool & Wolverine” in the top four on both charts.
Netflix paid a reported $11 million to acquire Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut “Woman of the Hour” during the 2023 Toronto Film Festival; it now debuts more than a year later. The thriller about a TV dating show winner learning the mate she chose is a possible killer immediately went to #1 on the streamer.
“Reagan” (Showbiz Direct) was the other significant new release for a respectable #5 at iTunes, #7 at Fandango. It went directly to digital retail, skipping rental only, for $19.99. “Lee” (Roadside Attractions) with Kate Winslet, also on PVOD after its third weekend, made #10 at iTunes.
Two other new Netflix’s originals debuted on its top 10. “Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare,” a British documentary, and “The Shadow Strays,” about a teenage girl assassin who rescues a young boy, are #5 and #6 respectively.
“Bad Boys: Ride of Die,” last week’s #1, fell to fourth. “Unhinged” from 2020 starring Russell Crowe, which also was #1 during the week, is second.
Top 10s
iTunes ranks films daily by number of transactions, while Fandango at Home lists by revenue. The listings below are for Monday, October 21 (iTunes) and the week of October 14-20 (Fandango).
The distributors listed are current rights owners. Prices for all titles are for lowest for either rental or download.
iTunes
1. The Wild Robot (Universal) – $24.99
2. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (WB) – $19.99
3. Alien: Romulus (Disney) – $24.99
4. Deadpool & Wolverine (Disney) – $24.99
5. Twisters (Universal) – $9.99
6. Despicable Me 4 (Universal) – $5.99
7. Reagan (Showbiz Direct) – $19.99
8. It Ends with Us (Sony) – $19.99
9. Longlegs (Neon) – $9.99
10. Lee (Roadside Attractions) – $9.99
Fandango at Home
1. Alien: Romulus (Disney) – $24.99
2. The Wild Robot (Universal) – $24.99
3. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (WB) – $19.99
4. Deadpool & Wolverine (Disney) – $24.99
5. Reagan (Showbiz Direct) – $19.99
6. Twisters (Universal) – $9.99
7. Speak No Evil (Universal) – $19.99
8. Despicable Me 4 (Universal) – $5.99
9. It Ends with Us (Sony) – $19.99
10. Trap (WB) – $5.99
Netflix Movies
These are the most-viewed, current rankings on Netflix’s domestic daily chart on Monday, October 21. Originals include both Netflix-produced and acquired titles it initially presents in the U.S. Netflix publishes its own worldwide weekly top 10 on Tuesdays based on time viewed, and usually includes films for which it doesn’t have domestic rights.
1. Woman of the Hour (Netflix original)
2. Unhinged (2020 theatrical release)
3. Sing (2016 theatrical release)
4. Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024 theatrical release)
5. Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare (Netflix British original documentary)
6. The Shadow Strays (Netflix Indonesian original)
7. Pixels (2015 theatrical release)
8. The Estate (2022 theatrical release)
9. Lonely Planet (Netflix original)
10. Snake Eyes (1998 theatrical release)
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