November 12th is a big day!

[JMK]

I just realized this last night as I picked up my copy of FotR. The Extended Edition comes out November 12th, the same day as AotC! That will be the best day in DVD purchasing history! :crack

[darth_mcbain]

Excellent! I knew AOTC was on that date, but I didn't know about the FOTR. I'll definitely be getting AOTC... I'm still not sure on FOTR, only because I'm wondering if I should wait until all three are out on DVD (at which point there'll probably be an Ultimate Edition or something...) It will be tough to pass up in the store though...

[Jedi Master Carr]

I am going to pick up AOTC that day, I might be asking for FOTR for Christmas not sure I will be able to get both, also why is that all the great movies are coming out in the Nov-Dec range you got Spiderman, AOTC, FOTR SE, and Back to the Future Trilogy. I am guessing it must because of Christmas.

[JMK]

That's probably the reason JMC.
I'll be very curious to see the sales figures for FotR. I went to pick mine up at about 8:45pm, 15 minutes before closing. There were 4 people in line in front of me, and each of them had a copy of FotR. I bet they sold a truckload in their first day.

The store was pretty clever though, and I imagine other stores have done the same, but they put the price in the top left corner, covering up the first letters in either "fullscreen" or "widescreen". I picked up a fullscreen, but decided to check the specs on the back first to make sure what I was getting, and sure enough, I did the foolish thing.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I suspect that it will sell more copies now then it will in November though I suspect the two cuts together might out sell all the DVDs coming out this year.

[JMK]

I agree. Lord of the Rings will probably be the biggest selling DVD of the year. And with all the sales from each version added together, I would not be surprised if it became the highest selling DVD of all time.

[Jedieb]

Uggh, that's too much money to spend in one day! I passed on the first version of FOTR to wait for one of the extended ones. I think I'll be going with the Expanded and not the super Collector's edition. If it was a SW movie, then like a lemming I'd get the most expensive version, but I can be more discerning with FOTR.

[JMK]

I couldn't resist. I'm still reading the book and am in dire need to see the movie. I'll still sell it when the Extended version comes out.

[darth_mcbain]

Originally posted by JMK
The store was pretty clever though, and I imagine other stores have done the same, but they put the price in the top left corner, covering up the first letters in either "fullscreen" or "widescreen". I picked up a fullscreen, but decided to check the specs on the back first to make sure what I was getting, and sure enough, I did the foolish thing.

I almost fell prey to the same thing... My wife picked up the fullscreen, but I was skeptical when she gave it to me and checked the back... Sure enough, "formatted to fit your TV"... So I went back out to get the Widescreen. I wish they wouldn't use the term Fullscreen, because it is kind of ambigious. Does it mean it fits your TV, or that you see the full screen as it would have appeared at the movie (i.e. widescreen.) ? I wish they'd just use Pan/Scan instead of Fullscreen. I bet they'll make a little extra from people who bought the wrong one, but the store won't take it back... Damn marketers...

[Darth Viscera]

Whoever decided to make TVs roughly square should roast in hell :mad

They should have been widescreen to begin with.

[Marcus Telcontar]

If you reviewed the history of TV and what technologies they had to work with, you would understand why they could not.

Now, what moron in Lucasarts decided to put AOTC against the FOTR Extended edition release? FOTR:EE was know n well and truly before the AOTC announcement and to me it's stupid. So many people are fans are both - there will be a lot of people who will pick one. I suspect AOTC is going to get swamped.

[ReaperFett]

Everyone who wants EP2 against the people who want another copy of LOTR. LOTR loses out due to some not caring about buying again.

[Admiral Lebron]

I am getting both...as my birthday is a week ealier. ^_^

[JonathanLB]

I very much doubt that. AOTC is going to kill LOTR's extended edition. A lot of people don't even want to buy LOTR in the extended format or still don't know about it. Average DVD buyers, that is, and they will just go with the first LOTR DVD that just came out. AOTC is absolutely going to annihilate that film, I can't believe there would be any thought otherwise.

Anyway, buying two DVDs is one day is not a big deal. I often buy 5 or even more, and I expect that sometimes two good to great movies are going to come to DVD on the same day. It's just how it works, no big deal.

I will be getting both of these films, can't wait, the best movie of 2001 and the best movie of 2002 in the same day, wow, that rocks. :)

They shouldn't be allowed to say "Fullscreen." It should be illegal under the false advertising laws. It is not fullscreen, that is false, it is HACK and CUT. If they want to use the euphemism "pan and scan," so be it, but none of this fullscreen nonsense.

[Marcus Telcontar]

AOTC is absolutely going to annihilate that film, I can't believe there would be any thought otherwise.

Yeah right, that what we all said about AOTC before it came out and it's B.O. performance. I'ld be prepared for a a disappointment if you think AOTC is going be clearing off the shelves.

[Darth Viscera]

I hate pan & scan. They're not compressible at all :( 180% more pixels that have to be processed.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I think they both will do well, because Christmas is right around the corner, also as I said they aren't the only movies coming out that month, you also have Spiderman and Back to the Future triolgy both will also be big, I think they all will do great because of the Christmas season, I remember last year when Pearl Harbor and The Mummy Returns and Shrek all came out they all did great though Shrek won, PH probably made more money from DVD and Video than it did in Theaters (I am speculating because it sold 50 million copies in the first week so I would guess that it made at least 200 million off DVD and Video).
Also I think this additon of LOTR will do the best I except most people will buy this one, I know few people that are willing to buy an even longer version, some people I know as it is complained about the Length, sure the extended version will do okay, but I think AOTC will sell more copies the same with Spiderman and Back to the Future Trilogy. I am thinking Spiderman might win out overall though LOTR will be close when you combine the sales of the three DVDS, AOTC might take second if you don't count combined sales, and Back to the Future will be in there too, I expect those five films to dominate the top 5, poor Harry Potter might not be in top 5 by Christmas.

[JMK]

AotC is going to beat the Extended Edition for a couple of reasons. First, lots of people won't care about buying a second edition of the same movie. Secondly, The EE is going to be a LOT more expensive than the regular edition of AotC. Faced with spending another $50 on a movie they already have, or $25 on AotC, I don't think its tough to imagine which will come out on top. However, I still think that all combined, FotR can beat AotC DVD sales, but it could go either way.

On a side note, I watched FotR last night, and my DVD is defective! The chapter of the Pass of Carahdras skips and stalls everywhere. Boy was I pissed considering I've never had a defective DVD and was so excited about watching this one. :grumble

[Jedi Master Carr]

I had a similar problem, JMK, though I didn't buy this one, I rented FOTR and it skips about 30 seconds of the movie right when Bilbo is giving Frodo the sword and the armor, I had to force it to play, luckily I just rented, I am going to tell them at the rental place when I bring it back (I got it for 5 days) I figure it might be scratched or it could just be plain defected.

[JMK]

I thought mine could have had some dust on it, or a scratch, but that was very unlikely as it just came from its case. It's just plain defective and I needs a new one! :p

[Jedieb]

I don't see how a SECOND version of FOTR is going to compete against AOTC. I'm sure the extended FOTR will do well, but there's no way it will outsell a first run DVD of AOTC. I don't think it will even be produced in the same numbers that this first version of FOTR has, let alone the AOTC DVD. I think the Spiderman DVD will be the big threat and the Back to the Future set should do solid business as well. I'd rank the sales for these 4 like this;
1 Spiderman
2 AOTC
3 Extended FOTR
4 BTTF set

I really think that many of the people heading out to stores today don't even KNOW other versions of the movie are coming out in November. At the end of the year I think the DVD sales will fall this way;
1 Spidey
2 AOTC
3 FOTR (August release)
AOTC and FOTR are going to be pretty close.

[JMK]

It's going to be very interesting indeed.
I'll say they end up like this:
1. Spidey
2. FotR (August)
3. AotC
4. Ice Age
5. BTTF
6. FotR (November)

[Marcus Telcontar]

Considering FOTR has trashed just about every DVD sales record so far around the world, it will be FOTR first. Maybe not in the USA, but that will be the case everywhere else in the world.

[JMK]

I wouldn't be surprised at all, but do you think a second release a few short months later will sell AS much as the first release? Internationally, I have no doubt that FotR will be on top, but in North America it won't finish higher than second I think. Unless AotC and Spidey cannibalize each other and leave FotR on top.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I don't think they will cannibalize each other as Christmas people will be buying all three most likely, DVD's are becoming the most popular Christmas gift my thoughts on ranking though
1 Spiderman
2 AOTC
3 FOTR (August)
4 BTTF (I think it will do great sales and could surprise some people)

But I think all 4 will be real close though because of the Christmas season that is the way was last year when you had Jurassic Park 3, The Mummy Returns, Pearl Harbor and Shrek all four sold a lot of DVDs though Shrek dominated the other 3 each made over 150 million I think in sales.

[Marcus Telcontar]

I dont believe it will be close at all. AOTC is coming out at the wrong time, they should have waited at least 3 months

1) Spiderman comes out 5 days eariler - AOTC will get drowned out in the Sony publicity machine.

2) FOTR :EE comes out on the same day. While the EE wont be as big as the FOTR August release, it will make one hell of a Christmas gift, with some quite real percieved value.

Both these factors will dent AOTC sales. I could see Spiderman DVD's flying out the doors, this will not be the case for AOTC.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I think they will all do well, because again Christmas people will buy more than one DVD and some parents might get there kids all three movies or some might get there friends it, as I said look at last year Pearl Harbor did unbelievable making over 200 million from DVD and the movie was considered awful, also both TMR and JP3 made over 150 and both of them were sequels. I guess that Spiderman, AOTC and FOTR (August) all will make over 150 million in sales, heck I think they will all do more than 200, if PH can make 200 I think those 3 films should be able to do it. How close will it be who knows, also realize every SW fan will buy it, you think SW fans won't buy the movie? That would be a huge shock. And actually I more exciting about the BTTF Trilogy than LOTR extended version, don't get me wrong LOTR is one of my favorite movies, but Back to the Future is a fav too, and it has taken forever for it to come on DVD and it is the whole triology and I can't wait to pick it up and see all the deleted scenes.

[Quadinaros]

Well, there are a few other big DVDs coming this fall I haven't seen mentioned.

Monsters, Inc. Sep. 17
Beauty And The Beast Oct. 8
E.T. Oct. 22

BTW, Spidey is being released November 1. Almost 2 weeks before AOTC... sound familiar?

This is how I would predict the top selling DVDs for this fall.

1. Spidey
2. Beauty And The Beast
3. Monsters, Inc.
4. AOTC
5. Ice Age
6. E.T.
7. FOTR Extended Edition

The FOTR releases combined will probably sell as many copies as Spidey, I'm guessing.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I don't see Monsters INC doing that well nor Beauty and the Beast, I think both will do well but I don't see either doing better than AOTC, though who knows at this point, the one advantage that AOTC has it is closer to Christmas, I think Monsters INC is getting released probably at a bad time in mid September.

[Marcus Telcontar]

No way, Monsters is being released at a good time - no competition! Not like November when the market will be crowded.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I disagree September is a dead month when kids go back to school and parents are thinking about school supplies not DVDS. Also as I have said last November was equally as crowded you had Pearl Harbor, JP3, Rush Hour 2, and Shrek and The Mummy Returns had come out in October and all of those films did pretty good, I think Christmas is why the studios release so many movies in Nov-Dec range because they make money regardless because people are looking for quick gifts.

[Jedieb]

I think it's a safe bet that AOTC DVD sales will outperform TPM. Between the added number of players, and the fact that AOTC won't have to face over a year of VHS sales it should do better. I really don't think the Nov. edition of FOTR will do THAT well. I think it's going to be more of a niche market. Most people just aren't going to buy 2 versions of the movie. A lot of diehards will, but I think most customers will just get one of the versions. I think Spidey has the widest appeal of all of these and should probably come out on top. The battle will be for 2nd place.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I think it will be very competited between AOTC and FOTR most likely, maybe Beauty and the Beast.

[Jedieb]

I wonder if Beauty will have the same kind of 'limited time only' release Snow White was suppose to have. It's another Disney classic so it's got a strong built in base. But I think FOTR and AOTC will outdo it quite nicely. How has HP done? And does anyone know where sales numbers are posted?

[Jedi Master Carr]

I am not sure Variety? Someplace else might put it up, not sure who though. I do though Harry Potter is in 1st place at the moment, I am curious to see how LOTR does against it.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Ok here is a link

http://boxofficemojo.com/dvd/2002/sales.htm

Harry Potter is #1 but it hasn't done very well only sold 6.55 copies since May (it only goes up to June 30) TPM sold about 5 million copies in the first week and I know Shrek sold way more than that and I think even Pearl Harbor sold more, I know it sold about 5 in its first two weeks. I am certain now that LOTR will destroy that record probably sell at least 10 million from the August release and Spiderman and AOTC both should do better than HP, Heck HP might not finish in the top 5.

[flagg]

I heard Sony are spending like $100 million marketing the Spidey DVD. It's not ebough for those greedy bastards they had the number one box office hit of the year, they want the bestselling DVD ever as well! :mad

Anyway, I think the AOTC DVD will do amazingly well because of all the people who missed the film at the cinema because they were put off by bad reviews or whatever. Once people realise what an awesome film it really is the DVD will sell like hotcakes. :)