Ever wonder why mediocre titles like The Scorpion King 2, Scooby Doo, and Happily N'Ever After are available on Blu-ray while classic blockbusters, beloved series, and your favorite films of all time can only be found on DVD? You might be surprised to learn it has little to do with what consumers want.
One of the trickiest aspects of managing a home-video production studio is determining when particular titles will be released, deciding the level of investment each one deserves, and attempting to predict how successful any particular release will be when it hits store shelves. When it comes to the well-established DVD market, the major studios have been following similar patterns for years. But in the uncharted territory of the still-evolving Blu-ray industry, studios are taking wildly different paths in the hope that theirs will prove to be the most successful.
When it comes to title selection, studios like Disney, Lionsgate, and Dreamworks tend to be cautious, delivering a slow but steady stream of new releases and safe catalog bets, while studios like Sony and Warner Brothers are flooding the market with diverse classics, niche titles, and other assorted goodies. Likewise, Lucasfilm and Fox are holding back fan-favorites until Blu-ray is a more viable platform, while Warner and Paramount have boldly released major titles like The Matrix Trilogy and The Godfather Collection.
So as we drew to the close of a banner Blu-ray year, I asked myself: What films should have been released? What titles would have increased overall disc sales? But most importantly, what releases would have convinced more DVD owners to pony up the extra cash, take full advantage of their HDTV, and buy a Blu-ray player? I answered myself with these ten titles:
Director Ridley Scott gave us one of the most frightening films of all time. Self-proclaimed king-of-the-world James Cameron took the torch and delivered one of the most intense and thrilling actioners of all time. Despite startling tonal differences, Alien and Aliens are perhaps the finest horror/sci-fi masterpieces I've ever had the pleasure of watching again and again. Once you ignore the maligned Alien 3 and look past the bizarre fourth entry in the series, is there any doubt the Alien saga would bring enormous attention to the Blu-ray format? The four films bring four very different experiences to the table, a considerable cult following, and enough visual and sonic atmosphere to make for an incredible high-def presentation.
So where are they? No offense to fans of Richard Donner's horror classic, The Omen, but Fox's decision to release a foursome like The Omen Collection is disappointing when a money-maker like The Alien Quadrology would be a far more obvious, lucrative, and advantageous Blu-ray release. Since the DVD edition was already packed to the brim with fantastic supplemental features, an Alien BD box set would allow the studio to deliver exciting exclusives that would surely catch the attention of DVD owners this holiday season. Alas, tougher fanbase expectations, higher overhead costs for meeting those expectations (particularly in creating new, exclusive features for those same demanding fans), and more expensive licensing fees have probably all contributed to the Alien Quadrology's absence. Hopefully, Fox will overcome these obstacles and be more prepared to pick my pocket in 2009.
There's an abandoned movie theater in Western Maryland that used to sell tickets for a dollar. It was there that I proudly spent sixteen bucks on Jurassic Park, a film forever entrenched in the minds of millions around the world. Apparently, I wasn't the only one dumping plenty of cash into Spielberg's pockets. Adjusted for inflation, the director's prehistoric cautionary tale earned approximately $1.5 billion in worldwide theatrical sales and quickly expanded its following; first on VHS and eventually on DVD. It also remains unrivaled in its genre. Can you name any other films dinosaurs in the last ten years that have featured? Didn't think so. Jurassic Park remains the go-to dinosaur adventure film. More importantly, despite a decade of CG advancements, the film's raptors and T-Rex still hold up to close scrutiny.
Now just imagine how good they'd look in high definition. Distribution rights are owned by Universal Studios (and Spielberg who's never been quick to sign-off on new releases of his films) and they have yet to announce any Blu-ray release plans. The lack of a high-def edition may seem odd considering the studio spent so much time and money in 2007 on mediocre titles like Doom, Bulletproof, and The Watcher. But even a bit of casual research reveals the likely reason Jurassic Park hasn't lumbered onto the market yet: A little film called Jurassic Park IV is currently in production and tentatively scheduled for a 2010 release. It doesn't take a marketing degree to figure out the most likely reason Universal continues to sidestep such a major catalog title. Promotional opportunities aside, a remastered 1080p release of Jurassic Park would sell like mad and draw new consumers to the high-def market.
Matters of faith and inherent controversy aside, there's no denying the box office power and home video draw of Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ. I would question the motives of anyone excited by the prospect of seeing a man beaten and crucified to death in HD, but I imagine The Passion of the Christ's audience wouldn't be nabbing a Blu-ray copy for the heightened level of detail. They would, however, be responding to a vacuum in the BD market. Christian moviegoers and church groups have been the key to recent box office upsets (Mel's Passion is the top-grossing R-rated film of all time and made $600 million worldwide) and would presumably scoop up a Blu-ray release in a heartbeat. Looking at the film's overwhelming success on DVD, a BD edition would not only turn quite a profit, but appeal to a demographic that isn't in a rush to nab a Blu-ray player and a copy of Crank.
However, Fox probably hasn't given serious consideration to releasing The Passion of the Christ on Blu-ray for the same reason I considered leaving it off this list: Since most church attendees have DVD players, DVD sales were predictably strong. However, there's no solid data on whether a proportional amount of these consumers have any interest in Blu-ray or already own a BD player. It's the sort of game-changer that has the potential to increase BD market share, but could just as easily go unnoticed since I imagine deacons and choir members don't invest as readily in their home theaters. Don't misunderstand: I remain convinced that a Blu-ray edition of The Passion of the Christ would sell by the thousands while convincing hordes of Christian HDTV owners to upgrade from DVD (particularly if it were released before Easter). I just recognize that it would be a risky gimmick that might not pay off.
Is there any child of the '70s or '80s who didn't hang off a clock tower with Doc Brown? Rocket down the street with Marty in a DeLorean? Cheer when George punched Biff? The Back to the Future films have proven themselves capable of earning a wide array of fans — young and old, male and female — as well as a sizeable chunk of box office (nearly $1 billion worldwide) and home video cash (millions more).
Before it was finally released on DVD in 2002, fans had been clamoring for Universal to release the trilogy. Once again, those same fans (now Blu-ray devotees) are begging the studio to release the Back to the Future films in high definition.
Beyond the Mummy series and Bourne trilogy, Universal has been rather hesitant to roll out heavy-hitters like the Back to the Future trilogy on either high-def format. When the studio was heavily invested in HD DVD, the majority of their efforts went into releasing as many titles as possible and, as a result, they didn't prioritize costly remasters or multi-film releases. Even so, the most likely reason we haven't seen Doc and Marty in 1080p is that Universal only recently switched its focus to Blu-ray. Its reps are more than aware of demand for the trilogy, and the studio is one of the more attentive BD production houses when it comes to fan requests. It knows Blu-ray owners want the Back to the Future trilogy and, more importantly, understand it would bring more than a few DVD holdouts to the high-def party.
A '30s classic might not seem like the sort of must-have title that would bring newcomers into the Blu-ray fold, but Gone with the Wind would garner widespread excitement and attention from wives, mothers, daughters, and grandmothers who grew up watching Scarlett and Rhett fall in love. Warner's 2004 4-disc über DVD release has since become a consistent top-seller on Amazon and one of its most popular holiday gift sets. Apparently, when men scratch their heads at Christmas and Valentine's Day, they resort to Gone with the Wind. If it were given a beautifully remastered transfer, an avalanche of BD exclusive features, and a restored lossless audio track, your wife would be much more likely to give you the green light on a new Blu-ray player.
Now in its third year on the market, it's crucial for Blu-ray to pursue those who've yet to show interest in the format. More often than not, the promise of improved audio or video isn't enough to entice a casual consumer. They have to see something they haven't seen before. Warner has made great strides this year in with its vast catalog canon, including titles like The Adventures of Robin Hood, Cool Hand Luke, and How the West Was Won, but they've yet to invest much time or effort into releases that would cater to female consumers. I imagine that next year, the studio will start courting the other members of their primary consumers' household.
If you're not a parent, you might be asking yourself: Finding Nemo? Pixar's story of a lost clownfish not only happens to be the studio's highest-grossing production, it smashed 2003 DVD records, dominated the holiday sales charts, and continues to be one of the top-selling animated films on the market. Based on the BD quality of Cars and Ratatouille, Finding Nemo would also look absolutely gorgeous in high definition and be a jaw-dropping reference entry in Disney's library. Moreover, it's the sort of title that has the potential to win over a seemingly impenetrable demographic: grandparents. Believe me, if I can convince my stubborn sixty-year-old parents to buy a Blu-ray player and an HDTV simply by sitting them down to watch Cars with my three-year-old in Circuit City, Finding Nemo could help bridge a stifling generation gap and attract an unlikely group of power-spenders to the table.
So if a BD release of Finding Nemo is such a no-brainer, where is it? Disney is historically savvy when it comes to releasing their animated properties onto the market. More than any other studio, they work to build buzz and anticipation rather than haphazardly flooding the shelves with their products. If a studio releases several titles at once, buyers have to pick and choose based on what they can afford in any given week (which, lately, doesn't amount to much). So, instead of forcing buyers to choose between titles like Wall-E, Sleeping Beauty, and Finding Nemo, Disney spreads its releases to ensure fans can buy Sleeping Beauty now, look forward to Wall-E next month, and get excited about Finding Nemo in the near future. The studio's business model not only increases sales for each individual title, it produces momentum from month to month and gives consumers something to get excited about. Look for Finding Nemo, along with other Pixar classics like Toy Story, to earn a release in 2009.
With Kingdom of the Crystal Skull sitting pretty on Blu-ray racks across the country, high-def consumers are all thinking the same thing: Where are the first three Indiana Jones flicks? Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and The Last Crusade have a nostalgic and loyal following who made the 2003 Adventures of Indiana Jones DVD box set one of the top selling multi-disc releases of all time. Furthermore, Paramount's subsequent 2008 Special Edition release of each film produced considerable revenue, managing to far exceed expectations and sales projections. Even when Kingdom of the Crystal Skull disappointed many, DVD sales at many outlets actually increased as hungry fans had a need to revisit the classic trilogy. If properly remastered and given the full high-def treatment, Paramount would make a killing and give DVD owners serious pause.
While I was disappointed to see Kingdom of the Crystal Skull arrive on Blu-ray without the original trilogy in tow, a few inquiries and off-the-record comments made me feel much better. Paramount could have capitalized on the latest entry in the series, jammed the older films onto Blu-ray discs, and fed them to a ravenous public who would eagerly buy anything marked Indiana Jones without a second thought. But the studio took the high road and apparently decided to devote serious time and effort to producing proper versions of the films rather than rushing them out. Besides, when you consider the fact that Paramount only recently returned its support to the format this past summer, its lack of high-def Indy releases shouldn't be cause for too much concern. Ultimately, if its September BD release of The Godfather Collection is any indication, Paramount is poised to attract lots of attention when Indiana Jones enters the Temple of Blu.
Take a look at the top-grossing films of all time. Notice anything that looks out of place? Towering above a laundry list of sci-fi epics, animated family films, and comicbook icons sits a pair of star-crossed lovers who met their end on a CG cruise liner. Titanic became a cultural phenom and box-office titan — not by appealing to parents or young males — but by capturing the hearts and imaginations of teenage girls across the globe. Critics can debate the merits of the film itself till they run out of breath. The fact remains: Titanic single-handedly racked up $600 million domestically and $1.8 billion worldwide, it remains one of the top-selling catalog titles on the market, continues to earn distributor and owner Paramount and co-owner Fox plenty of cash, and is still very fresh in the minds of its fans.
Why would Titanic be such a boon for Blu-ray? Simple. All those 13- to 19-year-old girls who spent more than $2 billion in theaters are now 24- to 30-year-old women. Not only would a high-def release catch the attention of a massive pre-existent audience, it would arm husbands looking to upgrade their home theaters with serious ammunition, expand the appeal of Blu-ray to a largely ignored and untapped demographic, and deliver a worldwide blockbuster to a format that needs every hit it can muster. Unfortunately, early adopters and gamers (the two crowds who own the vast majority of the BD players) are overwhelmingly male. As a result, it would be easy for a studio to see a title like Titanic as a low-profit release since its base audience is largely female. But if studios want to see Blu-ray reach mainstream success, they'll have to adopt the approach of studios like Sony and Warner Brothers who are working to diversify their line-ups and attract anyone and everyone to Blu-ray.
It never ceases to amaze me when I run into someone who has never seen a Star Wars film. Even thirty years later, you can't walk into a Target without tripping over piles of Hoth-Gear Lukes and Bowcaster Chewbaccas. Toddlers can properly use the word "lightsaber" in a sentence and middle-aged men can tell you exactly how many parsecs it took the Millennium Falcon to make the Kessel Run.
There's no denying that Star Wars is one of the most recognized and beloved series on the planet. There's also no denying that Star Wars is exactly the sort of release that would ensnare fence-sitters and casual filmfans alike who've yet to plunge into high definition.
So why hasn't Lucasfilm and distributor Fox taken advantage of a ripe new market and their foremost property? First, George Lucas is notoriously cautious when it comes to embracing new formats and releasing new versions of his films. Remember how long it took the original Star Wars trilogy to appear on DVD? He loves to maximize profit and see his fanbase explode with excitement when a new version of Star Wars is announced. More to the point, he has little incentive to embrace a still-fledgling platform. Since Fox only has limited distribution rights, Lucas decides when, where, and how his films will be released. Fox and the Blu-ray Disc Association have long been courting the reluctant director in an effort to get him to deliver his films to the 1080p masses, but until a shrewd businessman like Lucas sees more profit potential (that is, a larger installed customer base), he probably won't drop X-wings on HDTVs anytime soon. Ironically, Star Wars would most certainly bring with it a substantial audience that would be more than willing to purchase the latest and greatest incarnation of the series.
The Star Wars saga might be the first thing that pops into people's minds when the word "trilogy" is mentioned, but let's not forget the cultural draw and box office swagger of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings. With nearly $3 billion in theatrical-release gold lining New Line's coffers and countless billions more in home-video sales, merchandising, and the like, The Lord of the Rings trilogy arguably carries more cinematic clout than any other threesome on the block. It also doesn't have a trio of critically panned prequels in the wings hampering its legacy (see entry No. 2 above). In fact, its standard-DVD releases have nabbed massive worldwide sales, completely redefined fan expectations for supplemental content (in volume and quality) and extended cuts, and helped propel the popularity of the series to immeasurable heights. And, lest we forget, there's the little matter of two Guillermo del Toro-directed, Peter Jackson-produced Hobbit films looming on the horizon. If any Blu-ray release is set to generate a marketing firestorm, it's The Lord of the Rings.
So where is our faithful fellowship? Until recently, distribution rights for the trilogy sat squarely in the lap of New Line Cinema, a studio that's been slow and cautious in its approach to high-def media and releases. But Warner Bros.' recent acquisition of the company bodes well for a LoTR Blu-ray release. While many have attacked the technical quality of some of Warner's BD discs, it's been much tougher to criticize its aggressive approach to releases. After all, they've already brought out plenty of big guns including The Matrix Trilogy, the Harry Potter series, and a large chunk of The Stanley Kubrick Collection. Warner has repeatedly proven it's looking to attract niche-market consumers, classic-movie junkies, and enormous pre-established fanbases. With recent insider chatter suggesting we'll definitely see The Lord of the Rings (in some form or another) on Blu-ray in 2009, next year looks to be an exciting time to be a fan and high-def enthusiast.
Kenneth Brown is a staff writer and reviewer at High Def Digest.