Reflecting the new reality of the growing importance of the after-legit release market, Fox will unveil its DVD of Robots on the same day as its related Sony PlayStation Game.
Robots, as with a number of animated films recently, hasn’t performed as well as expected ($126 million to date) so DVD and game revenues are more important than ever. Of particular interest, in this case, is how long Fox is waiting to release both. The September 20 date is almost six months after the theatrical unveiling, an unusually far-off window in the red hot DVD marketplace.
And, as an analysis in Daily Variety points out, September is a big month for studios looking to get a leg up on the all-important holiday season. Among others, a special edition of Toy Story and Cinderella is scheduled for release as is Madagascar and at least 15 straight-to-vid films led by Lilo & Stitch 2.
Fox reportedly plans to spend $20 million on marketing Robots and has product tie-ins with brands including Kellogg’s, Keebler Snacks, ConAgra II Microwave Popcorn and Ortega. A lot is at stake. DVD revenues for Ice Age were 50% higher than the $176 million that film generated at the box office.
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