Posted Thu Jun 7, 2007 at 09:26 AM PDT by
Proving once again that disc sales can be measured on any number of levels, Warner Home Video has announced that the dual-format release of 'Planet Earth: The Complete Series' is the biggest high-def disc moneymaker yet.
According to figures provided by Warner, which distributed the British series in the U.S. for BBC Video, the box set has generated $3.2 million in consumer spending since its release on Blu-ray and HD DVD on April 24.
The Hollywood Reporter estimates that that number translates to about 42,000 units -- well below the record-breaking 100,000 units sold of 'The Departed,' but at roughly $70 a pop, Warner says the BBC series still tops the high-def charts from a revenue perspective. (The company says 'The Departed' has thus far generated 2.8 million in consumer spending.)
Cue the typically boastful exec quote: "The consumer response to 'Planet Earth: The Complete Series' on both high-definition formats has been absolutely incredible, and we are truly proud to be a part of it," said Warner Home Video president Ron Sanders. "This landmark series was made for high definition, and 'Planet Earth' will be an iconic staple in our natural-history documentary library for a very long time."
The four-disc 'Planet Earth' box set (which famously broke high-def sales records upon its original release at Amazon.com) features the unedited 8+ hour British version of the landmark nature series, narrated by David Attenborough. A recut U.S. version of the series premiered earlier this year on the Discovery Channel, with actress Sigorney Weaver narrating.
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