GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Serenity breaks even and becomes profitable on DVD

POSTED BY: GAMBIT3
UPDATED: Thursday, February 23, 2006 14:09
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Wednesday, February 22, 2006 3:06 PM

GAMBIT3


From http://www.sliceofscifi.com/archives/dvd_sales_push_serenity_over_the_
top.html

Quote:


======================
DVD Sales Push Serenity Over The Top

Submitted by: Sevens

Newsarama is reporting that the combined sales of theater tickets and DVD sales has turned Serenity out of the red and into the black.

The total production costs for the Joss Whedon film was $39 million with a rumored advertising cost at approximately another $10 million making the total out of Universal's pocket at around $49 million. The total U.S. theater box office take was a disappointing $25 million with international theatrical sales fairing little better at $13 million leaving Universal in the red for a whopping $28 million when taking into account that studios receive around 55% of total ticket sales.

With that kind of red ink Universal and Whedon have been walking around with all their fingers crossed hoping that the DVD sales would at least allow them to break even and show the pic in the black, even if only marginally. And it looks like all the finger crossing has paid off as the latest DVD numbers look very encouraging. All DVD reports up to January 31st are in and it looks like over 2 million DVD's have been sold and VideoBusiness.com, an organization that tracks video rental information, announced that Serenity has made $9 million in DVD rentals alone.

The fact that Serenity has taken Universal out of the red and into the black is great news, but don't cheer too early. According to Universal execs it still may not be enough for them to wager on a costly sequel, even though Whedon brought this one in at $1 million under its original projected cost of $40 million.

So kids, perhaps, like Universal and Joss Whedon, we need to start crossing all our fingers for a sequel and maybe, just maybe, like the studio coming out of the red, Serenity Part 2 can come out on the big screen.
==========================



I recommend you visit the article link. It contains good links, and borrows heavily from this posting:

http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=59843

Quote:


==========================

Serenity breaks even and becomes profitable on DVD

There was quite a bit of discussion a while back whether the movie Serenity would make any money for Universal. Well, it seems now on DVD that the movie has moved out of the red and is now making money for Universal. It hasn't exactly made a huge amount of money and there's still some way to go for a sequel to happen, but at least the movie is no longer climbing out of the red.

Here's some figures and number crunching for anyone who's interested:

Serenity costs $39 million to make ($1 million under it's $40 million budget) and while the advertising budget was never made public, people have estimated around $10 million. So overall the movie costs around $49 million for Universal to make. Now Serenity made a disappointing $25 million domestically and $13 million internationally for a total of $38 million at the box office. Now following the 55% rule, where studios get around 55% of the total of the box office, Universal only made $21 million from the box office.

Now there's been no official sales figures for Serenity since it's been released on DVD, only where it's ranked on the sales charts. However, there have been sales announcements for other DVD's above and bellow Serenity and people have managed to do some number crunching and worked out that Serenity sold from 1.104 to 1.605 million copies in the first week of release! Some more number crunching was done to figure out Serenity sold around 825 thousand copies for January 2006. So by now it's definitely over 2 million (possibly high as 2.5 million). Now studios generally take around $12 dollars profit per DVD, with the remaining split between the retailer and distributer. So that's $24 million from the DVD sales, already more than the studio made from the box office. Meanwhile VideoBusiness.com tracked Serenity in bringing in over $9 million in DVD rentals. It has since fallen off the chart, but at the rate of it's decline it's safe to estimate that it manage to make $10 million before dropping too far.

Now the tv rights for Serenity were sold to NBC for a 3 movie package deal for $26 million. Now Serenity was hardly the top movie in the deal, so let's low ball it and say Serenity only gets $5 million out of that deal.

So that's $21 million from the box office, $24 million from DVD sales, $10 million from rentals, and around $5 million from tv rights for a total of $60 million. With Serenity costing $49 million to make and advertise it's estimated that Universal has made $11 million off of the movie. Not nearly enough for Universal to invest in another movie, but there's still profit to be made. The DVD has yet been released internationally and if the domestic sales are any indication, the DVD will make more money than the theatre box office. Especially since Universal International has included a lot of cool extras in the various international editions, the Australian version has a second disk of extras and comes in a cool metal tin, plus one retailer is offering free posters with the movie, another retailer offering Serenity mouse-mats and all sorts of other cool stuff. Meanwhile the DVD has sold well enough for the talked about Special Edition to be made available. The extras have already been produced for the Australian edition and ready to go, the only extra thing that Joss Whedon wants to do is add full cast audio commentary.

Meanwhile those calculations didn't include anything from licensing which has been doing really well. The comic book, movie novelization, books, official t-shirts, RPG have all sold better than expected and more of all these items are on it's way. There's more money to be made out of this franchise yet and a sequel or possibily even a direct-to-DVD sequel might still yet happen.
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Wednesday, February 22, 2006 4:01 PM

THEPISTONENGINE


Shiny.

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Wednesday, February 22, 2006 4:05 PM

AMYLISAI


We are mighty.


(pleeeeese, Universal--let me appeal to your greed! these figures just renew my intention to keep purchasing official DVDs and products to keep showing 'em how interested we are)

Hopeful, Amylisai

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Wednesday, February 22, 2006 4:30 PM

SCRUFFYHANSOLO


yeah and just think what will happen when they get off thier ends and release that 2 disc special edition dvd in that shiny tin box

))<>((

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Wednesday, February 22, 2006 5:28 PM

NINAH148


To me the more amazing story is Firefly. It's a set of DVDs for a five-year-old, cancelled show, and it's outselling "Lost" on Amazon. Wake up, people! What we have here is a gen-yoo-wine phenomenon.

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Wednesday, February 22, 2006 7:21 PM

ASARIAN


Quote:

Originally posted by Ninah148:

To me the more amazing story is Firefly. It's a set of DVDs for a five-year-old, cancelled show, and it's outselling "Lost" on Amazon. Wake up, people! What we have here is a gen-yoo-wine phenomenon.



Can you gorram believe that! Our show outsells Lost! I mean, Lost! That show is considered close to the hottest thing aired in years! Somebody at the brass needs to wash the go-se out if his eyes, and see those numbers! :)

LONG LIVE RIVER TAM! Coming to a theatre near you real soon! *hope*


--
"Mei-mei, everything I have is right here." -- Simon Tam

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Wednesday, February 22, 2006 8:26 PM

MATTIE


Can I just say- YE-FREAKIN'-AH! I knew this day would come! All I can think of to say is shiny, sweet, groovy, thank you Lord! Now, all we need is for another miracle.

Wacky fun!

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Wednesday, February 22, 2006 10:23 PM

SAZMAN


At the moment, Lost has overtaken it again, but Serenity is back in the top 25!


Start with the part where Jayne gets knocked out by a 90 pound girl. 'Cause I don't think that's ever getting old.

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Wednesday, February 22, 2006 10:35 PM

STILLFREE


Quote:

Originally posted by ThePistonEngine:
Shiny.


I enthusiastically concur.

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Wednesday, February 22, 2006 11:12 PM

ARCADIA


First, I should say that I am a complete cynic. Whenever there is a "I think firefly will get picked up as series again!" thread, I roll my eyes. I gave up on a sequal after Serenity had been out about three weeks at the box office, the numners were so bad...

After reading this, I'm gorram hopeful. :-)

Seriously, its dawning on me for the first time right now that we really *did* do the impossible -- we got a cancelled TV show made into a movie. What's to stop us from getting a not-quite-failed movie a shiny, new sequal?

This feeling is cool.

"Objects in Space"
River: It's just an object. It doesn't mean what you think...

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Wednesday, February 22, 2006 11:55 PM

BELFASTBOY


"Meanwhile the DVD has sold well enough for the talked about Special Edition to be made available. The extras have already been produced for the Australian edition and ready to go, the only extra thing that Joss Whedon wants to do is add full cast audio commentary."

While the sales figures are obviously great, is there really any point in releasing another DVD version? Many people have already bought multiple versions (DVD R1,2,4, UMD etc), to show loyalty to the Firefly 'verse, and also in many cases to get additional special features. My personal feeling is that the point has been proved - Serenity has performed well enough to justify a continuation in some form or another, so would it not be better to concentrate on this? Firefly / Serenity is perhaps the franchise that relies more than any other on fans to keep it alive, so would it not be abusing this good faith somewhat to keep on hawking multiple DVD versions? Or would it be an attempt to demonstrate continuing profitability, albeit in a rather cynical way?

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Thursday, February 23, 2006 2:28 AM

EVERYWORLDSPINNIN


Sing it with me folks!

"Take me out, to the black. Tell 'em I ain't comin back."

--------------------------------------------------
Child One: "Republicans aren't real."
Child Two: "Full well they are!"

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Thursday, February 23, 2006 7:46 AM

MALACHITE


I'll buy whatever special edition DVD they put out. Serenity/Firefly is one of those few Hollywood products that I'm happy to put my money into. Keep 'em coming!

I just hope they advertise it better this time...

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Thursday, February 23, 2006 8:27 AM

MALMALADE


They already have in Australia. I got my copy from EzyDVD.com.au and it is very shiny indeed (as is the tin). Haven't had a chance to look at the extras yet but they are considerably more than available anywhere else. Only cost with postage about £17 so in US $ it shouldn't be too bad at all. The acutal DVD cover is reversible so that you have one side with the usual certificate warnings and the other is just the cover not blemished with any of the certificate markings. Universal Australia have done everyone proud. Why can't that be the same for the US and UK divisions (or does the cynic in me suggest that they want to milk those who will by an version to make sure that they don't miss out on anything).

I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass.. and I'm all out of bubblegum..

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Thursday, February 23, 2006 8:35 AM

CHANNAIN

i DO aim to misbehave


Quote:

Originally posted by Malachite:
I'll buy whatever special edition DVD they put out. Serenity/Firefly is one of those few Hollywood products that I'm happy to put my money into. Keep 'em coming!

I just hope they advertise it better this time...

That's me as well, on all counts.

*making a note to raise a cup to the movie making it to the black at MarsCon in 8 days.*

I draw...therefore I am. http://www.mnartists.org/Nora_Leverson
Live in Minnesota? Join the Group! Yahoo Group, that is...
http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/MN-Firefly

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Thursday, February 23, 2006 8:57 AM

SCRUFFYHANSOLO


Quote:

Originally posted by BelfastBoy:
"While the sales figures are obviously great, is there really any point in releasing another DVD version? Many people have already bought multiple versions (DVD R1,2,4, UMD etc), to show loyalty to the Firefly 'verse, and also in many cases to get additional special features. My personal feeling is that the point has been proved - Serenity has performed well enough to justify a continuation in some form or another, so would it not be better to concentrate on this? Firefly / Serenity is perhaps the franchise that relies more than any other on fans to keep it alive, so would it not be abusing this good faith somewhat to keep on hawking multiple DVD versions? Or would it be an attempt to demonstrate continuing profitability, albeit in a rather cynical way?



i think it is ok to release another edition with super shiny extras but beyond that i agree there is no need for anymore. i am an evil dead fan and they have demonstrated time and again what not to do to your fans when releasing dvd after dvd.

))<>((

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Thursday, February 23, 2006 9:20 AM

STORYMARK


Quote:

Originally posted by BelfastBoy:

While the sales figures are obviously great, is there really any point in releasing another DVD version? Many people have already bought multiple versions (DVD R1,2,4, UMD etc), to show loyalty to the Firefly 'verse, and also in many cases to get additional special features. My personal feeling is that the point has been proved - Serenity has performed well enough to justify a continuation in some form or another, so would it not be better to concentrate on this? Firefly / Serenity is perhaps the franchise that relies more than any other on fans to keep it alive, so would it not be abusing this good faith somewhat to keep on hawking multiple DVD versions? Or would it be an attempt to demonstrate continuing profitability, albeit in a rather cynical way?



Sure there's a reason. every copy sold counts toward the bottom line, and the higher that is, the better chance for a sequel. Joss and we Browncoats aside, Universal made the movie to make money, not prove a point. So while we may have proved OUR point, that the 'verse is a viable enterprise, Universal is certainly not going to turn down a chance to bring in some more cash.

Keep in mind, also, that those of us on this board are only a segment of Browncoat fandom. I know several FF/Serenity fans who have never come to this board, did not even know there was an Australian DVD with extra features ('till I told 'em) and certainly did not order a foreign version.

And even for those who did get the Australian DVD, I bet there are quite a few who would pick up a copy that didn't make them get a region-free player, or modify their existing player, or rip and re-burn a region free disk.

A special edition may not sell as many copies as the single-disk version, but it would sell.

Besides, are you saying you DON'T want a full-cast commentary track? I know I do.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Thursday, February 23, 2006 9:22 AM

MRSKBORG


Hell, I'll buy a special edition as well.

"This movie may be a beautiful butterfly, but I loved that damn caterpillar." Joss Whedon.

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Thursday, February 23, 2006 2:09 PM

GAMBIT3


Sign me up as well for a special edition.
Even better would be a couple of commentary tracks by all the cast... hopefully two or three different commentaries, that way all cast members would get to comment instead of just settling for adding little tidbits.

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http://www.gambit3.com

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