Warner Bros. isn’t happy with industry consensus appointing “Gran Turismo” as the weekend’s top-grossing film, beating “Barbie.” (Sony’s total included all advance shows including sneaks over two weekends. My verdict: Aggressive, yes; outside accepted standards, no). It will be small solace, but Warners’ “Meg 2: The Trench” is the dominant title on this week’s VOD charts.
“Meg 2” moved to PVOD after 21 days — a quick turnaround previously reserved for Max exclusives and/or lower-budget titles like “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” and “House Party.” However, “Meg 2” is the $130 million sequel to a film that grossed over $500 million worldwide.
It dropped Friday and quickly reached #1 at iTunes. It also is #1 at Vudu, more impressive since its chart covers seven days and “it “Meg 2” was available for only three of them. Google Play, as always lagging a few days behind, has it at #3 and rising.
“Meg 2” opened two weeks after “Barbie,” yet came to PVOD at least 11 days ahead of Greta Gerwig’s #1 film for 2023. Though not confirmed, the PVOD release for “Barbie” is reported to be September 6, 46 days after release. Based on past history, the films’ PVOD debuts shouldn’t hurt their ongoing theatrical gross that much. (“Meg 2” ranked at #6 this weekend, despite the alternative platform.)
“Elemental” rose to #1 at Google Play. Otherwise charts showed little difference this week. “Meg 2” “Elemental,” “No Hard Feelings,” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” are $19.99, along with “The Flash” at $12.99, and $5.99 rentals for “John Wick: Chapter 4” and “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” placing on all three charts.
Nothing is more certain than the success of an original Adam Sandler comedy on Netflix. “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah” differs in that it also got decent reviews (Metacritic 71 score)
Theaters miss Sandler, whose comedies hit #1 on opening weekends. “Bat Mitzvah” kept “Big George Foreman,” the latest Sony theatrical release, out of first place. Both are ahead of last week’s #1, Sony’s “The Pope’s Exorcist” (now #5). The other new Netflix original this week is the Spanish thriller “Killer Book Club.”
iTunes and Google Play rank films daily by number of transactions. These are the listings for Monday, August 28. Distributors listed are current rights owners. Prices for all titles are for rental.
iTunes
1. Meg 2: The Trench – $19.99
2.No Hard Feelings (Sony) – $19.99
3. Elemental (Disney) – $19.99
4. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony) – $6.99
5. John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate) – $5.99
6. The Flash (WB) – $12.99
7. Sisu (Lionsgate) – $5.99
8. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Paramount) – $5.99
9.The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal) – $5.99
10. Kandahar (Open Road) – $19.99
Google Play
1. Elemental (Disney) – $19.99
2.Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony) – $19.99
3. Meg 2: The Trench (WB) – $19.99
4. No Hard Feelings (Sony) – $19.99
5. John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate) – $5.99
6. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal) – $5.99
7. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Paramount) – $5.99
8. The Flash (WB) – $12.99
9. Insidious: The Red Door (Sony) – $19.99
10. Cobweb (Lionsgate) – $6.99
Vudu
Vudu ranks by revenue, not transactions, elevating premium VOD titles. This list covers August 21-27.
1. Meg 2: The Trench (WB) – $19.99
2. Elemental (Disney) – $19.99
3. No Hard Feelings (Sony) – $19.99
4. The Flash (WB) – $12.99
5. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony) – $19.99
6. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Paramount) – $5.99
7. John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate) – $5.99
8. Insidious: The Red Door (Sony) – $19.99
9. Fast X (Universal) – $19.99
10. The Little Mermaid (Disney) – $19.99
Netflix Movies
Most viewed, current ranking on Netflix’s daily chart on Monday, August 28. Originals include both Netflix-produced and acquired titles it initially presents in the U.S. Netflix publishes its own weekly top 10 on Tuesdays based on time viewed
1. You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitvah (Netflix original)
2. Big George Foreman (2023 theatrical release)
3. The Big Short (2015 theatrical release)
4. The Monkey King (Netflix animated original)
5. The Pope’s Exorcist (2023 theatrical release)
6. Heart of Stone (Netflix original movie)
7. Sausage Party (2016 theatrical release)
8. Despicable Me 2 (2013 theatrical release)
9. Brotherly Love (2015 theatrical release)
10. Killer Book Club (Spanish Netflix original)
