For the sixth straight Monday, a new and different film is #1 on VOD at both iTunes and Fandango. “Twisters” (Universal), which grossed almost $10 million in theaters last weekend, is the latest summer hit to reach home viewing.
By design or accident, studios have spaced out their releases so every week brings a new top film. (Next week, it will be Disney’s “Inside Out 2.”) Since the VOD debut of “Civil War” back in late May-early June, no film has enjoyed more than a week as #1 on VOD.
As always, the timing for PVOD debuts don’t align with theatrical runs; “Twisters” and “Despicable Me 2” were released later than “Inside Out 2.” That’s no surprise — Universal is usually the quickest to go to PVOD; Disney tested the waters with streaming exclusives and same-day PVOD but now maintains the longest windows. “Inside Out 2” will hit PVOD after its 10th weekend, while it’s still in the theatrical top 10.
The VOD charts (iTunes ranking by transactions, Fandango by revenue where high-priced rentals usually place higher) saw three more new titles this week. “Fly Me to the Moon” (Sony), the Apple-produced rom-com starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, was the only one to make both charts (at #6). Five weeks after its release, it might be in a handful of theaters.
Fandango saw the debut of two limited theatrical releases debut, both with established genre stars. “Gunner” (Studio 57) features Luke Hemsworth out to save his sons from drug dealers. “The Beast Within” (Well Go USA) has Kit Harrington in a horror tale about a 10-year old who witnesses her father involved with ancestral mysteries in a nearby forest. They placed #9 and #10 at Fandango.
At Netflix, it’s always been exceedingly rare to see any film lay claim to #1 for more than a week. This time it’s “The Union,” directed by “Entourage” veteran Julian Farina. It stars producer Mark Walhberg as a construction worker recruited by one-time flame Halle Berry for a government intelligence mission.
Beyond “The Union” and the animated “Saving Bikini Bottom,” another Netflix original, the list is again mostly studio library titles. Six of the top 10 are animated, with last week’s #1 “The Emoji Movie” still second. We prematurely big adieu to long-running “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” last week; it returned, yet again.
Top 10s
iTunes ranks films daily by number of transactions, while Fandango at Home lists by revenue. The listings below are for Monday, August 19 (iTunes) and the week of August 12-18 (Fandango).
The distributors listed are current rights owners. Prices for all titles are for lowest for either rental or download.
iTunes
1. Twisters (Universal) – $19.99
2. Despicable Me 4 (Universal) – $19.99
3. The Fall Guy (Universal) – $5.99
4. A Quiet Place: Day One (Sony) – $19.99
5. Horizon: An American Saga —Chapter 1 (WB) – $5.99
6. Fly Me to the Moon (Sony) – $19.99
7. Bad Boys: Ride or Die (Sony) – $19.99
8. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (WB) – $9.99
9. Civil War (A24) – $4.99
10. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Lionsgate) – $9.99
Fandango at Home
1. Twisters (Universal) – $19.99
2. Despicable Me 4 (Universal) – $19.99
3. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (WB) – $9.99
4. A Quiet Place: Day One (Paramount) – $19.99
5. Bad Boys: Ride or Die (Sony) – $19.99
6. Fly Me to the Moon (Sony) – $19.99
7. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (Disney) – $12.99
8. The Watchers (Warner Bros.) – $5.99
9. Gunner (Studio 57) – $9.99
10. The Beast Within (Well Go USA) – $6.99
Netflix Movies
These are the most-viewed, current rankings on Netflix’s domestic daily chart on Monday, August 19. Originals include both Netflix-produced and acquired titles it initially presents in the U.S. Netflix publishes its own worldwide weekly top 10 on Tuesdays based on time viewed, and usually includes films for which it doesn’t have domestic rights.
1.The Union (Netflix original)
2.The Emoji Movie (2017 theatrical release)
3. Night School (2018 theatrical release)
4. Trolls Band Together (2023 theatrical release)
5. The Lorax (2012 theatrical release)
6. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023 theatrical release)
7.Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016 theatrical release)
8. Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie (2024 Netflix original animated film)
9. Minions (2015 theatrical release)
10. Pearl (2022 theatrical release)
