"WALL-E" and "Thunder" top DVD charts

By Thomas K. Arnold

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A small, waste-collecting robot has captured the hearts of DVD consumers, much as it did in theaters earlier this year.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment's "WALL-E" was the top seller and No. 2 renter on the home entertainment charts, topping the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert sales chart and scoring a strong second-place finish on Home Media Magazine's rental chart for the week ended November 23.

"WALL-E" also was the week's No. 1 Blu-ray Disc seller.

Fellow new release "Tropic Thunder," from Paramount, debuted at No. 2 on the overall home video sales chart and the Blu-ray sales chart.

But in rental stores the comedy, which earned $110.5 million at the domestic box office, saw the most action during the week, bowing at No. 1 on Home Media Magazine's rental chart. "WALL-E" finished not far behind, with 83.2 percent as much rental activity, a strong showing for an animated family title geared toward the sell-through market.

A third theatrical film making its DVD debut, Warner Home Video's "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2," bowed at No. 5 on the sales chart and No. 6 on the rental chart.

The previous week's top seller, Paramount/DreamWorks' "Kung Fu Panda," slipped to No. 3 on the overall home video sales chart, and the previous week's top renter, Universal Studios' "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," fell to No. 4 with a 37 percent drop in rental demand.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter