DVD payoff in the cards for "21"

By Thomas K. Arnold

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "21" aced the home video charts for the week ending July 27, debuting at No. 1 in a relatively slow period for new releases.

The Sony drama, with a box office gross of $81.2 million, was the only theatrical feature to be released to the home entertainment market last week. It's no surprise, then, that the film easily captured the top spot on the Nielsen VideoScan sales chart, outselling incumbent champion "Step Up 2 the Streets" by a margin of nearly 4-to-1.

The "Batman Begins" limited-edition gift set remained in high demand. Seven weeks after its release, it was still at No. 3, buoyed no doubt by the theatrical success of "The Dark Knight."

On Home Media Magazine's rental chart, "21" was the only new release among the week's top renters. The previous week's champ, "The Bank Job," slipped to No. 2.

"21" also topped the Blu-ray sales chart, with "Batman Begins" a solid No. 2. In anticipation of Friday's theatrical release of "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," new Blu-ray editions of "The Mummy," "The Mummy Returns" and "The Scorpion King" bowed respectively at No. 3, No. 5 and No. 8.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter