"Ice Age" sequel hot on video charts

By Thomas K. Arnold

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" debuted at No. 1 on both the national home video sales and rental charts Wednesday.

The DVD and Blu-ray Disc release of the third installment in the animated family franchise, which grossed just under $200 million in U.S. theaters, was heavily promoted by 20th Century Fox. Launch events included a media day for "mommy bloggers" and the unveiling of a giant ice sculpture of Scrat, one of the film's most prominent characters.

"Ice Age" generated 11% of its sales from the Blu-ray Disc edition during the week ended November 1. That's a surprisingly high percentage for a family film, but actual unit sales weren't enough to dislodge "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" from the No. 1 spot on the Nielsen VideoScan Blu-ray Disc chart. In its second week in stores, "Transformers" generated 24% of its total sales from the Blu-ray Disc edition.

"Transformers" slipped to No. 2 on both the Nielsen VideoScan sales chart and Home Media Magazine's rental chart. Walt Disney Studios' direct-to-video "Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure" debuted at No. 3 on the sales chart, ahead of fellow rookie "Orphan" at No. 4. The Warner Bros. horror movie, which earned $41.6 million at the box office, debuted at No. 3 on the rental chart.