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September 3 DVD & film update: Boy DVD bows after buoyant Oz b.o
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Exclusive to website
Friday’s DVD release of the record-breaking NZ movie, Boy, comes just days after it racked up one of the highest screen averages in Australia.
Taika Waititi’s coming-of-age comedy/drama grossed A$275,026 on 41 screens in its opening weekend across the Tasman.
It ranked ninth and its screen average of A$6,708 was beaten by only Salt’s A$6,891 and Vampires Suck’s A$8,072, which were the weekend’s highest grossing movies respectively.
Onfilm couldn’t confirm with DVD distributor Paramount how many units of the DVD are being shipped for the Father’s Day promotion but expect it be up there with the biggest Hollywood blockbusters, given Boy grossed more than $9.2 million here theatrically – and is still the year’s #1 release.
Surprising, then, that it’s only coming out on DVD and not Blu-ray as well.
“The discussion was never had with me about Blu-ray so I’m not sure whether these things were considered by the distributor or not,” producer Ainsley Gardiner told Onfilm.
September 3 was considered the “perfect date” to release the DVD because of Father’s Day and the film’s familial themes.
“We wanted to release the DVD as early as possible after the cinematic release and this date fitted really well,” Gardiner says.
“The piracy gave us a somewhat greater sense of urgency but mostly we really wanted to be able to get the film out because it had done so well and people wanted to own it.”
That’s why the filmmakers didn’t wait to use the results of the Qantas Film & TV Awards, in which Boy will be the clear favourite, to help market the DVD.
“I’m sure the Qantas Awards would certainly add some value but the film has already had a huge impact on the audience and rather than being hugely strategic in our approach we wanted to get it out there to the punters quickly,” Gardiner says.
She expects the DVD release will be very successful, despite Boy’s piracy within days of its theatrical release.
Unfortunately, Boy’s Australasian success has yet to be repeated on the wider international stage, as hard times for NZ film sales continue.
NZ Film’s James Thompson reports “a few small sales” for Boy (Middle East, Poland, Iceland, Australia), with offers under consideration from Canada and the US.
“Under the Mountain was sold to the Philippines and we also sold Predicament as a pre-buy to the Middle East,” Thomspon says.
“Otherwise, a handful of small deals are in play, which really reflects the lack of demand for drama outside of festival winners or big cast-driven films.”
The next most successful NZ films after Boy over the past 12 months have been Home by Christmas, which grossed more than $1.1 million theatrically, and Separation City, which nudged $500,000.
Under the Mountain could muster only $278,000, The Strength of Water, $220,000, and The Vintner’s Luck, $193,000.
© Copyright Onfilm Magazine,
September 2010, www.onfilm.co.nz
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