Yahoo News ‘Saw X’ Cuts Tom Cruise Down to Size on VOD: It’s Halloween, After All
In its second week available on PVOD (after an unusual 90-day window), “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” (Paramount) finds itself challenged for #1 on the current VOD charts. “Saw X” (Lionsgate) — like “Mission: Impossible,” available at $19.99; though unlike Tom Cruise’s film, it costs more to buy) — released just last Friday leads Vudu’s revenue-based top 10. “Mission: Impossible” remains #1 at transaction-ranking iTunes and Google Play for a second week.
Elsewhere, “No Hard Feelings” (Sony), still on both iTunes and Google Play’s top 10, debuted at #1 on Netflix. The R-rated comedy, starring and co-produced by Jennifer Lawrence, continues to have strong action, significantly more than its $50 million domestic gross would have suggested.
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The tenth entry in the long-running “Saw” horror series got its home release only 21 days after opening in theaters. That stands in contrast to the long wait for “Mission: Impossible” to appear. Whatever the reasons in its case, for Lionsgate, there is logic to the decision.
The home market also sees seasonal competition. With Halloween next week, it’s the time to maximize horror films. And with its early release, “Saw X” gets the jump on “The Exorcist: Believer” which, per Universal’s set pattern, will be released on October 24, 18 days after it opened in theaters.
“Saw X” at #1 on Vudu is more impressive since it only had three days of play compared to the full week for “Mission: Impossible.” iTunes has it at #7 (down one spot from Sunday), while Google Play, as usual lagging by a few days, has it initially in sixth place.
The film was still #6 in theaters over the weekend, with its 37 percent drop second lowest among all Top Ten holdovers. Once again: more evidence that horror films in particular can thrive in theaters despite home competition.
“Barbie” (Warner Bros.), after six weeks of #1 or close placement at a higher than usual $24.99 rental, became a $19.99 retail item. That sparked a bit of a rebound (#2 at iTunes, #3 at Google Play). It would be great to see statistics on the financial haul post-theaters for 2023’s biggest hit, but it’s added substantially to its already massive profit.
The major announcement during the week was “Oppenheimer” will get its initial home release on November 20, 120 days after its July 22 opening. That’s a major exception to Universal’s normal date, but was always assumed as a condition of Christopher Nolan’s shift to the studio.
“The Retirement Plan” (Falling Forward), the only other new entry this week, #6 at iTunes. It’s the latest Nicolas Cage straight-to-home release (only $5.99 to rent), an action/comedy that follows a Cayman Islands retiree pressed into service to help his daughter pursued by a gangster (James Earle Haley).
“The Expendables 4” (Lionsgate) and “The Equalizer 3” (Sony) — both $19.99 — plus “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (Sony) at $5.99 round out the titles on all three charts.
“No Hard Feelings” continues the Netflix access to Sony’s recent releases. It will be challenged for #1 soon when “Spider-Verse” (which was released three weeks earlier than “Feelings”) gets its Netflix debut on October 31.
“Feelings” replaced Netflix’s original comedy “Old Dads” (three long-time buddies confront late-in-life fatherhood), out over the weekend but #1 for only two days. Also new this week is “The Devil on Trial,” a documentary about the only American murder case in which demonic possession was used as the defense. That case itself inspired “The Conjuring” franchise.
“Reptile” remains the biggest recent Netflix original. Lasting an unusually long five weeks so far, it is currently #6 with the crime drama starring Benicio Del Toro and Justin Timberlake clearly an audience favorite.
iTunes and Google Play rank films daily by number of transactions. These are the listings for Monday, October 23. Distributors listed are current rights owners. Prices for all titles are for lowest for either rental or download.
iTunes
1. Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning: Part One (Paramount) – $19.99
2. Barbie (WB) – $19.99
3. The Equalizer 3 (Sony) – $19.99
4. Saw X (Lionsgate) – $19.99
5. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony) – $5.99
6. The Retirement Plan (Falling Forward) – $5.99
7. Talk to Me (A24) – $5.99
8. No Hard Feelings (Sony) – $5.99
9. Gran Turismo (Sony) – $14.99
10. The Expendables 4 (Lionsgate) – $19.99
Google Play
1. Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning: Part One (Paramount) – $19.99
2. The Equalizer II (Sony) – $19.99
3. Barbie (WB) – $19.99
4. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony) – $5.99
5. Talk to Me (A24) – $4.99
6. Saw X (Lionsgate) – $19.99
7. No Hard Feelings (Sony) – $5.99
8. Blue Beetle (WB) – $19.99
9. The Nun II (WB) – $19.99
10. The Expendables 4 (Lionsgate) – $19.99
Vudu
Vudu ranks by revenue, not transactions, elevating premium VOD titles. This list covers October 16-22.
1. Saw X (Lionsgate) – $19.99
2. Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning: Part One (Paramount) – $19.99
3. The Expendables 4 (Lionsgate) – $19.99
4. The Equalizer 3 (Sony) – $19.99
5. Barbie (WB) – $19.99
6. The Nun II (WB) – $19.99
7. Gran Turismo (Sony) – $14.99
8. Blue Beetle (WB) – $19.99
9. Meg 2: The Trench (WB) – $5.99
10. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony) – $5.99
Netflix Movies
Most viewed, current ranking on Netflix’s daily chart on Monday, October 23. Originals include both Netflix-produced and acquired titles it initially presents in the U.S. Netflix publishes its own weekly top 10 on Tuesdays based on time viewed
1. No Hard Feelings (2023 theatrical release)
2. Old Dads (Netflix original)
3. Long Shot (2019 theatrical release)
4. The Devil on Trial (Netflix original documentary)
5. Tammy (2014 theatrical release)
6. Reptile (Netflix original)
7. Casper (1995 theatrical release)
8. Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015 theatrical release)
9. The Misfits (2021 theatrical release)
10. Spy Kids (2001 theatrical release)
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