A Cheaper ‘Free Guy’ Tops VOD Charts as ‘Copshop’ Crushes ‘Dear Evan Hansen’
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
“Free Guy” (Disney/$5.99) continues to do theaters a huge service. Despite its 45-day exclusive theatrical window, the year’s top grossing domestic non-franchise film keeps adding to its at home revenues. Or maybe that window is part of its charm? With three weeks at #1 on the VOD charts, word of mouth drove its success and it’s close to a five-time multiple theatrcial gross from its opening weekend. In the year-plus we’ve been checking these out, no other title has accomplished this.
With this week’s drop to standard pricing, the volume of new business for the Ryan Reynolds comedy must be considerable: The Vudu chart calculates by total revenue and favors premium VOD titles, but the now-cheaper $5.99 “Free Guy” topped five titles that cost $19.99.
More from IndieWire
Are Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya Movie Stars? 'Dune' Will Tell Us This and Much More
'Halloween' Killed but 'The Last Duel' Is Dead as 'No Time to Die' Lives On
Among debuts, “Copshop” (Open Road/$19.99) with Gerard Butler bested “Dear Evan Hansen” (Universal/$19.99) for initial response. Action-thriller “Copshop” placed on two charts (#5 at Vudu, #9 at Google Play), while “Hansen” failed to make any top 10. That is particularly unusual at Vudu, where new releases normally make a first week’s showing. When the Broadway musical adaptation fell short in theaters (it stalled below $15 million), the expectation was that it might overperform on PVOD.
Everett Collection
“Copshop” likely was helped by its theatrical exposure. As theaters struggle to assert their position in the distribution infrastructure, this remains a strong argument for theatrical release in theaters. Meantime, the “Hansen” results show the map to success remains a work in progress.
“The Addams Family 2” (United Artists/$19.99), which had a same-day theater/PVOD release, is #2 at Vudu and third at the others. “Old” (Universal/$19.99), which stuck to a traditional 75-day window, and the now reduced-price “Black Widow” (Disney/$5.99) and “F9” (Universal/$5.99) complete the list of titles on all three charts.
“Old Henry” (Shout/$6.99) repeated as #2 on iTunes. It falls a bit short of the top 10 at the other sites, but managed to beat out “Hansen” at Vudu despite its much lower cost. Westerns, properly marketed, remain an example of action-oriented genre films aimed at male audiences that can catch on at home, more so if first shown in theaters. “The Green Knight” (A24/$4.99) reappeared at iTunes at #4 after its price reduction.
Netflix’s domestic success with international original productions continues this week with “The Forgotten Battle” currently at #1. This World War II story, set in the Netherlands and produced with mostly local production elements, and primarily non-English language, had a local theatrical release but was acquired by Netflix for elsewhere. “The Trip” from Norway, with Noomi Rapace (currently in theaters in “Lamb”), directed by Tommy Wirkola (“Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters”) is an example of offbeat content that gets streaming interest but would likely would fly over the heads of theatrical audiences. It’s a dark comedy in which a troubled couple’s plans for confronting their future are interrupted by outside forces.
iTunes and Google Play rank films daily by number of transactions, irrespective of revenue accrued. These are the listings for October 18. Distributors listed are current rights owners.
iTunes
1. Free Guy (Disney) – $5.99
2. Old Henry (Shout) – $6.99
3. The Addams Family 2 (United Artists) – $19.99
4. The Green Knight (A24) – $4.99
5. Halloween (2018) (Universal) – $3.99
6. The Black Widow (Disney) – $5.99
7. F9 (Universal) – $5.99
8. Old (Universal) – $19.99
9. Spectre (Sony) – $3.99
10. PAW Patrol (Paramount) – $4.99
Google Play
1. Free Guy (Disney) – $5.99
2. F9 (Universal) – $5.99
3. The Addams Family 2 (United Artists) – $19.99
4. Venom (Paramount) – $3.99
5. Old (Universal) – $19.99
6. Halloween (2018) – $3.99
7. Snake Eyes (Paramount) – $4.99
8. Black Widow (Disney) – $5.99
9. Copshop (Open Road) – $19.99
10. Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (Sony) – $5.99
Vudu
Vudu ranks by revenue, not transactions, which elevates Premium VOD titles. This list covers October 11-17
1. Free Guy (Disney) – $5.99
2. The Addams Family 2 (United Artists) – $19.99
3. Old (Universal) – $19.99
4. Jungle Cruise (Disney) – $19.99
5. Copshop (Open Road) – $19.99
6. Don’t Breathe 2 (Sony) – $19.99
7. F9 (Universal) – $5.99
8. PAW Patrol (Paramount) – $4.99
9. Black Widow (Disney) – $5.99
10. Candyman (Universal) – $19.99
Netflix
Netflix Movies
Most viewed, current ranking as of Monday, October 18; originals include both Netflix-produced and -acquired titles they initially presented in the U.S.
1. The Forgotten Battle (2021 Netherlands Netflix original)
2. Going in Style (2017 theatrical release)
3. Sharkdog’s Fantastic Halloween (2021 Netflix animated original)
4. My Little Pony (2021 Netflix animated original)
5. Legacy of Lies (2021 VOD release)
6. Titanic (1997 theatrical release)
7. Scary Movie 4 (2006 theatrical release)
8. Something Borrowed (2011 theatrical release)
9. The Guilty (2021 Netflix original)
10. The Trip (2021 Netflix Norwegian original)
Best of IndieWire
New Movies: Release Calendar for October 15, Plus Where to Watch the Latest Films
45 Directors Pick Favorite Horror Movies: Bong Joon Ho, Tarantino, del Toro and More
Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
