‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Shares #1 VOD Glory in Fourth Week with Two Unlikely Contenders
So much for the anticipated lengthy #1 run for “Top Gun: Maverick” (Paramount/$19.99). In its fourth week of VOD availability, the film is down to leading just one of the three charts (Google Play) we follow weekly. Surprising interest for “Beast” (Universal/$19.99) saw the modest grossing ($31 million) horror film rise to head Vudu’s revenue-based chart its second week out, while “Where the Crawdads Sing” (Sony/$5.99) was boosted by an early price reduction, including leading at iTunes.
But “Maverick” is hardly flailing with #2 positions at Vudu and iTunes. Still, neither of the two titles replacing it might have seemed likely contenders to dethrone it.
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This week saw notable showings for three leading studios, each suggesting how home play of theatrical releases and windows are still evolving. That includes the current Netflix top ten, which shows how two of them — Sony and Universal — continue to bolster the dominant streaming site.
Sony is prominent in three different ways this week, all having significance. Although it has been the most conservative studio with windows over the last two years, it released “The Invitation” ($19.99) in an unrated version after the horror film’s third weekend, similar to what Universal does. The modest performing film didn’t soar, with only one top ten showing (iTunes, #10), though just missing at Vudu and #15 at Google Play.
“Crawdads” elevation comes after an unexpected price decrease after only one week out on PVOD. The initial $19.99 week saw decent business, as high as #3, despite “Maverick” and the newly released “Thor: Love and Thunder” (Disney/$19.99) competing. It was an unusual move, and without access to revenue totals, its actual impact is uncertain, but this figure this should help sustain lengthy interest.
Also of interest is the early appearance of “Father Stu” on Netflix. Sony, with no in-house streamer, has an ongoing deal with the platform for their first run films. Yet only recently have they appeared as early as six months after release (though its unclear “Spider-Man” is included in the deal). Mark Wahlberg’s boxer-turned-priest biopic was an April release. It is #1 at the moment, showing even a lackluster theatrical play ($20 million gross) can boost a film. (It is the second Wahlberg title on their list, with the original comedy “Me Time” with Kevin Hart a recent #1 as well.)
Paramount has been another long window supporter, even with its own streamer. This week with “Confess, Fletch” ($19.99) they showed a preference for PVOD over theater-exclusive and Paramount+. The reboot of the comedy detective series with Jon Hamm is #4 at iTunes, just below the top ten at Vudu (perhaps in part because they rank by week starting Monday; this debuted on Friday). It did have minor and low-grossing theater play, with no certainty that had it received a normal wide release (with no problem of finding dates in this market) that it would have justified marketing costs.
Universal with “Beast” has the third. They again dominate the charts, with 14 of the 30 slots, with no one with more than four. The studio also, despite Sony’s presence, lead among studios at Netflix, with three titles, all from Illumination Entertainment as part of that long-term arrangement. “Sing 2” notably is on its twelfth week on their chart, possibly a record. It has been VOD and streaming been a presence since early January.
“Beast” though is the rare film to rank #1 somewhere not to make all three charts (#11 at Google Play, ranking by traffic, where it is sixth best among $19.99 titles, compared to #1 at Vudu which uses revenues). Along with “Maverick” and “Crawdads,” “The Black Phone” (Universal/$5.99), “Minions: The Rise of Gru” (Universal/$19.99), “Nope” (Universal, $19.99), “D.C. League of Super-Pets” (WBD/$19.99), and “Jurassic World: Dominion” (Universal/reduced to $5.99), all films placed everywhere.
The other new release to make any list was George Miller’s “Three Thousand Years of Longing” (United Artists/$19.99), #10 at Vudu. It came out after three weekends and grossed under $8 million.
Netflix
Netflix is studio-heavy this week, with only three of their original films currently in the top ten. “Do Revenge,” out this weekend, had one day at #1 before “Father Stu” displaced it. Camila Mendes (“Riverdale”) and Maya Hawke (“Stranger Things”) costar in a comedy about two bullied girls going after each others’ tormentor. Its director/cowriter Jennifer Kaytin Robinson cowrote “Thor: Love and Thunder” with Taika Waititi and has been suggested as a future Marvel director.
Last week’s #1 “End of the Road” with Queen Latifah dropped to #6, with “Me Time,” which had a good run at #1 is still around after four weeks.
iTunes and Google Play rank films daily by number of transactions. These are the listings for September 19. Distributors listed are current rights owners. Prices for all titles are for rental.
iTunes
1. Where the Crawdads Sing (Sony) – $19.99
2. Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount) – $19.99
3. Jurassic World: Dominion (Universal) – $5.99
4. Confess, Fletch (Paramount) – $19.99
5. The Black Phone (Universal) – $5.99
6. Minions: The Rise of Gru (Universal) – $19.99
7. Beast (Universal) – $19.99
8. Nope (Universal) – $19.99
9. X (A24) – $5.99
10. The Invitation (Sony) – $19.99
Google Play
1. Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount) – $19.99
2. Where the Crawdads Sing (Sony) – $5.99
3. Nope (Universal) – $19.99
4. Jurassic World: Dominion (Universal) – $5.99
5. Minions: The Rise of Gru (Universal) – $19.99
6. Thor: Love and Thunder (Disney) – $19.99
7. X (A24) – $4.99
8. Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24) – $4.99
9. DC League of Super-Pets (WBD) – $19.99
10. The Black Phone (Universal) – $5.99
Vudu
Vudu ranks by revenue, not transactions, which elevates Premium VOD titles. This list covers September 12-18
1. Beast (Universal) – $19.99
2. Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount) – $19.99
3. Thor: Love and Thunder (Disney) – $19.99
4. Where the Crawdads Sing (Sony) – $5.99
5. Jurassic World: Dominion (Universal) – $5.99
6. Minions: The Rise of Gru (Universal) – $19.99
7. The Black Phone (Universal) – $5.99
8. DC League of Super-Pets (WBD) – $19.99
9. Nope (Universal) – $19.99
10. Three Thousand Years of Longing (United Artists) – $19.99
Netflix Movies
Most viewed, current ranking on Netflix’s daily chart on Monday, September 19. 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. Father Stu (2022 theatrical release)
2. Do Revenge (2022 Netflix original)
3. This Is the End (2013 theatrical release)
4. Despicable Me 2 (2013 theatrical release)
5. Morbius (2022 theatrical release)
6. End of the Road (2022 Netflix original)
7. Despicable Me (2010 theatrical release)
8. Sing 2 (2021 theatrical release)
9. Me Time (2022 Netflix original)
10. Friday (1995 theatrical release)
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