The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey scores record sales

The DVD and Blu-ray release of Peter Jackson’s The Lord Of The Rings prequel has sold nearly a million copies during its first week of release.
the_hobbit.jpg

The DVD and Blu-ray release of Peter Jackson’s The Lord Of The Rings prequel has sold nearly a million copies during its first week of release.

Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has gone straight in at Number 1 on the Official Video Chart. The DVD and Blu-ray release of the first instalment of his new series of films based on JRR Tolkien’s 1937 fantasy novel of the same name, sold 977,000 during their first week on sale.

According to the latest Official Charts Company sales data, The Lord Of The Rings prequel is now the second biggest selling video title of 2013 so far, overtaking Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2. The home release of Skyfall, the latest James Bond film and third film to feature Daniel Craig in the title role, is currently the biggest selling video title of 2013. It has sold over 2.7 million copies since its release in February.

Just under a third of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’s sales were on Blu-ray, and in a week it has already become the 20th biggest selling title of all-time on that format.

This week’s Official Video Chart Top 5 is completed by Disney’s Tinker BellSecret Of The Wings (Number 2), Seth MacFarlane‘s Ted (which soars 14 places from Number 17 to Number 3), and former Official Video Chart toppers Silver Lining’s Playbook (4) and Rise Of The Guardians (5).

New entries

In addition to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, there are three other new entries on this week’s Official Video Chart.

The 20th anniversary edition of Schindler’s List enters the Chart at Number 18. Schindler’s List tells the true story of Oskar Schindler, a Nazi Party member turned unlikely hero, who manages to save 1,200 Polish Jews from being sent to concentration camps. Directed by Steven Spielberg, and starring Liam Neeson, Sir Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes, it is widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all-time.

Director Eric Hunt’s horror thriller The Wrong House debuts at 21, while Yam LaranasThe Echo enters the Official Video Chart at Number 37.

You can see this week's Official Video Chart Top 40 in full here.

Join the conversation by joining the Official Charts community and dropping comment.

Already registered?

Log in

No account?

Register