Prehistoric Properties Devour Consumer Dollars Across the Country;
Jurassic Park Series Takes Top Spot as Best-Selling Franchise on DVD;
The Land Before Time(R): The Big Freeze Dominates Kidvid Charts
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Dec. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Dinosaurs are not only back but more popular than ever as evidenced by the recent success of Universal Studios Home Video's releases of Amblin Entertainment's "Jurassic Park III" and "The Land Before Time(R): The Big Freeze." Capitalizing on the public's endless fascination with prehistoric creatures, both titles reflect the ongoing success of two of Universal Studios Home Video's longest-running franchises, appealing to a new generation of audiences. With the release of "Jurassic Park III," which is projected to surpass DVD sales of "Jurassic Park" and "The Lost World: Jurassic Park," over 6.5 million combined DVD units have been purchased by consumers, making the "Jurassic Park" franchise the biggest DVD franchise to date.
Universal Studios Home Video's other dino property, the popular "The Land Before Time(R)" kidvid franchise, continues its impressive track record just in time for the holidays with the recent debut of "The Land Before Time(R): The Big Freeze." In its first week of release, the title was already outpacing VHS and DVD sales of the previous adventure, last year's "The Land Before Time(R): The Stone of Cold Fire," a testament to the evergreen appeal of the franchise.
"This just goes to show that people of all ages can't get enough dinosaurs," said Craig Kornblau, president Universal Studios Home Video. "From 'The Land Before Time' to 'Jurassic Park,' dinosaur films have an extremely wide appeal because they are terrific adventure stories that the whole family can watch again and again."
The success of the two releases was fueled by Universal Studios Home Video's aggressive and strategic marketing campaigns, timed for release right before the three busiest shopping weeks of the year and included extensive multi-million dollar national broadcast and cable television advertising support.
The "Jurassic Park" films have over $1.8 billion in combined worldwide box office, another $2.5 billion in retail sales and a 95% global recognition rate. Each film has achieved record-setting theatrical openings since the original "Jurassic Park" in 1993 and has gone on to rank as one of the top-grossing films of all time. "Jurassic Park III" became a $180 million blockbuster this summer, debuting at over $50 million in its opening weekend. The home video success has mirrored the theatrical phenomenon, beginning with the home video release of "Jurassic Park" in 1994 and continuing with "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" in 1998, the first-time DVD releases of both titles last year, and now, the chart-topping sales of "Jurassic Park III."
With over ten years of consistent success, amassing over $1 billion in worldwide sales with over 50 million units sold to date, "The Land Before Time(R)" animated series has consistently remained among the Top 5 best-selling children's video franchises of all time. The theatrical release was a #1 box-office hit in 1988, and made its home video debut in 1989. The first direct-to-video sequel, "The Land Before Time(R): The Great Valley Adventure," was released in 1994. "The Land Before Time(R): The Big Freeze" is the eighth release in the series, with additional adventures planned for the future.
Universal Studios Home Video is a unit of Universal Studios ( http://www.universalstudios.com/ ), a part of CANAL+, the TV and Film division of Vivendi Universal, a new global leader in media and communications.
For artwork or screeners, please fax your request to Universal Studios Home Video Publicity at (818) 866-0226, or visit http://www.ushvpublicity.com/.
For further information, please contact: Maria LaMagra, +1-818-777-4315, or Evan Fong, +1-818-777-5540, or Yuko Sakamoto, +1-818-770-0115, all of Universal Studios Home Video, or online, Matt Kalinowski of Universal Studios, +1-818-777-5344, matt.kalinowski@unistudios.com.
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Contact: Maria LaMagra, +1-818-777-4315, or Evan Fong, +1-818-777-5540, or Yuko Sakamoto, +1-818-770-0115, all of Universal Studios Home Video, or online, Matt Kalinowski of Universal Studios, +1-818-777-5344, matt.kalinowski@unistudios.com
Website: http://www.ushvpublicity.com/
Website: http://www.universalstudios.com/