‘Asteroid City’ Debuts on PVOD and Joins the Ranks of Summer Box-Office Hits
Franchises in theaters are showing their age, but they’re a sure bet at home. This week’s VOD charts have “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” (Paramount) and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (Disney), both $19.99, battling for top spot. The Hasbro action film is #1 at Vudu and iTunes, while the latest Marvel entry remains #1 at GooglePlay.
Meantime, Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City” (Focus), released at $19.99 after its fourth weekend, is fourth or fifth on all three lists. It is behind “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” the year’s biggest domestic hit, now at $5.99 and ranks third everywhere. The top three films all grossed between $150 million and $575 million; “Asteroid” is not yet at $30 million. Anderson’s $25 million budget, a fraction of its competitors’, suggests a lucrative haul for Focus.
Only 13 titles made the charts, with eight on all three. The still-PVOD “Fast X” (Universal) and standard-price “Sisu” and “John Wick: Chapter 4” (both Lionsgate), and “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” (Paramount) complete the list.
Netflix is showing its utility as a summer-vacation babysitter. Universal’s DreamWorks Animation title “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” is now streaming there after VOD play. It’s #1, with “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie,” “Boss Baby” and the in-house “Nimona” also ranked.
“Bird Box: Barcelona”
The sole Netflix original entering the top 10 is “Bird Box: Barcelona” at #2. The streamer’s very expensive “Extraction 2” has dropped off the chart. The Adam Sandler-produced comedy “The Out-Laws” (briefly #1) is now #3. Also new is “The Tutor,” a thriller starring Garrett Hedlund that received a minimal release via Vertical earlier this year.
iTunes and Google Play rank films daily by number of transactions. These are the listings for Monday, July 16. Distributors listed are current rights owners. Prices for all titles are for rental.
iTunes
1. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Paramount) – $19.99
2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Disney) – $19.99
3. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal) – $5.99
4. Asteroid City (Focus) – $19.99
5. Sisu (Lionsgate) – $5.99
6. John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate) – $5.99
7. The Covenant (MGM) – $5.99
8. Fast X (Universal) – $19.99
9. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (Paramount) – $5.99
10. Are You There, God? It’s Me Margaret (Lionsgate) – $5.99
Google Play
1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Disney) – $19.99
2. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Paramount) – $19.99
3. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal) – $5.99
4. John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate) – $5.99
5. Asteroid City (Focus) – $19.99
6. Fast X (Universal) – $19.99
7. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony) – $3.99
8. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (Paramount) – $5.99
9. The Covenant (MGM) – $5.99
10. Sisu (Lionsgate) – $5.99
Vudu
Vudu ranks by revenue, not transactions, elevating premium VOD titles. This list covers July 10-16.
1. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Paramount) – $19.99
2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Disney) – $19.99
3. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal) – $5.99
4. Asteroid City (Focus) – $19.99
5. Fast X (Universal) – $19.99
6. The Blackening (Lionsgate) – $19.99
7. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (Paramount) – $5.99
8. John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate) – $5.99
9. Sisu (Lionsgate) – $19.99
10. Nefarious (Soli Deo Gloria) – $4.99
Netflix Movies
Most viewed, current ranking on Netflix’s daily chart on Monday, July 17. 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. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022 theatrical release)
2. Bird Box Barcelona (Netflix Spanish original)
3. The Out-Laws (Netflix original)
4. Ride Along (2014 theatrical release)
5. 65 (2023 theatrical release)
6. Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017 theatrical release)
7. The Tutor (Netflix original)
8. Boss Baby (2017 theatrical release)
9. Rush Hour (1998 theatrical release)
10. Nimona (Netflix animated original)