Zack Snyder’s “Rebel Moon: Part One — Child of Fire” replaced “Leave the World Behind” as No. 1 this week on Netflix’s Top 10 Movie list. But the big news here is that Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro,” considered a prime awards contender and given a nationwide, four-week theatrical release, dropped off the list after only four days.
Among new releases on PVOD, “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” (Lionsgate) placed No. 1 at Vudu and Google Play, second at iTunes (where the reduced-price “Oppenheimer” returned to No. 1). “Trolls Band Together” (Universal) placed No. 2 at Vudu, but lower elsewhere.
It may be unfair to judge the response equivalent to broader interest genre titles like the sci-fi “Rebel Moon.” We don’t expect highly acclaimed specialized titles to compete on equal footing in theatrical box office lists.
Still, “Maestro,” positioned as Netflix’s top contender among several acclaimed releases (along with “May December,” “Rustin,” Nyad,” and “American Symphony” among others), with Cooper’s attachment and the film‘s reviews and publicity seemed destined for a better reaction. Unlike heading out to theaters (often initially limited) to buy tickets for “Poor Things” or “American Fiction” or other potential nominees, all subscribers need to do is click play and they can watch for no extra charge.
Perhaps it and others might return after the Oscar nominations come out. But it’s tough to ignore that No. 2 and 3 on Christmas Day were two obscure action titles, originally direct-to-video releases from Sony’s “Sniper” series that just happened to be added to the playlist and got much more interest.
The holiday made it a bit of a challenge to chart, with three Christmas titles, including returns of two “Christmas Chronicles” films (both Netflix originals) listed. But that didn’t keep “Leave the World Behind” from staying in the Top Five, proving that viewers still are drawn to more sophisticated titles. Apparently though not so much to Oscar bait.
More than a third of the spots on three VOD top ten lists also had Christmas themes, including two recent releases. As happens most years, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” scored best, making all three charts, ranking as high as No 4. “Die Hard” made two (No. 3 at Google Play), as did “The Holiday.”
John Woo’s “Silent Night,” released just three weeks after its theatrical opening, placed No. 4 at Vudu (which elevates $19.99 rentals with its revenue-based rankings.) Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers” made an unusual return to the lists with No. 10 at iTunes. That’s before reducing its price (the normal time for revived interest). Apart from suggesting strong word of mouth for the film, it hints that it already is establishing itself as a new Christmas perennial.
Of note among PVOD placement, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” did a nosedive its second weekend, not making even one top five listing. And “Trolls” also was weaker than expected. Again, Vudu with its revenue measure at No. 2, is not surprising. But it is only as high as No. 5 elsewhere.
“Trolls” came out after five weeks in theaters, not the usual two. Perhaps this shows that earlier play elevates interests. But for this and “Eras,” here’s a thought — perhaps consumers are getting more sophisticated for certain titles, particularly those they wish to add to their home libraries. Fans of both films (with “Trolls,” parents) might prefer to wait until they can download for recurrent viewings, rather than spend $19.99 for 48 hours.
Similarly, that might explain why Nicolas Cage’s latest “Dream Scenario” is nowhere to be found on charts yet. Cage has been for years king of VOD, with multiple new films charting high every year. But most of these were direct to VOD, and rented for $6.99. His fans might also being saying $19.99 is more than they want to spend.
iTunes and Google Play rank films daily by number of transactions. These are the listings for Tuesday, December 26. Distributors listed are current rights owners. Prices for all titles are for lowest for either rental or download.
iTunes
1. Oppenheimer (Universal) – $5.99
2. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Lionsgate) – $19.99
3. Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple) – $19.99
4. Die Hard (Disney) – $3.99
5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Universal) – $3.99
6. Trolls Band Together (Universal) – $19.99
7. The Holiday (Sony) – $3.99
8. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (TAS Rights Management) – $19.89
9. Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning: Part One (Paramount) – $5.99
10. The Holdovers (Focus) – $19.99
Google Play
1. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (Lionsgate) – $19.99
2. Oppenheimer (Universal) – $19.99
3. Die Hard (Disney) – $3.99
4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Universal) – $5.99
5. Trolls Band Together (Universal) – $19.99
6. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (TAS Rights Management) – $19.89
7. The Grinch (Universal) – $3.99
8. The Holiday (Sony) – $3.99
9. Home Alone (Disney) – $3.99
10. Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple) – $19.89
Vudu
Vudu ranks by revenue, not transactions, elevating premium VOD titles. This list covers December 18-25.
1. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (Lionsgate) – $19.99
2. Trolls Band Together (Universal) – $19.99
3. Thanksgiving (Sony) – $19.99
4. Silent Night (Lionsgate) – $19.99
5. Oppenheimer (Universal) – $5.99
6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Universal) – $3.99
7. Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple) – $19.99
8. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (TAS Rights Management) – $19.89
9. The Expendables 4 (Lionsgate) – $5.99
10. Barbie (WB) – $5.99
Netflix Movies
Most viewed, current ranking on Netflix’s daily chart on Tuesday, December 26. 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. Rebel Moon: Part One — A Child of Fire (Netflix original)
2. Sniper: Assassin’s End (2020 home video release)
3. Sniper: Ultimate Kill (2017 home video release)
4. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023 theatrical release)
5. Leave the World Behind (Netflix original)
6. The Christmas Chronicles (2018 Netflix original)
7. Family Switch (Netflix original)
8. Gran Turismo (2023 theatrical release)
9. Holiday in the Vineyards (Netflix original)
10. The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two (2020 Netflix original)