Warner Premiere expands production slate

Unit developing DVD movies based on books The Clique, In His Steps

By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 6/20/2007

JUNE 20 | LOS ANGELES—Warner Premiere is spreading its wings, moving into development on non-theatrical-sequel, made-for-DVD projects, including book-based The Clique and In His Steps.

The Warner Premiere unit under Warner Home Video kicked off business earlier last year with theatrical-related content, including The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning and a planned parallel DVD production to upcoming Steve Carell-vehicle Get Smart.

However, in order to drive overall DVD growth in a slowing market, Warner Premiere and other studio DVD premiere divisions aim to roll out a greater variety of high-quality titles.

“There had been a perception of the direct-to-DVD business as busted theatricals, but now that’s not the case,” said Matt Bierman, VP of production at Warner at the Home Entertainment Summit: DVD and Beyond here. “There isn’t the stigma with the younger generations about what doesn’t come out theatrically.”

About a dozen Clique books have been published. Warner is set to release DVD titles from the first two Clique installments, a popular series of chick lit stories for tweens, and hopes to eventually street the entire series on disc.

In His Steps is the classic Christian novel that originated the famous theological question “What would Jesus do?” It has sold more than 30 million copies.

Warner will still continue to roll out theatrical sequels, including Warner’s Return to House on Haunted Hill, which will be produced by Joel Silver, and The Lost Boys 2.

Return is slated to street in October on DVD, Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD. Warner hasn’t yet set pricing or street dates for the other titles.

New Line Home Entertainment is readying sequels to Paul Walker-starring Running Scared and horror flick Havoc. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is working on Wrong Turn 2, among others.