Westerns make comeback in first quarter
By Cindy Spielvogel -- Video Business, 11/29/2007
NOV. 29 | The Old West has returned in a big way, and a herd of features and TV shows will be released on DVD in the first quarter.
The critically acclaimed 3:10 to Yuma will be released Jan. 8.
Leading the pack is Lionsgate’s 3:10 to Yuma on Jan. 8 (prebook Dec. 12; DVD $29.95, BD $39.99). Starring Russell Crowe, Christian Bale and Peter Fonda, the movie grossed $53.4 million in theaters. The film is based on a story by Elmore Leonard, which also was adapted into a western starring Glenn Ford in 1957, and tells the story of a small-time rancher (Bale), who agrees to escort a captured killer (Crowe) to a neighboring town in order put him on a train that will deliver him to prison.
The film “transcends the western genre,” says Tracy Ames, VP of marketing for Lionsgate.
It appeals to a larger audience than many other westerns because it is a broader action film with critically acclaimed performances, she says.
Lionsgate will support the film by TV ads along with radio and online. Extra features on the DVD include commentary by director James Mangold and several featurettes. The Blu-ray version includes additional special features.
Lionsgate will follow up the release with another western title, The Legend of Butch and Sundance. Based on historical chronicles, the title offers the alleged true account of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It will street on Feb. 5 (prebook Jan. 9; DVD $26.98).
Warner will release The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford on Feb. 5 (prebook Jan. 2; DVD $27.95). The movie starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck grossed $3.7 million in limited release and tells the story of James fan Ford's attempts to join his heroes gang and his gradual resentment of its leader.
Meanwhile, CBS and Paramount Home Entertainment will release DVDs of two more western TV series in the first quarter. Gunsmoke Season 2, Vol. 1 arrives Jan. 8 (order now) in a three-disc set priced at $39.99. The second season of the longest-running TV drama series stars James Arness as Marshall Matt Dillon, who is responsible for keeping the law and respectability in Dodge City.
Walker, Texas Ranger: The Fourth Season stars Chuck Norris as Texas Ranger Cordell Walker, one of the last old-fashioned heroes in the West, who is a protective friend but also a relentless foe who will stop at nothing to bring a criminal to justice. Paramount will release the title on Feb. 19 (prebook Jan. 8) in a seven-disc set priced at $54.99.
