Vid auds deliver 'Transporter'
Surprise DVD sales helped greenlight hit sequel
On a Labor Day weekend that most expected to be uninspiring, "The Transporter 2" caught many industryites off guard. Pic grossed $20 million, easily setting a record for the holiday.
That's almost as much as the $25 million original "Transporter" made in its entire theatrical run in 2002.
That pic was barely noticed during its bow on a competitive October weekend, where it opened in fourth place and quickly dropped in the charts.
But Fox, which picked up both pics from French producer EuropaCorp, headed by Luc Besson, was interested in the sequel based largely on the original's DVD sales, which far exceeded predictions for a pic with such a small B.O. perf.
"We knew from the video sales and the shelf life that there was definitely interest in this character and enthusiasm for another film," says Fox production prexy Hutch Parker.
Exec also noted that the extremely low cost that Europa was able to bring the pic in for (less than $30 million) made it easier to pick up a sequel.
It's the latest example of films that didn't overwhelm in theaters but drew a following on DVD.
Pics like the original "Austin Powers," "Office Space" and "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" all caught on in the homevid window, largely with young males and thanks entirely to audience buzz.
As an easily replicable all-out action extravaganza, "The Transporter" turned homevid momentum into a successful sequel.
That likely means more bigscreen adventures are in the cards for the gruff and violent courier played by Jason Statham -- though Fox may want to wait and see DVD sales for "Transporter 2" before giving a greenlight.
