SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 8, 2005--In just one week of release, "Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith" on DVD and the "Star Wars Battlefront II" video game brought in sales of US$210 million in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia and Latin America, capping a record-breaking year for the Star Wars franchise.
The two newest Star Wars home-entertainment releases debut in four more major international markets through Nov. 23.
Jim Ward, Senior Vice President of Lucasfilm Ltd. and President of LucasArts, said, "The phenomenal sales underscore the enduring strength of the series. In many territories, DVD and game sales were nearly double what we initially expected. Consumers are clearly eager to experience the movie again in pristine DVD quality and to immerse themselves in the Star Wars universe by playing `Star Wars Battlefront II.'"
"Star Wars Battlefront II" is poised to overtake last year's original "Star Wars Battlefront" as the best-selling Star Wars video game of all time, with first-week sales 40 percent ahead of its predecessor, Ward said.
The record-breaking sales of the "Revenge of the Sith" DVD and "Battlefront II" continue a trend that began on May 19, when "Star Wars: Episode III" opened in movie theaters in the U.S. to widespread critical acclaim and smashed the one-day box-office total with $50.6 million in sales. Throughout the summer, "Revenge of the Sith" set new box-office standards, taking in $380 million in the U.S. and $468 million internationally, becoming the worldwide No. 1 movie of the year.
But the popularity of Star Wars goes well beyond cinema and home entertainment. The NPD Group recently reported that Star Wars is the most popular toy property by far, with 9.1% of the entire U.S. toy market heading into the key holiday period, outselling its nearest rival by a nearly 2-to-1 margin.
Star Wars was the most popular Halloween costume line in 2005, and around the world an unprecedented four specially created museum exhibits celebrating Star Wars are running simultaneously. On Thursday, Nov. 10, even Donald Trump will enter the Star Wars universe as NBC airs a special Star Wars-themed version of "The Apprentice."
Lucasfilm Ltd. is one of the world's leading film and entertainment companies. Founded by George Lucas in 1971, it is a privately held, fully integrated entertainment company. In addition to its motion picture and television productions, the company's global businesses include Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, LucasArts Entertainment, Lucas Licensing, and Lucas Online. Lucasfilm's feature films have won 19 Oscars and its television projects have won 12 Emmy Awards.
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC, is worldwide distributor of all Fox film and television properties on DVD and VHS. It is an operating unit of Fox Filmed Entertainment, a News Corporation Company.
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