March 9 (UPI) – “The Hurt Locker” DVD sales spiked after the film won best picture at the Oscars, and analysts said his six Oscars can help double box office income for distributor Summit Entertainment LLC.“The Hurt Locker,” which won best original screenplay and best director Kathryn Bigelow ceremony at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles, rose to third in Ayer 13 March 7 on Amazon.com Inc. ’s DVDs sold in Mexico. The drama of the war in Iraq was the most rented video movie yesterday’s Amazon-on-demand service and Apple’s iTunes.
Extending the 1000 movie in 274 theaters in the coming weeks could increase its box office sales worldwide-an estimated $ 40 million, said David Joyce, an analyst at Miller Tabak & Co. in New York. The film has taken $ 21.4 million in ticket sales worldwide since its launch on June 26, according to Box Office Mojo, a researcher based in Sherman Oaks, California.
Summit can “easily” double their box office revenue, making “The Hurt Locker” to more theaters, said Hal Vogel, an analyst with independent media in New York. Oscar wins could help the closely held studio to sell 1 million DVDs in addition to the 725,000 already sold, he said.
“The Hurt Locker,” which follows a U.S. Army readiness pump unit in Iraq, costing $ 15 billion, according to Box Office Mojo. Beat the movie “Avatar”, the highest grossing film of all time, to win best picture at the Oscars ceremony on March 7.
Paul Pflug, spokesman based in Los Angeles for the Summit, said the company has no immediate comment on plans for the film. Sarah Gelman, an Amazon spokesman, said the online retailer of Seattle-based had been a “coup Oscar” for the sale of the titles nominated for best film.
‘Oscar stamp’
Video-on-demand, home video and cable TV profit increase of “The Hurt Locker,” said Gitesh Pandya, editor of Box Office Guru LLC.
“It’s a movie that many people may want to own, and most importantly is a film that most of the country has lost,” Pandya said in a telephone interview. “With the stamp of approval Oscar becomes a movie much higher profile.”
Amazon rose 18 cents to $ 130.29 at 9:57 am on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The shares had fallen 3.3 percent this year before today. Apple, based in Cupertino, California, up 36 cents at $ 219.44 and has advanced 4 percent this year before today.
- With the help of Connie Guglielmo in San Francisco and Michael White in Los Angeles. Editors: James Callan, Margot Slade
