Hi-Def Consumer Spending Up 58 Percent Over Same Quarter Last Year

Blu-ray-enabled households now total 33.5 million, with consumer spending on the high-definition packaged-media format up 58 percent in the quarter, compared with the same period last year. The surge is due in part to a 60 percent jump in sales of catalog Blu-ray releases, led by Star Wars, Citizen Kane, Scarface and The Big Lebowski, among others. Electronic sellthrough of new-release movies increased 13 percent in the quarter. Overall, sellthrough for DVD and Blu-ray movies declined 4 percent to more than $1.7 billion, compared with $1.8 billion last year. When combined with electronic sellthough, sales of movies dropped less than 3 percent from the same period last year. PHOTOS: Netflix's 10 Most Rented Movies of All Time In addition to electronic sellthrough, transactional video-on-demand increased nearly 5 percent to $419 million, compared with $400 million last year. Subscription streaming revenue topped $255 million. Traditional brick-and-mortar video store rental revenue dropped more than 28 percent to $353 million from $495 million last year. It marks the first time that transactional VOD revenue surpassed traditional video store rental revenue. At the same time, subscription rental of DVD/Blu-ray increased nearly 5 percent to $607 million from $579 million. Kiosk revenue, which includes Redbox and Blockbuster Express, surged 23.3 percent to $414 million, compared with $335 million last year. Total rental revenue, excluding VOD, declined 2.4 percent to $1.37 billion from $1.4 billion. With VOD, total rental revenue declined less than 1 percent to $1.79 billion from $1.8 billion. Heading into the all-important fourth quarter, the DEG is confident that theatrical blockbusters entering the retail channel, including Captain America: The First Avenger, Cars 2, Cowboys & Aliens, The Hangover Part II, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, The Help, Kung Fu Panda 2, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Smurfs and Water for Elephants, will continue the positive trend into 2012. Related Topics Star Wars

Blockbuster drops prices in U.K.

Don't count out Blockbuster's brick-and-mortar stores just yet -- at least not in the U.K. The rental chain has announced a new initiative in its high street stores that will lower the rental price of many recent pics to 99p. ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 1,'' ''Tron: Legacy'' and ''Meet the Fockers'' are among the titles the store will be renting for less; Blockbuster is also lowering the price of its video game rentals to 5 pounds for five nights. The price change also encompasses Blu-Ray. The store is trying to make renting physical copies of films, games and TV show more tech-friendly with a smartphone app that helps customers to reserve movies. The company also didn't miss the opportunity to take a shot at rival Netflix. ''(A)t a time when rivals are dealing with plunging share prices or over-extending themselves to deliver, it gives me and the rest of the Blockbuster team a huge sense of pride that we are in a position to be able to make this radical change,'' said commercial director Gerry Butler in a release. Contact Sam Thielman at sam.thielman@variety.com

P Niro, Travolta looking for 'Killing Season'

P NiroTravoltaMillennium Films and Corsan Pictures have set Robert P Niro and Travolta Qantas Video to star within the actioner "Killing Season."Mark Steven Manley ("Ghost Driver") will direct from the script by Evan Daugherty ("Snow Whitened and also the Huntsman").Occur the Appalachian Mountain tops, pic will begin production Jan. 16De Niro will have a united states military veteran that has retreated to some remote cabin within the forest, where he strikes up an unlikely friendship having a rare customer. Travolta plays the second character, a European tourist who's really an old Serbian soldier bent on revenge.Nu Image/Millennium takes charge on worldwide sales in the American Film Market now, in consultation with Corsan."I have loved this project as soon as I just read Evan Daughterty's amazing script," stated Corsan Boss Paul Breuls. "It's thrilling, imaginative, unpredicted and centered by two remarkable figures on the collision course. I am happy this film is getting into production and also to be joined with Avi Lerner and the team at Millennium.""We are excited to become co-financing and co-creating this film with Corsan, and also to work again with Robert P Niro and Travolta Qantas Video,Inch stated Nu Image/Millennium topper Avi Lerner. "We have never witnessed both of these great stars on the watch's screen together before, and we are excited to determine what comes from the combination."Belgium-based Corsan, which lately created and funded "The Devil's Double," is presently in pre-production on Roland Emmerich's "Singularity."P Niro and Manley are repped by CAA, while WME reps Travolta. UTA and FilmEngine repetition Daugherty. Contact Shaun Sneider at shaun.sneider@variety.com

IDA sets documentary nominees

By Dork McNARY The Worldwide Documentary Assn. has drawn on a quintet of game titles because of its feature award: "Better Our Planet,Inch "How you can Die in Or," "Nostalgia for that Light," "The Redemption of General Butt Naked" and "The Littlest Place." The IDA introduced the noms Thursday. Those who win is going to be introduced 12 ,. 2 in the DGA in Hollywood. "Better Our PlanetInch is Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane p la Vega's account of two boyhood buddies from Midland, Texas, who find yourself arrested on terrorism charges in the 2008 Republican National Convention "How you can Die in Or" is Peter Richardson's portrait of the items this means to die with dignity "Nostalgia" is really a personal journey from Chilean director Patricio Guzman Daniele Anastasion and Eric Strauss' "Butt Naked" confronts hard questions regarding both energy and limits of forgiveness and "The Littlest Place" is Tatiana Huezo's story of the annihilated Salvadorian town. 5 nominated films within the short category are "Damaged Doorways," Goro Toshima's take a look at a youthful, destitute couple, battling to outlive around the roads of Hollywood Barbara Hammer's "Maya Deren's Sink," a tribute towards the mother of avant-garde American film "Minka," Davina Pardo's story about architecture, memory and also the concept of home Sara Nesson's "Poster Girl," a portrait of the all-American high-school cheerleader switched poster girl for ladies in combat battling using the debilitating results of publish-distressing stress order and "The Players of Quigang," Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon's take a look at villagers inside a remote district of China who fight a chemical company. IDA also introduced the best feature and short award those who win would again be selected by IDA's people with an innovative online viewing and voting process. 5 nominees for that Ongoing Series Award are "30 for 30" (ESPN Films), "American Experience" (WGBH), "The Passionate Eye" (CBC), "POV" (American Documentary Corporation. and POV) and "Vanguard" (Current). Limited Series nominees are "Boomtown" (Planet Eco-friendly), "If God Would Like and also the Creek Don't Rise" (Cinemax Documentary Films), "On Series" (Current), "Michael Feinstein's American Songbook" (PBS) and "The Nation's Parks Project" (Discovery World HD). Nominees for that IDA Humanitas Award are "The Company" (Maggie Betts, director), "How you can Die in Or" (Peter Richardson), "The TrainingInch (Ramona Diaz), "Position One of the Stars" (Leonard Retel Helmrich) and "The Littlest Place" (Tatiana Huezo). Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Lionsgate buys Mark Heyman's Facebook pic

HeymanAronofskyFollowing months of negotiations, Lionsgate has closed a deal to acquire "Black Swan" scribe Mark Heyman's spec script "XOXO," an elevated genre tale set in the world of Facebook, where things aren't always as they seem.Darren Aronofsky and Michael London ("Sideways") will produce through their respective shingles Protozoa Pictures and Groundswell Prods., whose Kelly Mullen brought in the project and will also be involved in a producing capacity.Described as "Fatal Attraction" for the digital age, story follows an on-the-rise executive who despite being engaged, enjoys flirting online, where he meets an alluring woman on Facebook. The two begin a virtual relationship, but as the line between online temptations and real-life possibilities begins to blur, the protag soon discovers that his Internet relationship is seeping into his actual life ... in a deadly way.Like Lionsgate's own 2005 thriller "Hard Candy," "XOXO" explores misleading digital identities, as the film also makes use of streaming video and other social-media platforms. These online interactions will be made more cinematic by employing stylized visual sequences, though no director has been brought on board yet.Alli Shearmur and Mike Paseornek, Lionsgate's heads of production, will spearhead the upscale thriller together for the studio.Heyman is Aronofsky's producing partner who was nominated for a WGA award for co-writing Aronofsky's Fox Searchlight pic "Black Swan" with Andres Heinz and John J. McLaughlin. Pic grossed $329 million worldwide en route to five Oscar nominations. Heyman and Aronofsky are currently developing sci-fi tale "Machine Man" for Mandalay Pictures, and he has also written "Age of Rage" for Fox Searchlight and director Marc Webb.CAA reps both Aronofsky and Heyman, who is also repped by Management 360. Contact Jeff Sneider at jeff.sneider@variety.com

More Particulars Emerge About Joss Whedon's 'Much Ado About Nothing'

The Web did a collective backflip within the news that Joss Whedon had apparently shot an adaptation of Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing' secretly with his usual repertory gamers (Nathan Fillion, Alexis Denisof and Clark Gregg). Well, it's correct, along with a new pr release offers up more particulars in the film. Whedon's 'Much Ado About Nothing' shot in 12 days "positioned on location in exotic Santa Monica" states a pr release from Bellwether Films (through the NY Occasions), a business founded by Whedon and the wife, Kai Cole. For the film itself, Denisof and Amy Acker will have Benedick and Beatrice Fillion and Gregg are Dogberry and Leonato and Fran Kranz and Jillian Morgese will have Claudio and Hero. Not sure yet on the release date, but expect it between 2012. 'Much Ado About Nothing' "ought to be performed by springtime and headed for that festival circuit, since it is fancy," stated the discharge. [via NYT/ArtsBeat] [Photo: Getty] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Durand lines up 'Evil,' 'Truth'

DurandKevin Durand is stay busy both in the indie and commercial area, booking roles within the next installment from the "Resident Evil" franchise, "Resident Evil: Retribution" and also the indie film "The Reality.InchIn "Resident Evil: Retribution," Durand will join Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez with Paul W.S. Anderson pointing and scripting.With "The Reality,Inch Damian Lee will direct stars Andy Garcia, Avoi Longoria and Forest Whitaker.Within the pic an old CIA operative-switched-political talkshow host, performed by Garcia, is hired with a corporate whistleblower to reveal her company's coverup of the massacre in South American village."Resident Evil" is presently in production and Durand is anticipated to leap into "The RealityInch after.Durand was most lately observed in DreamWorks' "Real Steel" and "I'm # 4.InchHe's repped by WME and Alchemy Entertainment. Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com