Video Business reports that Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon had the biggest first week this year for a DVD title, pulling in some $30 million retail with over 1.5 million units sold.  During a week in which the top film at the box office, Swordfish, took in less than $20 million, Crouching Tiger earned fifty per cent more on DVD alone -- a perfect example of the increasing importance of the video aftermarket and in particular of the growing impact of the DVD.  The strong performance of the DVD also speaks to the power of Crouching Tiger, which became the first foreign language film to crack the $100 million barrier and has had such a profound effect on American culture that it has been awarded the ultimate American accolade--being ripped off for a Mountain Dew commercial.

 

With such an enormous sale during the first week, retailers might worry that long term prospects for sales of Crouching Tiger DVDs would be dim, but with the number of DVD players expected to double this year (see 'Number of DVD Players to Double In 2001'), demand should continue and retailers who sell DVDs should endeavor to keep Crouching Tiger in stock right through the end of the holiday season.  Other than the DVD, an excellent book about the film (see 'Crouching Tiger, The Book'), and some posters, pop culture retailers have relatively few Crouching Tiger products to exploit, though the situation should improve in the fall when Art Asylum releases a series of action figures and Image publishes a related graphic novel (see 'Crouching Tiger Figures...').