From Universal Studios Home Entertainment: Worldwide Phenomenon Mamma Mia! The Movie Takes in 'Money Money Money' With DVD Ringing in $30 Million on First Day

From Universal Studios Home Entertainment: Worldwide Phenomenon Mamma Mia! The Movie Takes in 'Money Money Money' With DVD Ringing in $30 Million on First Day

The Most Successful Film Musical of All Time Worldwide Becomes The Must-Have Home Entertainment Title of 2008

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Dec. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers said "Gimme Gimme Gimme" to Mamma Mia! The Movie, the most successful film musical of all time worldwide, as first day domestic DVD and Blu-ray(TM) consumer spend totaled over $30 million. Universal Studios Home Entertainment sold over 2.25 million units of the Golden Globe(R) -nominated blockbuster on December 16, 2008. An unprecedented worldwide box office phenomenon, Mamma Mia! The Movie has already been proclaimed the fastest selling DVD of all time in the U.K. after first-day sales reached 1.6 million units, surpassing the previous decade-long record holder "Titanic" on November 24, 2008 by over a half-million units, or 50 percent of total sales.

Overflowing with high-spirited fun, Mamma Mia! The Movie is the ultimate film for every "Dancing Queen" to enjoy at home this holiday season, and makes the perfect gift for the whole family. The film recently garnered two Golden Globe (R)nominations including Best Picture (Musical or Comedy) and Best Actress in Musical or Comedy for Meryl Streep.

"Adding spectacular star power to the record-breaking popularity of the global stage hit and the unforgettable music of ABBA has made Mamma Mia! The Movie the must-see film event of the year," said Craig Kornblau, President, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures Digital Platform. "That unbeatable combination has created extraordinary demand for the new DVD and Blu-ray releases, as demonstrated by its phenomenal success in the U.S. and all over the world."

In the U.K., Mamma Mia! The Movie continued its winning streak, selling 3.2 million units in its first week, beating "Titanic's" 10-year record by 35 percent. In Australia, the DVD became the biggest DVD release of the past two years, holding the number-one spot for four consecutive weeks. The title is now poised to become one of the continent's top-five DVDs of all time. It is also Universals' biggest home entertainment release ever in Germany, with one million units shipped to date. In Nordic territories, the title has broken all industry records to date, with 1.2 million units shipped in its first week.

Inspired by the storytelling magic of ABBA's hit songs, Mamma Mia! The Movie is a celebration of mothers and daughters, old friends and new family. Two-time Oscar(R) winner Meryl Streep ("The Devil Wears Prada") and Pierce Brosnan ("Die Another Day") head up an all-star cast that also includes Amanda Seyfried ("Big Love"), Colin Firth ("Love Actually"), Stellan Skarsgard ("Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"), Julie Walters (the "Harry Potter" films), Dominic Cooper ("The History Boys") and Christine Baranski ("Chicago"). The three women who created the worldwide smash stage hit--global producer Judy Craymer, writer Catherine Johnson and director Phyllida Lloyd--reprise their roles in bringing this joyful, musical story to the big screen. Craymer shares producing credit with Gary Goetzman ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding," "Charlie Wilson's War"). Executive producers are Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Mark Huffman.

Seen by more than 32 million people around the world, the stage production of Mamma Mia! is celebrating more than seven years on Broadway and is currently playing record-breaking engagements in Las Vegas and on national tour in the United States. There are currently eight productions of Mamma Mia! running around the world.

Available for a limited time only, the most infectiously fun movie of the year comes in two-disc Special Edition widescreen DVD and two-disc Blu-ray Hi-Def with digital copy. Both versions are packed with bonus materials including a deleted musical number, "Name of the Game," and a sing-along feature that provides onscreen lyrics to the film's 22 musical numbers. And, only on Blu-ray, fans can create their own video, audio or text track to watch with the movie and share with friends.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.

   CONTACTS   Universal Studios Home Entertainment   Lea Porteneuve   Vice President, Communications & Publicity   (818) 777-1391  

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: Cynthia.Hartzell@nbcuni.com

Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

CONTACT: Lea Porteneuve, Vice President, Communications & Publicity of
Universal Studios Home Entertainment, +1-818-777-1391

Web Site: http://www.universalstudios.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment