Going, Going, Gone.
Davis DVD is reporting that Warner Bros. will be taking the first four Harry Potter films off of the shelves…very soon.
Warner Home Video has confirmed that all four “Harry Potter” DVD titles will be off store shelves within the first few months of 2007, with no announced plans for their return. The first three films - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - will go on moratorium on January 5th, 2007. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire will become unavailable beginning on January 22nd.
I don’t know how they do their math, but January 5th and 22nd is a whole heck of a lot sooner than “within the first few months of 2007.” It’s just a couple days away!
So, what’s happening? And why?
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A “moratorium” is basically a “suspension of activity.” So they’re not going away forever, they’re just getting a little break. Why?
It seems rumor has it that Warner is (according to davisdvd.com) “planning new high-definition special editions in anticipation of the fifth film due later this year, but no concrete plans have been revealed.”
Soooo…no plans have been revealed, but it seems pretty likely that this is the case. It’s really the only reason taking them off the shelves would & could happen. If they’re still on the shelves when a fancier, more expensive product hits stores people wouldn’t pay attention. But if the DVD’s haven’t been on shelves for a few months, and the basic ones are nowhere to be found, the new, fancier DVD’s will be your only option. And that cha-ching you hear is Warner making a nice chunk of change. Capitalism at its best.
No shame in their game, though. It’s just how business is done. And new, high-definition versions of the movies with perhaps some new “special features” could be pretty nice. Who doesn’t like new Harry Potter stuff?
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