SUBMITTED BY pimpjoe_esb

June 1, 2007 —

Reuters reports that Disney on May 22 released the first two "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies on Blu-ray Disc, just before the third installment in the blockbuster franchise opened on the big screen.

The same day, Warner Home Video released two "Matrix" collections on the rival HD DVD format.

Within a week, consumers had spent more than $2 million on those releases alone, according to market research estimates from trade publication Home Media Magazine. The two "Pirates" films sold a combined total of a little less than 47,000 units, while the higher-priced "Matrix" sets sold about 13,900 units.

In dollars there was more parity because the single-disc "Pirates" releases fetched about $25 in stores, while the "Matrix" sets, each with all three movies in the franchise, were priced significantly higher. The five-disc "The Ultimate Matrix Collection" lists for $119.99, while "The Complete Matrix Trilogy" (three discs) goes for $99.99.

Both high-def formats are gaining traction amid growing Hollywood sentiment that the format war isn't necessarily a bad thing. Observers question whether hardware prices would have dropped as dramatically as they have if only one format was on the market.

Warner said last week that sales of "The Departed," which was released the same day as the DVD on both HD DVD and Blu-ray, have surpassed 100,000 units.

In March, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment said it had shipped 100,000 Blu-ray Disc copies of another new theatrical, "Casino Royale," which as of the end of April had sold through to consumers 74,280 units.

In other news, Jerry Bruckheimer who is currently busy with a second "National Treasure" film, isn't so sure what's going to happen with Captain Jack Sparrow. "We've been working on this trilogy for five and a half years, and the latest one was a monster," he explains, hinting in the Los Angeles Times about the Bahamian production toll of the endeavor. "It's always about making sure you have a great story with interesting plots, themes and characters. There is a possibility, but we'll see what happens."

"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" is now in theaters.