"Land Before Time" Series Marks 15th Anniversary
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) -- Universal Studios Home Video is mounting its biggest campaign yet for the "Land Before Time" series of animated video premiere movies based on Steven Spielberg's original 1988 animated dinosaur theatrical release. A yearlong 15th anniversary promotion leading up to next year's release of the 10th episode, "The Great Migration," featuring the voices of James Garner and Keifer Sutherland, will kick off this fall with the Dec. 10 release of "The Land Before Time: Journey to Big Water." The series has generated sales of more than 50 million copies worldwide, with each of the last several titles selling more than 2 million units in the US alone. Last year's installment sold a little better than the previous year's title, a development that caught the attention of Universal execs. By Easter, Universal plans to have most of the episodes available on DVD, with seasonal pushes for the franchise during the year and repackaged copies of the movies like one planned for "Big Water" that will be the first to include a plush version of one of the dinosaur characters. The company will stage various "Land Before Time" events at Universal theme parks, introduce merchandise like a "Land Before Time" ear thermometer and create a club named after lead character Littlefoot with newsletters and activities.
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) -- Universal Studios Home Video is mounting its biggest campaign yet for the "Land Before Time" series of animated video premiere movies based on Steven Spielberg's original 1988 animated dinosaur theatrical release. A yearlong 15th anniversary promotion leading up to next year's release of the 10th episode, "The Great Migration," featuring the voices of James Garner and Keifer Sutherland, will kick off this fall with the Dec. 10 release of "The Land Before Time: Journey to Big Water." The series has generated sales of more than 50 million copies worldwide, with each of the last several titles selling more than 2 million units in the US alone. Last year's installment sold a little better than the previous year's title, a development that caught the attention of Universal execs. By Easter, Universal plans to have most of the episodes available on DVD, with seasonal pushes for the franchise during the year and repackaged copies of the movies like one planned for "Big Water" that will be the first to include a plush version of one of the dinosaur characters. The company will stage various "Land Before Time" events at Universal theme parks, introduce merchandise like a "Land Before Time" ear thermometer and create a club named after lead character Littlefoot with newsletters and activities.
