Lionsgate Home Entertainment Sets Best Picture Nominee — Writer/Director Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight — For DVD And Blu-ray Delivery On Feb. 28

Lionsgate Home Entertainment was out this past week with news about DVD and Blu-ray editions of a couple of minor Oscar contenders.   It was sort of a: “get these out of the way,” as the big one, filmmaker Damien Chazelle’s La La Land, which is still waiting in the wings, will be announced soon … more on that in a minute.

In the meantime, writer/director Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, which is competing in the Best Picture category (along with Directing, Best Adapted Screenplay and five other nominations), will be available as both DVD and Blu-ray editions on Feb. 28. 

The ARR is 130 days and ticket sales are a tad on the lackluster side at $15.8 million (that number will improve with the Oscar buzz and could reach $20 million when all is said and done).

Bonus features include commentary from filmmaker Barry Jenkins and a trio of featurettes — “Ensemble of Emotion: The Making of Moonlight,” “Poetry Through Collaboration: The Music of Moonlight” and “Cruel Beauty: Filming in Miami.”

The other film in the Oscar derby is writer/director Mike Mills’ 20^th Century Women, which has Mills (Beginners, Thumbsucker) competing in the Best Original Screenplay category.   Liongate has tabbed Mar. 28 as the street date for both DVD and Blu-ray editions.

The ARR is 88 days and ticket sales from the film’s platformed theatrical run currently stand right at $3 million.

Bonus features include commentary from filmmaker Mike Mills and a pair of featurettes — “Making 20th Century Women” and “20th Century Cast.”

As to La La Land, it seems certain that either Mar. 14 or Mar. 21 will now be the likely street date for its home entertainment launch.  Lionsgate would be wise to avoid both Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment’s Moana on Mar. 7 and Warner Bros. Home Entertaintment’s Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them on Mar. 28.

With Hacksaw Ridge and Manchester by the Sea previously announced for delivery on Feb. 21, and Hell or High Water already out on DVD and Blu-ray, Lionsgate is sitting pretty with five of the nine films in the Best Picture category (although, technically-speaking, Manchester by the Sea is from Roadside Attractions and Moonlight is an A24 theatrical release).   The Oscar telecast is on Feb. 26.