Just a few weeks ago, some were surprises that Sony seemed to be accelerating the DVD/Blu-ray release of The Social Network. (103 days from theatrical premiere to retail release.) Today we hear the announcement that The King’s Speech will hit store shelves on April 19 (131 days after its Dec 1 premiere). Now I’m finding a site offering (unconfirmed) pre-orders for Black Swan, apparently shipping on March 8 (a mere 81 days after it opened in mid-December, and roughly a week after Oscar night.)

The rule of thumb for estimating home video release dates used to be 17 weeks (119 days). Disney shortened that window considerably for Alice in Wonderland with its theatrical release span of March 5 – June 1 (12.5 weeks, 89 days). This time-frame works to terrific advantage with the current awards season calendar. Films released in the Fall are ready for AMPAS voters in editions that serve as deluxe FYC presentations. Movies that wait for traditional holiday premieres are perfectly positioned for home delivery, striking when the iron is hottest and publicity machines are firing on all cylinders.

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1. “Black Swan” Getting A Wide Release This Christmas
2. “Black Swan” Wide Release Date Announced
3. “Black Swan” Premiering at TIFF
4. ‘Black Swan’ Duo Call Golden Globe Nominations ‘Huge’
5. Mila Kunis Says ‘Black Swan’ Trainer ‘Kicked My Ass’