Following up a mediocre run in theaters earlier in the year, "Gangster Squad" heads to DVD and Blu-ray this week hoping to find a little wider audience, although audiences will have plenty of options to choose from. Also aiming at the adult demographic this week is "The Impossible," a harrowing true story about tsunami survivors starring Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor. Matt Damon's environmental drama "Promised Land" is also getting launched this week on DVD and Blu-ray, though it could have a hard time finding its target audience after a weak theatrical run. Other titles hitting stores this week include the 3D Blu-ray version of "Jurassic Park," spoof "A Haunted House" and the Robert Redford/Mia Farrow version of "The Great Gatsby."
Well before "Gangster Squad" actually hit theaters, it was already on unsettled ground despite an impressive cast of A-list stars including Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Josh Brolin and Sean Penn. Originally slated to hit theaters back in September, Warner Brothers decided to reshoot some key scenes following the tragic theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, bumping the release back to January. Not only is January typically a more difficult release time, "Gangster Squad" also struggled to gain much support from critics, ultimately leading to a difficult time finding its target audience.
With a production budget of $60 million, the most of any January 2013 release, "Gangster Squad" managed just $46 million in the U.S., though it would finish with more than $100 million worldwide by the time it was out theaters. "Gangster Squad" chronicles the rise of real life gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn), who controlled the criminal underworld of Los Angeles for a time back in the late 40s through the early 1950s.
Also hitting stores this week is "The Impossible," a critically acclaimed drama about a deadly tsunami that ravaged Thailand in 2004. Though "The Impossible" struggled to find its target art house audience during awards season, Naomi Watts gained considerable acclaim for her role as a badly injured mother struggling to cling to survival amidst the chaos. Watts would go on to pick up an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, the second time that she was nominated for the award ("21 Grams"). Now that "The Impossible" won't have to compete with the other popular awards season releases, it should do a little better with its target adult demographic as it gets launched this week on DVD and Blu-ray.
Another title hoping to find a few adult movie fans this week is "Promised Land," an R-rated drama starring Matt Damon, Frances McDormand and John Krasinski. "Promised Land" gathered some polite critical applause when it first hit theaters back at the end of 2012, though that didn't carry over to much success in theaters. Delving into the controversial topic of hydraulic fracturing, commonly called "fracking," "Promised Land" pits a small country town against domineering corporate interests, giving an entry level view of one of the most important environmental debates of the 21st century.
It isn't all searing dramas this week, though, as movie lovers can also turn to the 3D Blu-ray version of "Jurassic Park," Steven Spielberg's smash hit about dinosaurs that take over a prospective theme park. "Jurassic Park" was one of the most lucrative films of the 1990s and one of Spielberg's most popular releases to date, eventually leading to a recent 3D rerelease in theaters. Though the "Jurassic Park" series saw a decline in popularity from the first release to the third, there was still enough fan interest to push a fourth film into production, with a release date set for June of 2014.
Also hoping to find some of its target demographic this week is "A Haunted House," an R-rated spoof written by and starring Marlon Wayans. Though "A Haunted House" received disastrous critical reviews, it still made a splash in theaters to the tune of $40 million in domestic revenue - a very big total considering its $2.5 million production budget. Without any comedy competition this week, "A Haunted House" should once again find its niche audience as it hits DVD and Blu-ray.
Film buffs can also turn to the Robert Redford/Mia Farrow version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," which gets launched in a special edition Blu-ray set this week. Routinely considered one of the greatest novels of the 21st century, the 1974 film adaptation had plenty of hype heading into its release, though it was mostly denounced by critics and was only a modest hit at the box office. The Blu-ray set comes just a few weeks before a new interpretation of "Gatsby" hits theaters, with Leonardo DiCaprio starring in director Baz Lurhmann's film about a self-made millionaire's attempt to infiltrate the high society of Long Island.
Next week, smash hit "Silver Linings Playbook" will look to follow up its awards season success as it hits DVD and Blu-ray, with Academy Award-winner Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper starring in a film about a man overcoming bipolar disorder. Also hitting stores will be the Mark Wahlberg/Russell Crowe starring drama "Broken City," comedy "The Guilt Trip" and new Blu-ray sets for the entire "Star Trek" movie series.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Entertainment News
June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.