‘Courageous’ DVD debuts at No. 1

ALBANY, Ga. — The impact “Courageous” had in theaters seems to be continuing through its DVD sales.

The fatherhood film from Sherwood Pictures, the moviemaking arm of Sherwood Baptist Church, made its debut to DVD sales on Jan. 17 — and managed to do so as the top-selling DVD in the country, surpassing major films such as “The Descendants” and “The Ides of March,” a news release sent out by Sherwood’s public relations firm said.

The DVD is being distributed by Affirm Films/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in the general market and Provident Distribution in the Christian retail market.

“Courageous,” the third theatrical and fourth film from Sherwood, tells the story of four law enforcement officers who are confident and focused, yet at the end of the day, fatherhood is a challenge they feel unprepared to face.

The film opened in theaters Sept. 30, and was the No. 4 movie the three days after its release. It was in the box office top 10 for four weeks, opening on more than 1,000 screens.

“With each film, we’ve been grateful to see audiences and theater counts grow,” said “Courageous” director, co-writer and featured actor Alex Kendrick, who is also a pastor at Sherwood. “It’s been remarkable to witness our church-made films do well head to head with Hollywood movies.

“When we heard the ‘Courageous’ DVD was No. 1 in the nation, our Sherwood family rejoiced about how many families may be touched and how many dads may find something in the film that helps them be better fathers. That’s our first measure of success.”

Numbers from Box Office Mojo indicate that the film made $9.1 million on opening weekend, and $34.5 million overall, during its run in theaters. Its widest release was in 1,214 theaters.

“Courageous” also is available on Blu-ray in a combo pack with the Exclusive Collector’s Edition DVD at Christian bookstore retailers with more than two hours of bonus features. The regular edition should be available anywhere DVDs are sold.