GNOMEO & JULIET TOPS SALES, RENTAL CHARTS

Gnomeo & Juliet was the top-selling DVD release last week — and also the top rental. A rare Disney animated feature that was produced neither by Disney’s own animation unit nor by its Pixar subsidiary, but by Toronto-based Starz Animation, the film was originally released under Disney’s now-little-used Touchstone Pictures banner, which last released a non-Disney/Pixar animated feature in 1993 — Tim Burton’s Nightmare before Christmas, with stop-motion animation by Henry Selick. Although lacking the impressive detail of Disney and Pixar’s current features, and generally scorned by critics, Gnomeo nevertheless earned almost $100 million domestically and nearly an identical amount overseas after its theatrical bow last February. Another Disney film, I Am Number Four was number two on both the sales and rental charts last week.