Shrek, the year's highest grossing film, has opened another avenue of riches for DreamWorks and its home video distribution partner Universal Studios. The film sold 7 million VHS and DVD units and generated $110m in three days, the best opening weekend since Walt Disney's home video release of The Lion King in 1995. The Disney animation sold 20m units in six days generating a retail spend of $340m.

According to a release, more than 2.5 million Shrek DVDs were sold, making it the fastest-selling DVD release in the format's four and a half year history. The record itself is briefer still: two weeks ago, 20th Century Fox/Lucasfilm sold 2.2 million copies of Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace on its opening weekend. Two weeks before that Universal's DVD release of Mummy Returns rang up record retail revenue.

To date, Shrek has earned $260m at the North American box office and has surpassed $400m worldwide.

Universal has two other potential monsters in its home video holiday line-up: Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas, which goes on sale November 20, and Jurassic Park III, which goes on December 11.