I was surprised to see an ad for this the other day on TV. It is a DTV spin off featuring the two lab guys from the new GET SMART film. So, is this the first time a spin off has debuted on DVD while the film it is a spin off from is still in theaters?

Universal used to do something kind of similar, issuing direct-to-video animated versions of movies alongside theatrical releases. Van Helsing: The London Assignment and The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury are the two that immediately spring to mind. Dunno how many (if any) others they made, although the word was that they were considering an animated Serenity to help promote the live action version during its theatrical run.