As Walt Disney Studios releases the 3D versions of its megahit films Toy Story and Toy Story 2 as a single show on October 2 in North America, Hollywood is sending yet another signal that the 3D movie phenomenon has long legs. The double package will show the trailer of Toy Story 3 as well, which will also have a 3D version.
The 3D version of another huge Disney hit, Beauty And The Beast, is going to be released on February 12, 2010, the studio announced recently. Meanwhile, Joe Dante's The Hole, which received good reviews at the Toronto International and Venice film festivals, is awaiting release.
The coming-of-age horror film is also a psychological thriller. Its box-office success could lead to more 3D versions of the films aimed at teenagers and adults. Coraline, a dark and psychological film, grossed over $125 million worldwide, a bigger success than expected. Nearly 25 percent of its grosses came from 3D theatres. Its success proves that 3D films are not the monopoly of children.
The 3D movies will get a huge boost when Avatar, from Titanic director James Cameron, releases in December. At least half a dozen 3D films including a horror movie, My Bloody Valentine, have been released in the last six months (along with 2D versions), and they have brought the studios quite some profits. The most successful among them are Fox's Ice Age 3 and Disney's Up.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, the number one film in America for two weeks grossing $70 million, is also in 3D. A comical film with a moral, Cloudy is about a scientist's attempt to solve world hunger going awry, leading hotdogs and spaghetti to pour from the sky. It has also opened well abroad.
'It's almost shocking to have a film hold that well after opening that big," said Paul Dergarabedian, a analyst, in an interview. The movie lost about 20 percent of its box office in its second week in North America; movies normally come down by about 40 percent in their second week. The power of the 3-D film cannot be overstated.
Although only about 2,700 screens (representing less than 6 percent of all screens in North America) show 3D movies, the business from them is great because they charge an extra $3 per ticket. In New York, for instance, a 3D ticket costs $15.
'Studios are producing more 3-D movies, which command higher ticket prices, as sales of DVDs decline. DVD sales dropped during the first half of 2009, according to the industry-sponsored Digital Entertainment Group,'.
'Year-to-date box office receipts total $7.82 billion, up 7.8 percent from a year earlier,'said, adding that 3D admissions boosted the total. Attendance is up 3.9 percent this year. The number of 3D screens is expected to grow by 4,000 by the end of 2009 in North America, according to the trade publication, Variety.
At least 50 films under production will be released in 3D versions in the next two years. One reason for the 3D surge is because the 3-D movies tend to sell more seats per showing, trade analysts say. If the Toy Story movies grab sizable millions on 3D screens, there will be an impetus for other studios to re-release some of their best family movies in 3D versions.
'This fantastic double feature will let moviegoers see two of their all-time favourite films from Pixar Animation Studios in a way that they've never seen them before, and all for the price of one movie ticket,' Zoradi said in a statement. 'John Lasseter and the animation team have truly created a spectacular 3D experience with Buzz, Woody, and all the toy characters in a whole new eye-popping dimension. We're also excited that audiences will soon see a whole new chapter when Toy Story 3 in 3D, directed by Lee Unkrich (co-director of Toy Story 2) comes to theatres.'
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