The record-breaking box office success of James Cameron’s Avatar appeared to herald the arrival of 3D as a permanent fixture in multiplexes. With $2.7 billion in the coffers worldwide for Avatar, and Cameron cheerleading the format, the likes of Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story 3 and Tron: Legacy delivered strong numbers to cement 3D back into the mainstream.
Avatar appeared to herald the arrival of 3D as a permanent fixture in multiplexes. With $2.7 billion in the coffers worldwide for Avatar, and Cameron cheerleading the format, the likes of Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story 3 and Tron: Legacy delivered strong numbers to cement 3D back into the mainstream.
Is audience enthusiasm for the format evaporated completely, though? The likes of Clash of the Titans and The Last Airbender tested cinemagoers’ patience – delivering mediocre 3D post-conversions at an elevated ticket price. Now, the format appears to be waning at the box office. In recent weeks, more US movie fans have opted to fork out for 2D screenings of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Kung Fu Panda 2 than their 3D counterparts.
DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg described the 3D decline as “heartbreaking” to The Hollywood Reporter. The producer, whose last five DreamWorks animated releases have all debuted on 3D screens, theorised that “genuine distrust” had emerged between the paying public and Hollywood after a string of movies that “seriously undermined” the 3D experience.
“It’s really heartbreaking to see what has been the single greatest opportunity that has happened to the film business in over a decade being harmed,” Katzenberg said. “The audience has spoken, and they have spoken really loudly.”