3D Dominates The Cinema: Reels In 33% Of All Box Office Revenue Since December

Here's a tidbit that the 3D pundits might find interesting: 3D movies have generated 33% of total box office revenue since the release of Avatar last December in the U.S. 33%. That's one-third of all movie revenue in America. Talk about stepping in and making an impact! Just two years ago, finding a 3D theater was a chore; now they're everywhere, and even though they're certainly priced higher than the average 2D film, it seems that customers are still buying in.

According to a new report from the International 3D Society Study (watch out for bias, obviously), 33% of domestic box office revenues since Avatar's release have been from 3D films, with four of them ("Clash of the Titans," "How to Train Your Dragon," "Alice in Wonderland" and "Avatar") generating $1.2b in domestic ticket sales out of a total $3.587b. Of course, those movies were huge hits, and tons of marketing dollars were spent on them to ensure that they got your attention.



Another nifty stat was this one: for Alice in Wonderland" and "How to Train Your Dragon," 3D ticket sales accounted for 65% of total domestic grosses, as well as 80% of "Avatar" grosses to date. So not only are people choosing 3D more frequently, but it looks as if they're choosing 3D more often than not on films that are played up as "must-see" in 3D. The 3D films that we have seen in cinemas have all been fairly spectacular, but wearing the glasses does get a little tiresome. Paying extra for the effect is also an annoyance. But it's looking more and more like 3D is here to stay as a format, and if the box office success translates into the home market, watch out: you'll be having the upgrade itch before you even knew it was possible to want one in your den.
Tags:  HDTV, 3D, Movie, Film, Avatar