Can 3D Make A Comeback?

If you haven't noticed, the movie studios are trying to make another run at moviegoers into accepting 3D (and of course their premium pricing).

This year has seen a number of blockbusters that were released in 3D format - the biggest grosser being 'Jurassic World'.  This fall/winter however a big push rests on a cadre of 3D films being released which are geared toward the adult moviegoer.  Many studio executives see potential for more business if they can get mature audiences to view more sophisticated 'event' films.

In the quarter ended June 30th, the average price of a movie ticket was $8.61, up 6% over the 1st quarter of the year.  This increase was partly due to premium pricing of ticket sales of 3D films.

3D viewing peaked in 2011 for both younger and older audiences and has been in decline since. 2015 maybe the pivotal year that gets 3D back on track - at least that's what the studios are hoping for.

IMAX has been urging the studios to create 'event' films for adults and release them in the September/October timeframe which is normally a release dead-spot baring the odd fantasy, action blockbuster.  To accommodate IMAX and because there maybe validity in their notion, Universal is releasing an IMAX-only 3D version of 'Everest' on September 18th - a week before wide-release at regular cinemas.  The same will be true of 'The Walk' which Sony will early release in 3D to IMAX theatres on September 30th. Also to be released in 3D will be 'In the Heart of the Sea', a 19th century sea adventure by Warners Bros. and 'The Revenant', a frontier action-thriller from Fox.

So, it appears that the studios are on-board with the idea that adult oriented movies released in 3D will have older audiences paying for the 3D up-charge.  In addition, 'The Hunger Games:Mockingjay 2' (Lionsgate) and 'Star Wars-The Force Awakens' (Disney) will also be available in 3D.  Added to these are other big-screen up-comers: the new Bond movie, 'Spectre' (Sony/MGM), Peter Pan fantasy, 'Pan' (Warners), 'Crimson Peak' (Universal) and the reboot, 'Point Break' (Warners).

The studios want to make films that are targeted to an older, more thoughtful audience but which are also action-packed and thrilling and oriented to a large screen with 3D effects - movies good enough to warrant an Oscar nod but still be appealing to a mass audience.

I'm hard pressed to see 3D come back in a big way.  I think it holds that good films beget big audiences whether they be young, middle, or older aged, male or female.  3D doesn't add to the goodness of a movie that's why moviegoers decided to shy away from 3D flix in the first place- there were a lot of bad 3D films released which didn't deserve a premium price.  Let's see how this falls' 3D movies perform at the box office.

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