I’ve been a supporter of the 3D movie format. I believe that for some movies, it transends gimmick and becomes an incredible movie experience. But am I willing to pay more money for the experience? Probably. And the movie studios know there are others like me out there.
“Theater owners are excited by this technology, because it not only provides a more special movie-going experience but also a meaningful growth opportunity, as research suggests more people come to see 3D movies and ticket pricing has more flexibility,” DreamWorks/Paramount distribution executive Jim Tharp commented in an interview with Omeon.com.
Tharp claimed that moviegoers regard attending a 3D feature as “a premium experience.”
The Disney-owned El Capitan Theater in Hollywood is currently selling tickets online for Disney’s upcoming Meet the Robinsons in 3D for $13.00 for adults and $10.00 per child, a 10 percent premium over the theater’s regular prices. Could this be a new trend??
I’m willing to pay a 10% surcharge. I understand there are costs to the glasses and such. But I’m hoping that theater-owners and distributors don’t turn this into an opportunity to screw movie-goers out of even more money. They need to remember that the American audience has already found the home theater. Don’t give them reason to use it.
March 21st, 2007 at 9:43 pm
I wouldn’t use the pricing at the El Capitan as a gauge for what will happen anywhere else - the theatre is possibly the most expensive in Los Angeles. Almost all of the theatre is blocked out for “VIP seating” at a cost of $25/seat, with the wings and front rows open to general audience at $10 and up. Adding insult to injury, even if the theatre is nearly empty the ushers will keep people in the cheap seats from moving over.
The theatre itself is gorgeous - a live organist opens each show, and they frequently have professinally stagged musical numbers by costumed characters opening the show, but I’ve boycotted the theatre for years because of the elitist pricing (I live three blocks away).
That said, I’m more than happy to pay a couple extra bucks for a more premium experience, but a crappy 3D movie is still a crappy movie. If they also keep out screaming children and proactively eject people using cel phones in the theatre, I’ll all for it.