Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton are the current co-chairs of Sony Pictures Entertainment and Forbes have tagged them for a very interesting interview on the future of the motion picture business. Let’s get to the holy-moly, though: Pascal quite clearly suggests that Sam Raimi’s next Spider-Man could be shot in 3D.

Actually, in context, it sounds more than an idle suggestion, it sounds like a real, solid possibility, if not tentative plan… though Lynton also offers a reason why the idea might be controversial. Quotes to come after the break.

Forbes asked is they see 3D as the future of the industry, and Pascal replied:

For sure. You’re not going to see a lot of animated movies that aren’t in 3D any more. I think Jeffrey Katzenberg preached that and he was right.

Yes - but whether or not it was a self fulfilling prophecy is another issue. On the subject of Katzenberg, Lynton added:

I didn’t understand what he was talking about until I saw Monsters vs. Aliens. It’s a very immersive experience. It’s like seeing perspective for the first time. I think it is something different and terrific and a new group of directors will have to figure out how to do it.

Back to Pascal:

I think James Cameron’s new movie [Avatar] could change the world. I think everyone is in anticipation thinking it’s going to be like Star Wars. It’s going to change the way you consume entertainment. I don’t know that it will ever be the way you see dramas, but I can’t say anymore that it won’t be.

So Forbes go for the kill and ask if Sony are considering any live action in 3D, and even specifically asks “What about Spider-Man 4?”.

Pascal says the crucial two words:

Could be.

Lynton adds:

People are paying a premium to see movies in 3-D and that’s a very big deal. It’s never been done before that someone says you have to pay more to see Spider-Man than a romantic comedy.

So… there you have it. The next question, I suppose, is whether or not Sam Raimi would want to make the film in 3D. And then the next question after that would be whether or not they’d let him make it in plain old 2D anyway, if they’d made their minds up. It’s not like he was left with free reign on Spider-Man 3, is it?

Personally, I hope to see Spider-Man 4 in 3D.

Also up for discussion in the interview is the state of the DVD market. Pascal’s comments there made for a frank insight into perspective of a studio head. When asked if she though DVD profits would stay down for good, here’s what she said:

What you see happening is that every time a new technology or means of distribution show up, about every decade or so, there’s an enormous growth in the business because there’s another way to exploit the library. We just went through one with DVD. Now we need the next one. I don’t mean to sound Pollyannaish but there’s always a next one.

And then, Forbes asked if Blu-Ray would make up for the shortfall, so she replied:

That’s the hope, but I’m a little skeptical. The question is whether people will really replace their libraries. Plus it would appear there’s already price erosion in Blu-ray, so we’re not making the price point we originally hoped for. The entertainment industry at large has pretty much given away high definition to consumers. They haven’t really charged a premium for it on television. That makes consumers more likely to buy Blu-ray but less likely to pay a premium for it.

Just work out a business model where you can cope with me paying a reasonable price, okay? Perhaps spending $300 million on single films isn’t really the best idea, hmmm?