Digital 3D Is Still Making Big Money

Last week the Los Angeles Times posted statistics showing that 3D per screen averages have dropped over the last six months, which they took to indicate that audience interest for this new format might be "waning." We wrote a rebuttal explaining that the numbers don't mean that the Digital 3D "fad" is over. And now some real box office numbers have confirmed our suspicions. Variety writes:

Of the 11,652 screens that "Dawn of the Dinosaurs" opened on, only 2,126 were 3-D screens, or 18%. Yet the 3-D playdates generated $51 million in ticket sales, or 34% of the total opening gross. The dazzling overall results underscore the revenue potential of 3-D titles, as well as the value of a family franchises like Ice Age, of which "Dawn of the Dinosaurs" is the third installment." ... "Theater owners also say the return on the investment they made to install 3-D screens has been quicker than expected.

34% of the gross on 18% of the screens is big business any way you look at it.