With Avatar, 3D technology has arrived in a big way ($2.4B in worldwide ticket sales and counting…) Some are calling it the seminal film for the 3D format saying the block buster movie is ushering in 3D the same way The Wizard of OZ ushered in Technicolor back in 1939.

Steve Sechrist
Senior Analyst and Editor

But Hollywood is finding the film is impacting the center of the cinema industry, where Avatar is throwing off-track subsequent new film releases, relegating them to a number two spot on their opening weekend. For example, Mel Gibson’s celebrated return to the big screen with his Edge of Darkness grossed $13M less than Avatar ($17.1M vs. $30M) during its opener.

In Hollywood, there is now a 3D film frenzy. An LA Times story yesterday (Unprepared cinema’s face 3D ‘Clash’) reported that, "Movies in 3-D are becoming such big moneymakers that Hollywood studios are cramming them into the nation’s theaters, even though there aren’t enough screens available to give each film its fullest possible run."

New 3D films are stacking up back to back for release this Spring and with a little fewer than 4,000 theaters enabled with 3D screens in the US, theater owners caught without adequate facilities to show them all, according to the report. Dreamworks (Dragon) and Disney (Alice) have long planned 3D releases around the Spring season, but remakes in 3D like the Warner Clash of the Titans also want in, all at a time when Avatar may still be running, according to the LA Times.

But the ripple effect goes beyond cinema. Perhaps embolden in part by the success of 3D content at the box office (and the opportunity to differentiate their sets with next generation technology), TV makers are now pushing ahead delivery of 3DTV sets into consumer distribution. Sears today announced it is accepting pre-orders for Samsung’s new 46- and 55-inch 3D-enabled LCD/LED flat panel TVs (UN46C7000WFXZA and UN55C7000WFXZA) with US pricing set at $2,600 and $3,300 respectively. The sets don’t ship with 3D glasses, but according to the Sears web site, they are available in most major metro areas within 8 to 10 days of placing an order. They are also available for pre-order through other outlets.

Panasonic also announced last week at its European line show delivery and pricing for the EU market on both 50- and 65-inch 3D enabled PDP sets (50VT20 and 65VT20) that will sell for $3,100 and $6,200 respectively, including one set of active shutter glasses (extra glasses are about $150). The US versions will be available in the May/June time frame but no price was announced.

So as it turns out, Avatar’s mythical 3D planet of Pandora also has a yellow brick road that 3D film makers are taking to the bank. But like too much of a good thing, if they are not careful, they could flood the market with too many new films and saturate the limited number of theaters available to show them. This puts at risk the 3D box office boost that Hollywood is counting on to pay for the added cost of the technology. But fear not, 3D films will find their way to the living room as TV makers ride the next wave of 3D technology, that’s now looking to arrive much sooner than even the Wizard expected. - Steve Sechrist