“Despicable Me 2” set some positive box office records over the 4th of July holiday weekend. But the animated hit also set a new all-time record for the lowest percentage of 3D tickets sold. Entertainment Weekly is reporting that only 27% of ticket sales for “DM2” over the 5-Day Fourth of July weekend were for 3D showings (about $37 million).
There’s no denying the recent decline in interest in 3D. Ticket sales are down. Showings per theater are down (often 3D is not getting primetime slots). This summer “Monsters University” only had 31% of its opening weekend sales for 3D. “World War Z”, which faced “MU”, did slightly better with 34% 3D $$$. Only 1/3 of “The Great Gatsby”‘s $50M open was 3D sales. And blockbuster action films, such as “Iron Man 3” and “Star Trek Into Darkness” saw more than half of audiences choosing 2D over 3D.
These are staggeringly low numbers compared to just a few years ago when 3D was REALLY hot. Films like “Avatar”, “Alice in Wonderland”, and even “Tron: Legacy” scored big with the 3D technology. “Tron” was able to get 82% of its opening weekend crowds to see it in either regular 3D or IMAX 3D.
Back at the start of this recent 3D comeback I predicted (on “The Tonight Show”) that 3D was a gimmick that would run its course and disappear again in the near future. Maybe that time is close. James Cameron, “Mr. 3D” even admits, “I don’t think Hollywood is using 3D properly”. I agree with him that films like “Man of Steel”, “Iron Man 3”, or most action films for that matter, don’t necessarily have to be in 3D. The 2D digital technology is good enough to provide audiences with an incredible visual experience.
Clearly most movie fans don’t see any advantage to watching a film in 3D. Ticket prices are already high enough. Does 3D add to the enjoyment of certain films? Absolutely (“DM2” is a perfect example). But you can still have a great time without having to shell out the extra bucks.
If this anti-3D trend continues, and I think it will, it won’t be long before the current 3D glasses will become collectors items, like the old fashioned versions with the red and blue lenses.