Third Magazine

3D Cinema – Box office numbers for 2009

Posted on 11. Dec, 2009 by The James in Industry, Theaters

As we’ve been reporting all along, the numbers look great for 3D market share in theaters.  Apparently, the UK is about to have a record breaking year, topping $1 billion in box office gross and 3D plays a major role in the high level of success.  The Guardian has a great article highlighting 3D dollars for 2009.  Here are a couple of the main points:

- 3D films have taken 10% of box office receipts this year DESPITE being only 3% of the hundreds of films released.

-Where people have a choice between the 3D and 2D they opt for the new version by a ratio of 3 to 1.

-3D films much harder to pirate, causing more people to actually go to the theater to see the films.

There’s also a downside to the market.  Films have a bout a 3 year gestation period between funding and actually hitting the theaters.  So what we are seeing now is a result of the last of the credit boom when private equity and hedge funds were filtering into movie production.  This means there might be a lull in 2010 for power-house 3D films (although this excites me, as it opens the door for indies to make another surge to the top).

But, in general, things do look good  for the 3D market, especially the cinema market, for the future.