Hollywood studios put a great deal of effort into scheduling their blockbusters, and the pecking order of potential blockbusters is becoming even more of a factor as competition heats up for the choice Imax and 3D venues where premium ticket prices can drive a film’s gross into the stratosphere. This is where having a stellar track record really helps a sequel. Case in point Sony’s Spider-Man 4, which will debut in IMAX theaters on the same day that it rolls out in conventional venues in May of 2011.
Sometimes even proven performance is not enough. When Warner Bros. moved Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from December of 2008 to the summer of 2009, the studio was unable to secure any Imax venues until Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen had completed its run on the oversize screens. Competition for the IMAX venues and for 3D-enabled screens is intense during the summer movie season, and it’s forcing the studios to spread their dimensionally-enhanced blockbusters throughout the year in order to secure enough of the prime venues. While it’s a good bet that more and more screens will become 3D-enabled, there is still a shortage properly equipped theaters that is likely to be with us for at least a couple more years. This shortfall will be especially evident when a number of 3D films debut in close proximity. As for the giant screen Imax venues, they will remain a limited resource for the foreseeable future with just 273 theaters worldwide at present.
According to Variety Disney has announced that its 3D film Tron Legacy will be released in 3D on December 17th, 2010 at both Imax and traditional theaters using Disney Digital 3D. The Mouse House has inked a 5-picture agreement with IMAX and has decided that Tron Legacy is Imax-worthy, even though the original 1982 Tron film, while groundbreaking in many respects, only brought in a mediocre $33 million at the box office.
Disney is hoping that the prospect of a new Tron film produced in 3D will be enough to propel the pioneering property that melded movies and video games to success at last. It should be interesting to see if there are enough 3D-capable screens by December 2010 that films will be able to be released exclusively (or nearly exclusively) in the extra-dimensional format.
