Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
04-03-09, 02:18 PM
#1
Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
Fox is quickly becoming the Florida of the film industry.
Link to the story
Link to the story
Fox Faces Movie-Theater Rebellion Over Refusal To Pay For 3-D Glasses (NWS)
Hilary Lewis|Apr. 2, 2009, 7:24 PM|
On Tuesday, Fox said that it wasn't going to pay the $1-million-per-movie cost to supply theaters with 3-D glasses for the studio's upcoming in-your-face films like this summer's Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Instead, Fox wants the movie theaters to pay for them. Understandably, multiplex owners aren't too happy about the extra cost, and many are considering revolting by only showing Ice Age 3 in 2-D, which could massively cut into the film's box-office revenues.
Regal Cinemas, the nation's largest theater chain, has reportedly already decided to only show Ice Age 3 in 2-D, sources close to the company tell Entertainment Weekly. Two sources also believe AMC Theaters and Cinemark will oppose Fox's demands, Entertainment Weekly reports:
Evidently, the glasses were part of a deal worked out long ago, when theater chains started installing the silver screens and digital projectors needed to view 3-D digital cinema, so to go back now and renegotiate after the equipment has been put in place is a difficult proposition.
One anonymous exhibitor outlined the reasons for his ire to the mag:
"I'm already paying fees to RealD for the systems. I'm paying to put in the silver screens and I'm paying to train employees to run the product. To come in at this point and say they aren't going to pay for the glasses, yet they want all the upside of the revenue, is ridiculous."
Sadly, both the theaters and the studios are paying hefty sums to usher in this 3-D revolution, with the budget on Fox's upcoming live-action 3-D pic Avatar already reported to be north of $200 million. So, it's no surprise each side wants the other one to foot the bill. While we're not surprised that cost-centric Fox, still recovering from a rough year at the box office in 2008, doesn't want to put up the dough, if this is what it takes to get the additional revenues that 3-D movies provide, Fox may have to give in. After all, that Avatar budget won't be easy to recoup.
For its part, Fox, via distribution president Bruce Snyder, denied that there was any problem. "No exhibitor has said they don't want to play Ice Age in 3-D," Snyder told EW. "All we are doing is working out the issues."
Hilary Lewis|Apr. 2, 2009, 7:24 PM|
On Tuesday, Fox said that it wasn't going to pay the $1-million-per-movie cost to supply theaters with 3-D glasses for the studio's upcoming in-your-face films like this summer's Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Instead, Fox wants the movie theaters to pay for them. Understandably, multiplex owners aren't too happy about the extra cost, and many are considering revolting by only showing Ice Age 3 in 2-D, which could massively cut into the film's box-office revenues.
Regal Cinemas, the nation's largest theater chain, has reportedly already decided to only show Ice Age 3 in 2-D, sources close to the company tell Entertainment Weekly. Two sources also believe AMC Theaters and Cinemark will oppose Fox's demands, Entertainment Weekly reports:
Evidently, the glasses were part of a deal worked out long ago, when theater chains started installing the silver screens and digital projectors needed to view 3-D digital cinema, so to go back now and renegotiate after the equipment has been put in place is a difficult proposition.
One anonymous exhibitor outlined the reasons for his ire to the mag:
"I'm already paying fees to RealD for the systems. I'm paying to put in the silver screens and I'm paying to train employees to run the product. To come in at this point and say they aren't going to pay for the glasses, yet they want all the upside of the revenue, is ridiculous."
Sadly, both the theaters and the studios are paying hefty sums to usher in this 3-D revolution, with the budget on Fox's upcoming live-action 3-D pic Avatar already reported to be north of $200 million. So, it's no surprise each side wants the other one to foot the bill. While we're not surprised that cost-centric Fox, still recovering from a rough year at the box office in 2008, doesn't want to put up the dough, if this is what it takes to get the additional revenues that 3-D movies provide, Fox may have to give in. After all, that Avatar budget won't be easy to recoup.
For its part, Fox, via distribution president Bruce Snyder, denied that there was any problem. "No exhibitor has said they don't want to play Ice Age in 3-D," Snyder told EW. "All we are doing is working out the issues."
04-03-09, 04:20 PM
#5
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
I wish I had the choice of re-using the glasses from a previous 3d film and deducting the $2.00 surcharge from my ticket price, instead of having to re-buy them every time I go to one of these. It would be one thing if the glasses were branded with the individual films (which would make it a cool collectible) but they are the exact same plain black RealD ones every time.
04-03-09, 05:27 PM
#6
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Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
I wish I had the choice of re-using the glasses from a previous 3d film and deducting the $2.00 surcharge from my ticket price, instead of having to re-buy them every time I go to one of these. It would be one thing if the glasses were branded with the individual films (which would make it a cool collectible) but they are the exact same plain black RealD ones every time.
04-03-09, 05:28 PM
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Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
Jesus Christ Fox - are you trying to piss off everyone everywhere!? First they have the worst slate of any major studio for 2008, then they pull the Watchmen stunt, then Wolverinegate and now THIS? Really? You think this is a good time to pull shit like this? This studio needs to give it's head a shake. (I also wish you could pay LESS if you've already got the glasses, but I don't see that happening anytime soon).
04-03-09, 05:44 PM
#8
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
Jesus Christ Fox - are you trying to piss off everyone everywhere!? First they have the worst slate of any major studio for 2008, then they pull the Watchmen stunt, then Wolverinegate and now THIS? Really? You think this is a good time to pull shit like this? This studio needs to give it's head a shake. (I also wish you could pay LESS if you've already got the glasses, but I don't see that happening anytime soon).
04-03-09, 06:32 PM
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Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
Ok I understand the theaters not wanting to pay, but to use the rhetoric that the theaters have to pay to train employees how to work the Digital Projectors is a bit much. It takes 10 minutes of work to build a movie and it requires pressing a Play button to run them.
04-03-09, 06:38 PM
#12
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
If studios like Disney, Paramount, New Line or Universal have been able to do it; I don't see why Fox isn't able to.
04-03-09, 07:36 PM
#13
Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
It's a bad time to be 20th Century Fox. Could this be the year that new management (hopefully with brains) get ushered in? One can only hope...
04-03-09, 08:34 PM
#14
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
But like you say, just making people pay if they needed would be great.
04-03-09, 08:38 PM
#15
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
This seems to be why they are in this big fight. Both groups want to make an extra buck off of these glasses, when they should just have a big tub to throw them in after the movie and reuse them. Yeah, people would steal some, but it wouldn't require a million bucks per flick to recoup that cost.
But like you say, just making people pay if they needed would be great.
But like you say, just making people pay if they needed would be great.
in this day someone will get sick and sue the theater because they gave out used glasses
04-03-09, 08:43 PM
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Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
I can't stand that we have to paid $3.00 for a pair sunglasses that don't do much for the film (Monsters Vs Aliens).
Just few tricks here there but not enough to say WOW about at all!
Just few tricks here there but not enough to say WOW about at all!
04-03-09, 09:30 PM
#17
Moderator
Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
^ yet the film in IMAX-Digital 3D looked fantastic, sounds like my impressions with 'Bolt' where the 3D effects didn't impress me in the slightest.
04-03-09, 09:31 PM
#18
Moderator
Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
if I were the studios I'd say to Fox, "well, we will just take the movie in film form and uncommitt ourselves to presenting this in Digital 3D"
04-03-09, 09:31 PM
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Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
I actually like that Fox is doing this because I am a BIG hater of this 3D shit. However I can't for the life of me cant believe they are doing this to their own films. Seems like a pretty dumb move on their part if they want to make roe money on their shitty kids films.
04-03-09, 10:09 PM
#20
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
They're lucky Taken brought in a good chunk of change. The last movie I remember liking from them was The Simpsons Movie nearly 2 years ago.
04-04-09, 12:01 AM
#21
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
Did I pay more for Monsters VS Aliens? I didn't even notice. But I did notice that the glasses were pretty nice and they didn't ask for them back! I don't mind paying for a pair of 3D glasses. Movie ticket prices are far from my breaking point and I'll go see movies for a long time to come, without giving two-shits about the ticket prices.
The MvA 3D presentation was alright. I did enjoy the way it was 3D, but not too in-your-face. It was just kind of 'presented'. Nothing was overdone. But, like the movie itself, it was novel fluff. Give me a great movie that packs a punch (say, Wall-E or Kung Fu Panda) and make it 3D. Then we'll see what it's real value is.
That bein' said, Avatar will tell us what's going to happen with 3D.
The MvA 3D presentation was alright. I did enjoy the way it was 3D, but not too in-your-face. It was just kind of 'presented'. Nothing was overdone. But, like the movie itself, it was novel fluff. Give me a great movie that packs a punch (say, Wall-E or Kung Fu Panda) and make it 3D. Then we'll see what it's real value is.
That bein' said, Avatar will tell us what's going to happen with 3D.
04-04-09, 12:04 AM
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Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
I saved my Real-D 3D glasses from the first movie I saw in 3d and have been using them for about a year. I pay for the regular 2-d showing or for another movie and just walk into the 3-D auditorium and save the $2-3.00 fee!
04-04-09, 12:23 AM
#23
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
^^ I do the same. Yeah, I can't believe they make you pay more for the glasses then pitch "go green, recycle your glasses (give it back to the theatre)" BS...
04-04-09, 06:50 AM
#24
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
I say just stop the 3D nonsense completely. It doesn't make better movies and no one's gonna miss it
04-04-09, 07:32 AM
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Re: Fox Refuses To Supply Theaters with 3D Glasses
In the coming years, Fox will be so poorly off all they'll be able to afford is a remake of The Mephisto Waltz.
