You can blame James “King of the World” Cameron if you like, but the recent slate of movies in 3-D — from Avatar and Alice in Wonderland to How to Train Your Dragon and Clash of the Titans — has meant more theaters are installing 3-D projectors. And they’re passing the cost of the new technology on to you.
Prices for 3-D movie admission have gone up 8 percent so far this year, reaching nearly $20 per ticket in New York City. Regular movie prices have only gone up 4 percent, by comparison.
This ends up being an interesting lesson in economics. Since the technology is so expensive, many theaters equip only one screen with a 3-D projector. That means this summer’s 3-D blockbusters — Shrek Forever After, Toy Story 3, and The Last Airbender among them — will have to compete for the same screens, potentially bumping one hit off the box office charts before its time, just to make room for the next 3-D film.
The demand for 3-D screen time is high among movie promoters, but the question remains: Do movie watchers feel the same way? Would you pay $20 for a movie ticket?
