The second Ice Age sequel, known as Ice Age 3 or Dawn of the Dinosaurs, has, to date, clocked up more than $600 million in overseas (i.e. outside North America) box office. The Los Angeles Times notes that it’s the most ever earned by an animated film abroad, and further observes that, in some markets, it’s become the biggest-grossing film since 1997’s Titanic.
The newspaper goes on to say that part of the movie’s success comes from the fact that 40% of its take comes from “premium-priced” (i.e. higher priced) tickets at theaters that are showing the movie in 3-D. It’s a fair call that the tickets should be costlier, as the cost of upgrading cinemas to digital 3-D isn’t to be sneezed at. And then there’s the additional cost of the high-quality 3-D spex dished out to the audience members…
The good news is that, in SA, the cost of the eyewear is largely absorbed by the distributor and exhibitor.
For South African audiences, attending a 3-D movie costs a fraction of what it would cost in the UK or US. And the quality of our 3-D theatres is up there with the best the world can offer. In SA, a ticket for a 3-D movie will cost you between R30 (US$3.75, at today’s rates) and R65 (US$8.15), whereas, for example, in the States, the same experience will set you back between R105 (about US$13) and R160 (US$20)!
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